Distillation Column Tray Selection & Sizing 1

Introduction:
Once the process design stage ends, the equipment design begins. This stage of design converts process
requirements into actual hardware.
One of the most prominent hardwares used for mass transfer is tray. Tray columns are widely used in
various types of mass transfer operations. All the simulation results, which predict a certain number of
theoretical stages, can be converted to actual trays depending upon tray efficiency for a particular service.
In any conventional tray vapor rises through the liquid pool on the tray deck and then disengages from
the liquid in the space above the deck. Liquid enters the tray from a down comer above and leaves via a
down comer below.

Conventional Tray has three functional zones:

Active area for mixing vapor and liquid: This is the zone where mass transfer occurs.
Vapor space above the active area: This is the zone in which liquid is separated from vapor.
Down comer between trays. This zone has two functions, first moving liquid from one contacting tray to
another and second disengaging vapor from liquid.
Each of these zones takes up vertical and horizontal space in the tower.

Selection Guide for Tray Column:

The factors discussed below influence the choice between trays & packings. As these are guidelines for
selection of trays or packings for a particular service, it is recommended to analyze each design case on
its own merit for selection.

No. System Favoring Tray Column System Favoring Packed

Column
1 Solid handling Vacuum system
2 High liquid rate Low pressure drop application
3 Feed composition and variable Revamps- The pressure drop
temperature Reduction can be translated into
capacity gain, an energy gain or
separation improvement.
4 Large diameter columns Small diameter columns< 900
mm
5 Performance prediction is easy Corrosive system
6 Less weight saving in cost Foaming system
foundations and supports
7 Interboilers, intercondensers, Low liquid holdup for
cooling coils % side draw reducing polymerization and
degradation.
8 High turn down requirements Batch Distillation
9 Chemical reactions

The industry, based on its experience, has standardised the type to be used in certain services. If this
reference is not available the guideline as per Appendix 1 are to be used
Types of Tray
The particular tray selection and its design can materially affect the performance of a given distillation,
absorption, or stripping system. Each tray should be designed so as to give as efficient a contact between
the vapour and liquid as possible, within reasonable economic limits.

Valve tray:
Valve trays are perforated sheet metal decks on which round, liftable valves are mounted. The vapour
flows through valves which are installed parallel to the outlet weir. Valve trays combine high capacity and
excellent efficiency with a wide operating range.

Advantages:
Excellent liquid/ vapour contacting.
Higher capacity.
Higher flexibility than sieve trays.
Can handle higher loadings.
Low-pressure drop than bubble cap.

Sieve tray:
Sieve trays are flat perforated plate in which vapour rises through small holes in tray floor, & bubbles
through liquid in fairly uniform manner. They have comparable capacity as valve trays.

Advantages:
Simple construction Low entrainment,
low cost Low maintenance cost
Low fouling tendency

Disadvantages:
Less-flexible to varying loads than other two types

Bubble cap tray:

Vapour rises through risers or uptakes into bubble cap, out through slots as bubbles into surrounding
liquid on tray. It is mainly used in special applications.

Advantages:
Moderate capacity
Most flexible (high & low vap. & liquid rates)
Can provide excellent turndown.

Disadvantages:
High entrainment, High fouling tendency
High cost,
High pressure drop

Dual flow trays:

A dual flow tray is a sieve tray with no downcomers. This tray operates with liquid continuously weeping
through the holes. Due to the absence of downcomers, dual flow tray gives more tray area hence a greater
capacity than any of the common tray types. They are ideal for revamp where if some efficiency can be
sacrificed for more capacity. They are least expensive to make and easiest to install and maintain.
Baffle trays:
For a baffle tray column the gas flows upwards through the baffle openings and in doing so contacts the
liquid showering down from one baffle to the next. Baffle tray columns have almost same flooding
capacity as cross flow trays. Types of baffles used are disc & donut and segmental baffles for various
column diameters.
Dual flow and baffle trays are used for fouling applications, solid / slurry handling services, corrosive
services.

Proprietary types of trays:

MD Trays Linde / UOP,
Ripple Trays Stone & Webster Engg. Corp.
Rectangular Valve (BDH),
ValveGrid (MVG/SVG),
SHELL HIFI, ConSep Trays SulzerBallast Tray,
Flexitray, Bi-FRAC, SUPERFRAC and ULTRAFRAC Trays Koch-Glitsch Engg.Co., Tunnel Trays- Montz,
Nye trays- Nye Engg Co,

Comparison between Common Conventional Trays.

No. Factors Sieve Tray Valve Tray Bubble-Cap Dual Flow Tray
Tray
1 Capacity High High Moderately High Very High
2 Efficiency High High Moderately High Least
3 Turndown ~50% ~25 - 30% 10% Leats
4 Entrainment Moderate Moderate High Low to
Moderate
5 Pressure Drop Moderate Moderate High Low to
Moderate
6 Cost Low ~1.2 times sieve ~2-3 Times of Least
trays Sieve
7 Maintenance Low Low to Relatively High Low
Moderate
8 Fouling Low Low to High: Tends to Extremely Low
Tendency Moderate Collect Solids
9 Effects of Low Low to High Very Low
Corrosion Moderate
10 Design Well known Proprietary but Well Known Some info.
Information readily available available.
Instability can
occur in large
dia. (>8 feet)
11 Main Application Often used when Where high Extremely low Capacity
turndown is not turndown is liquid flow & revamps,
critical required where leakage Highly fouling
must be and
minimized corrosive
services
Tray Parameters

a) No. of passes (Np):

The numbers of flowpaths of liquid on tray are 1, 2, 3 or 4 as per liquid capacity requirement of column.
From a capacity viewpoint, a liquid rate greater than 6 gpm / inch of weir (weir loading), is the rate at
which a higher number of flow paths should be considered. The maximum allowable weir loading is 13
gpm/in of weir length. If the weir loading exceeds this the tray needs redesign with higher number of
passes.

b) Tray Spacing (S):

Tray spacing is the distance between two trays. Generally tray spacing ranges from 8 to 36 inches (200
mm to 900 mm). Prime factor in setting tray spacing is the economic trade-off between column height
and column diameter. Most columns have 600 mm tray spacing. Cryogenic columns have tray spacing of
200-300 mm.

c) Outlet Weirs (hw):

An outlet weir maintains a desired liquid level on the tray. As the liquid leaves the contacting area of the
tray, it flows over the tray weir to enter into the downcomer.

d) Downcomer Clearance (hcl):

This is the vertical distance between the tray floor and the bottom edge of the downcomer apron. The
Normalpractice is to use a downcomer clearance of 1/2 inch less than the overflow weir height to provide
a static liquid seal

e) Inlet Weirs & Recessed Seal Pans:

Inlet weirs and recessed seal pans are primarily used for achieving a downcomer seal in cases where a
potential positive sealing problem exists and clearance under downcomer is limited

f) Downcomers:
Passage of liquid from the top tray to the bottom of tray occurs via downcomers. Downcomers are
conduits having circular, segmental, or rectangular cross sections that convey liquid from upper tray to a
lower tray in a distillation column.

g) Downcomer width (Chord height, WDC):

It is maximum horizontal distance between tower wall and weir.

h) Flow path length (FPL):

Flow path length is the distance between the inlet downcomer & outlet downcomer. The minimum limit
for flow path length is 400 mm in order to provide good contacting between vapour and liquid. This is also
necessary for the mechanical reason of providing tray manway.

i) Tray deck thickness (t):

Trays normally used in commercial service need a minimum material thickness to provide structural
strength (personnel walk on them during installation) and corrosion allowance. A thickness of 10 to 12
gauge (2.5 to 3.5 mm) is customary for carbon steel, while 12 to 14 gauge (1.9 to 2.5 mm) is used for
stainless steel trays (in general no C.A. for SS)
j) Hole pitch (P):
Centre to centre distance between holes is called pitch. Normal practice is to use a hole pitch to hole
diameter ratio between 2.2 to 3.8.

k) System (Derating) factors:

Derating factors are often closely related to the foaming tendency of the system. Higher the foaming
tendency, the lower is the Derating factor. System factors are used in three of the rating correlations (jet
flood, down comer backup flood, down comer choke) to account for system effects on hydraulic capacity
limits. It includes both foaming effects and high vapour density.

l) Bubbling (Active) Area (AB):

Bubbling area is the column area, which is actually available for vapour bubbling through liquid. It can be
defined as column area minus downcomer areas, downcomer seal & large calming zones.

m) % Hole Area:
This is the ratio of hole area to bubbling area. The default practice is to target a hole area of 8 to 10 % of
bubbling area for pressure services. The acceptable range for percentage hole area is 5 % to 15 %.
However for some critical services, we can go % hole area up to 17-17.5% provided that weeping is under
control. Hole areas below 5 % are not used.

n) Anti jump baffles:

Anti jump baffles plates suspended vertically above centre or off centre downcomers, which stops liquid
jumping from one deck onto the opposite deck, flow path

Tray Hydraulic Parameters

Following are some important output parameters of tray hydraulics.

a) Flood:

Jet Flood:
In spray regime operation flooding is brought about by excessive vapour flow, causing excessive liquid to
be entrained in the vapour up the column. In froth and emulsion flows regimes operation excessive froth
entrainment in the vapour up the column causes jet flooding.

Down-comer Back-up Flood:

Occurs when the pressure available for a given height of liquid and froth in the downcomer cannot
overcome the total pressure drop across the tray This pressure imbalance causes the froth in the
downcomer to start backing-up until it reaches the tray above, causing an increased accumulation of liquid
on it. It requires high liquid and vapour loads.

Downcomer Choke Flood:

The mechanism by which this type of flooding occurs is one related to frictional pressure losses in the
downcomer becoming excessive. In addition, the vapour carried into the downcomer must separate from
the liquid and then flow counter-current to the liquid entering the downcomer. When the combination of
vapour exiting and the liquid entering becomes excessive, the downcomer entrance is choked causing the
liquid to backup on the tray. It requires relatively high liquid rates, surpassing a velocity limitation on the
downcomer.
b) Weeping/Dumping
The pressure exerted by the vapour is insufficient to hold up the liquid on the tray. Therefore, liquid starts
to leak through perforations.

c) Pressure Drop:

Pressure drop is an important consideration while designing a tray. It becomes more critical for the
vacuum systems than the high-pressure systems. The tray pressure drop is viewed as the sum of the
pressure drop through the valves or sieves and pressure drop through the aerated liquid on the tray deck.

d) Turndown ratio:

Turndown ratio defines the range of vapour load between which the column can operate without
substantially affecting its primary separation objective (i.e. fractionation efficiency) or over which
acceptable tray performance is achieved. The tray efficiency stays at or above the design value throughout
the turndown range.

Tray Sizing
The sizing procedure is an iterative calculation. A preliminary design is set, and then refined by checking
against the performance correlations until an adequate design is achieved. The sizing calculations are
performed at the point where column loading is expected to be highest and lowest for each section, i.e.,

I. The top tray

II. Above every feed, product drawoff, or point of heat addition or removal.

III. Below every feed, product drawoff, or point of heat addition or removal.

IV. The bottom tray.

V. At any point in the column where the calculated vapour or liquid loading peaks

The sizing is done at all above load points and detailed sizing is checked at all above load points. All design
parameters given in the design procedure below are calculated at all above load points at turndown and
turn-up loads so that the feasibility of design for varied loads is tested.
a) Preliminary determination of tower area:
The methods used for determining tower diameter are:

C Factor Method
Nomograph Method
FRI Tray design handbook

However in this technical guideline we are describing method using C-Factor Method.

C-Factor Method:

The following calculations are done at all the loading points mentioned above and diameters are found
separately. If the difference in calculated diameter at different sections exceeds 20 percent, different
diameters for the sections are likely to be economical. The section having different diameter should be at
least 20ft in length else same diameter can be maintained.

i. Tray Area
Assume appropriate values for following parameters (based on system requirements) for preliminary
diameter calculation.

dH = Hole diameter, inches ( to inch)

S = Tray spacing, inches (18 24)
hct = Clear Liquid height at the transition from the froth to spray regime, in of liquid.

Assumption: The starting values for these can be dH=1/4, S=24, h ct=2

Calculate C-Factor (CSB) using following Kister and Haas Correlation:

ii. Flood Velocity Calculation

This is the velocity of upward vapour at which liquid droplets are suspended. Calculate Flood Velocity (uN)
using following equation:
 iii. Net Area Calculation
The net area represents smallest area available for vapour flow in the inter-tray spacing. Calculate Net
Area (AN) from the flood velocity using following equation: Assume the column is to be designed for 80%
of flood.

iv. Downcomer Area Calculation Calculate downcomer area (AD) from clear liquid velocity in
downcomer using following formula:

Where,

QL = Liquid Flow Rate, ft3/s

VCL = Clear Liquid Velocity in Downcomer

Value of VCL obtained from table below. No derating factor is required for this calculation, as VCL values
have taken care of foaming

Table: Recommended VCL values for different foaming tendencies

Foaming VCL in downcomer, ft/s

Example
Tendency 18 Spacing 24 Spacing 30 Spacing
Low Low pressure (<100-psia) 0.4-0.5 0.5-0.6 0.5-0.6
light hydrocarbon
stabilizers, air-water
simulators
Medium Oil systems, crude oil 0.3-0.4 0.4-0.5 0.4-0.5
distillation, absorbers, med.
pressure (100-300 psia)
hydrocarbon
High Amine, glycerine, glycols, 0.2-0.25 0.2-0.25 0.2-0.3
high-pressure
(>300-psi) light
hydrocarbons
 v. Tower Diameter Calculation
Total Tower Area (AT) = AD + AN
b) Preliminary tray layout:
A Preliminary layout is needed as layout influences the column size.

Downcomer Layout:
Check the % of Downcomer area with respect to tower area:

The Fractional area should around 10% but avoid less than 8% in normal circumstances. Note that AD
should in no circumstance be less that 5% of AT

Net Area (AN):

The total tower cross-section area AT less the area at the top of the downcomer (sometime refer to as
free area, the term free area.)
The net area represents the smallest area available for vapour flow in the inter-tray spacing.

AN = AT AD

Bubbling (Active) area (AB):

The total cross-section area AT less the area at the inlet & outlet downcomer is called as bubbling area.

AB = AT ADT ADB

Below figure shows the Typical Tray Layout.

Weir Length and Downcomer Width:

SinglePass Tray:
The calculation of Weir Length and Downcomer Width involves geometrical relationship between
downcomer area, downcomer width, and downcomer length.
Following Figure shows downcomer geometry:

Calculate downcomer width and weir length using following method

? = sin-1(h/R)
w = 2*R COS (?) or w = 2*(R2 h2)0.5
?/2 = ?/2 ?
Sector area = ASECT = ? R2 * ? / (2 * ?)
Area of triangle (ABC) = ATRI. = w*h/2

Where,
Lw = Weir Length = w* (1-fractional weir blockage)
wdc = Downcomer Width = R -h
AD = Adc = Downcomer Area

Fractional weir blockage is the fraction of total weir length that is available for liquid flow by using picket
and fence type of weir. Blocked (Picket fence) weirs are used for handling low liquid loading.

Down-comer area
AD = ASECT ATRI
Two Pass Tray:
Two pass trays have alternating arrangements of one center-downcomer and two side-downcomers.

The side downcomer area can be calculated as that for single pass tray. It should be noted that side down-
comers are on both sides.
Center downcomer calculations can be done as follows in similar manner as side down-comer:

? = sin-1 (h/R)
w = 2*R COS (?1) or w = 2*(R2 h2)0.5
? = 2*(?/2- ?)
Sector area = ASECT = ? R2 * ? / (2 * ?)

Area of center downcomer = Area of circle -2*area of sector + 2*Area of Triangle Area of downcomer =
?*R2 2* ASECT + h1*w1

In case of more than two pass trays we have to define one more parameter, i.e. off-center downcomer
location from centerline. This needs to be done on a case-by-case basis.
Liquid Flow Path Length (FPL):

ForSinglePassTray:
FPL= (tray diameter) minus (side DC width of the tray) minus (bottom width of DC of tray above)

Where,

w1dc = Downcomer width (Centre downcomer, Bottom of Downcomer)

w2dc = Downcomer width (Side downcomer, Top of Downcomer)
w3dc = Downcomer width (Centre downcomer, Top of Downcomer)
w4dc = Downcomer width (Side downcomer, Bottom of Downcomer)

C) Detailed Design

Flooding Check:

The flooding check is performed using following Correlations:

1. Kister and Haas correlation.

2. Downcomer choke-Koch correlation
3. Fairs correlation
4. Smith et al. correlation
1. Jet Flood: Kister and Haas correlation
This correlation possesses following advantage:
It gives a close approximation to the effects of physical properties, operating variable, and tray
geometry on the flood point.
It describes spray regime entrainment.
It was derived from a much wider database of commercial and pilot-scale column data.
It can predict sieve and valve tray entrainment flooding within 15 and 20 percent
respectively.

This correlation possesses following restriction:

No. Factors Applicability

1 Flooding Mechanism Entrainment (Jet) flood only
2 Tray Type Sieve or Valve trays only
3 Pressure 1.5-500 psia
4 Gas Velocity 1.5-13 ft/s
5 Liquid Load 0.5-12 gpm/in of outlet weir
6 Gas Density 0.03-10 lb/ft3
7 Liquid Density 20-75 lb/ft3
8 Surface Tension 80 dyne/cm
9 Liquid Viscosity 0.05-2.0 cP
10 Tray Spacing 14-36 in
11 Hole Diameter 1/8-1 in
12 Fractional Hole Area 0.06-0.20
13 Weir Height 0-3 in

Steps to calculate % Flooding using Kister and Haas correlation:

i. Calculate Weir Load (QL):

Liquid Load describes the flux of liquid across the tray.

ii. Clear Liquid height at the transition from the froth to spray ((hct)
2. Jet Flood: Fairs correlation
The Fair correlation has been standard of the industry for entrainment flood prediction. Fairs
correlation tends to be conservative, especially at high pressure and liquid rate.

This correlation possess following restriction:

No. Factors Applicability

1 Flooding Mechanism Entrainment (Jet) flood only
2 Tray Type Sieve Tray, Valve and Bubble-
cap Tra
3 Hole size Hole in (sieve tray)
4 Weir height < 15% Tray Spacing
Steps to calculate % Flood using Fairs correlation:

i. Calculate flow parameter

3. Down-comer choke-Koch correlation:

This is the more conservative correlation for checking Down-comer Design. Steps to calculate % Load
Utilization using Kister and Haas correlation:
4. Hydraulic checks
Hydraulic check involves checking following parameters:

Flow Regime
Entrainment
Downcomer residence time
Pressure Drop
Downcomer backup

ii. Determination of Flow Regime

Froth Regime
This is the most commonly encountered flow regime in operating columns. The froth formed under this
regime is described as one where the size and shape of bubbles is non-uniform and with rather large size
distribution, as well as travelling at varying velocities. The liquid surface is either wavy or it presents
oscillations. This is a liquid continuous flow regime.

Spray Regime
This regimes occurs at relatively high vapour velocities (i.e. large vapour flow rates) and low liquid loads,
characteristics which are typical of vacuum systems. The vapour velocity is so large, that the liquid phase
is completely disrupted and is no longer a continuous phase on top of the tray; liquid is a dispersed
phase present only in the form of drops, and therefore the continuous phase is the vapour.

Emulsion Regime
This flow regime is typically encountered in high-pressure systems and relatively high liquid loads. The
shearing action of the high velocity liquid tears off the vapour bubbles leaving the orifices on the tray.
Most of the gas is emulsified in small bubbles within the liquid, with the mixture behaving as a uniform
two-phase fluid, obeying the Francis weir formula. This is a liquid continuous flow regime.

The determination of regime on tray given below is only for information and has no use in sizing.

iii. Froth-Emulsion Transition Check

This correlation is applicable for Sieve trays only.

The value of actual flow parameter is calculated as below:
If the value of actual flow parameter exceeds 0.0208 then the regime of operation is emulsion.

iv. Froth-Spray Transition Check:

Porter and Jenkins correlation for the froth to spray transition.

Where,
Lw weir length in inches, AB Active area ft2
p pitch in inches
hc clear liquid height, inches
5. Entrainment:
If entrainment is excessive, column diameter or tray spacing are usually increased. As recommended
value, the entrainment from the tray should not exceed about 0.10 lb liquid entrained per pound of
liquid flow.

Methods to determine Entrainment:

Fairs entrainment correlation

This method holds good for froth and emulsion regime. However it is less accurate for spray regime. For
a trays operating at a high liquid to vapour ratio, 0.1 lb of liquid entrained per pound of liquid is an
excessive quantity of entrained liquid.
Kister and Haas Correlation
This method is used for Spray Regime; Es is entrainment lb of liquid / lb of vapour.