5/30/2015

DistillationColumn:ColumnInternals,Bubblecaptrays,Valvetrays,Sievetrays,Structuredpacking
home sitemap about abbreviations fun question conversion advertising copyright relax contact

EXPLOREtheWORLDofPIPING
DOCS MATL SOCY PIPES FLANGES FTTG VALVES BOLTS GASKETS EQPT SPECIALS STEEL DIN STEAM OTHERS

Distillation Columns: Column Internals

Trays and Plates
Bubble cap trays
Abubblecaptrayhasriserorchimneyfittedovereachhole,andacapthatcoverstheriser.Thecapis
mountedsothatthereisaspacebetweenriserandcaptoallowthepassageofvapour.Vapourrises
throughthechimneyandisdirecteddownwardbythecap,finallydischargingthroughslotsinthecap,
andfinallybubblingthroughtheliquidonthetray.

Sieve trays
Sievetraysaresimplymetalplateswithholesinthem.Vapourpassesstraightupwardthroughthe
http://www.wermac.org/equipment/distillation_part2.html

1/6

5/30/2015

DistillationColumn:ColumnInternals,Bubblecaptrays,Valvetrays,Sievetrays,Structuredpacking

liquidontheplate.Thearrangement,numberandsizeoftheholesaredesignparameters.

Valve trays
Invalvetrays,perforationsarecoveredbyliftablecaps.Vapourflowsliftsthecaps,thusselfcreatinga
flowareaforthepassageofvapour.Theliftingcapdirectsthevapourtoflowhorizontallyintothe
liquid,thusprovidingbettermixingthanispossibleinsievetrays.

http://www.wermac.org/equipment/distillation_part2.html

2/6

5/30/2015

DistillationColumn:ColumnInternals,Bubblecaptrays,Valvetrays,Sievetrays,Structuredpacking

ThisFLEXITRAYTMvalvetrayisasteelsheetonwhichliftablevalvesaremounted.Theyaremuch
moreefficientthansievetrays.PictureofKochGlitsch,LP.

Liquid and Vapour Flows in a Tray Column

Theimagebelowshowthedirectionofvapourandliquidflowacrossatray,andacrossacolumn.
Eachtrayhas2conduits,oneoneachside,calleddowncomers.Liquidfallsthroughthedowncomersby
gravityfromonetraytotheonebelowit.

http://www.wermac.org/equipment/distillation_part2.html

3/6

5/30/2015

DistillationColumn:ColumnInternals,Bubblecaptrays,Valvetrays,Sievetrays,Structuredpacking

Aweironthetrayensuresthatthereisalwayssomeliquid(holdup)onthetrayandisdesignedsuch
thatthetheholdupisatasuitableheight,e.g.suchthatthebubblecapsarecoveredbyliquid.
Beinglighter,vapourflowsupthecolumnandisforcedtopassthroughtheliquid,viatheopeningson
eachtray.Theareaallowedforthepassageofvapouroneachtrayiscalledtheactivetrayarea.

Tray Designs
Atrayessentiallyactsasaminicolumn,eachaccomplishingafractionoftheseparationtask.Fromthis
wecandeducethatthemoretraysthereare,thebetterthedegreeofseparationandthatoverall
separationefficiencywilldependsignificantlyonthedesignofthetray.Traysaredesignedtomaximise
vapourliquidcontactbyconsideringthe
liquiddistributionand
vapourdistribution
onthetray.Thisisbecausebettervapourliquidcontactmeansbetterseparationateachtray,
translatingtobettercolumnperformance.Lesstrayswillberequiredtoachievethesamedegreeof
separation.Attendantbenefitsincludelessenergyusageandlowerconstructioncosts.

Structured packing
Thetermstructuredpackingreferstoarangeofspeciallydesignedmaterialsforuseinabsorptionand
distillationcolumns.Structuredpackingstypicallyconsistofthincorrugatedmetalplatesorgauzes
arrangedinawaythattheyforcefluidstotakecomplicatedpathsthroughthecolumn,thereby
http://www.wermac.org/equipment/distillation_part2.html

4/6

5/30/2015

DistillationColumn:ColumnInternals,Bubblecaptrays,Valvetrays,Sievetrays,Structuredpacking

creatingalargesurfaceareaforcontactbetweendifferentphases.

Structuredpackingisformedfromcorrugatedsheetsofperforatedembossedmetalorwiregauze.The
resultisaveryopenhoneycombstructurewithinclinedflowchannelsgivingarelativelyhighsurface
areabutwithverylowresistancetogasflow.
Thesurfaceenhancementshavebeenchosentomaximizeliquidspreading.Thesecharacteristicstend
toshowsignificantperformancebenefitsinlowpressureandlowirrigationrateapplications.

Packings versus Trays

Atraycolumnthatisfacingthroughputproblemsmaybedebottleneckedbyreplacingasectionof
trayswithpackings.Thisisbecause:
packingsprovideextrainterfacialareaforliquidvapourcontact
efficiencyofseparationisincreasedforthesamecolumnheight
packedcolumnsareshorterthantrayedcolumns
Packedcolumnsarecalledcontinuouscontactcolumnswhiletrayedcolumnsarecalledstagedcontact
columnsbecauseofthemannerinwhichvapourandliquidarecontacted.

Part 1:WhatareDistillationColumns?
Part 2:DistillationColumn:ColumnInternals
Foramoreexpandedarticleaboutdistillation,pleasevisit:

http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk

http://www.wermac.org/equipment/distillation_part2.html

5/6

5/30/2015

DistillationColumn:ColumnInternals,Bubblecaptrays,Valvetrays,Sievetrays,Structuredpacking

GraphiccourtesyofBismarckStateCollegeNationalEnergyCenterofExcellence

WernerSlken20082015.Allrightsreserved.
DonotworryaboutyourdifficultiesinMathematics.Icanassureyouminearestillgreater.AlbertEinstein

http://www.wermac.org/equipment/distillation_part2.html

6/6