ColumnInternalsforDistillation

andAbsorption

StagedColumnInternals
Tray ahorizontalplatewhichsupportsthevaporliquid
mixtureandservesasanequilibriumstage.
Downcomer anopeninginthetraywhichallowsthe
liquidtoflowdownthecolumnandprovidessufficient
volumeandresidencetimefortheliquidtobefreedof
entrainedvaporbeforereachingthebottomandentering
thenextplate.
Weir averticalplateordamatthedowncomer to
provideagivenvaporliquidmixturedepthonthetray.

TrayTypes
SieveorPerforated simplyatraywithvapor
holes
BubbleCap acapplacedoverthetrays
vaporholes
Valve avalveplacedoverthetraysvapor
holes

fBinaryMixture
SieveTray

It is the simplest type of tray,

which consists of a metal plate
with 315 mm holes, spaced in a
regular pattern.

DistillationofBinaryMixture
SieveTray(contd.)

A 2.1mdiameter perforated (sieve) tray. The down

comer to the next tray is located on the left.

Detailsofacontacting onasieve
tray

Bubblecaptray
DistillationofBinaryMixture
A bubble cap tray has
bubble caps that consists of
a fixed cap, 3 6 inches in
diameter, mounted over and
above a riser of 2 3 inches
in diameter. The cap has
rectangular or triangular
slots cut around its side cap.
The vapor flows up through
the tray opening into the
riser, turns around and
passes.

Bubblecap

Vapor/LiquidFlowPathsinaBubbleCapColumn

Lecture19

BubbleCapCloseup

ValveTray
Theopeningsinvalvetrays
arecoveredwithliftable
caps.The riserofthevalve
capissupportedbythe
momentumoftheup
flowingvapor.Athigh
velocities,theriserisfully
open,whileatlowervapor
velocitiestheriseris
partiallyorcompletely
lowered.

Vaporflowpath

ValvetrayBubblecapSievetray

TrayComparison

Theturndownratioistheratioofthemaximumvaporflowrate
(flooding)tominimumvaporflowrate(excessiveweeping).

WhattoAvoidintheColumn
Floodingoccursathighvaporflow
rates excessiveentrainmentof
liquidovercomesthedowncomer
capacityandthecolumnfloods or
largeliquidflowrates.
Weepingoccursatlowvaporflow
rates liquidflowsorpulsesback
throughthetrayvaporopenings.
Foamingoccurswhenthe
componentsformastablefoam
efficiencyofthecolumndropsand
thecolumnmayflood.

OperatingRanges
Vaporvs.LiquidFlowRates

LimitsofStableOperation

Efficiencyvs Vaporflowrate

Thevaporflowrateaffectsthecolumnoperatingparametersincluding
entrainment,flooding,weepingandtheflowregime;thus,inmanysystems,
theoverallefficiencyisastrongfunctionofvaporflowrate

Calculationofcolumndiameter
Fairs Method
The column diameter is important to prevent excessive entrainment, low column efficiency, and
potential flooding. Fairs method estimates the vapor velocity at flooding conditions, uses a ruleof-thumb to determine the operating velocity, and then calculates the column diameter.
Flooding Vapor Velocity, uflood:

u flood K

L V
V

ft/s

Eq. (1)
(12-7)

where the s are the densities of the liquid, L, and vapor, v, and the K factor is

K C sb
20

0 .2

Eq. (2)
(12-8)

where is the surface tension and Csb is the capacity factor, which is a function of the flow
parameter, FLV:
FLV

L
V
V L

0 .5

Eq. (3)
(12-9)

where L and V are the mass flow rates of liquid and vapor, respectively.
One also needs to assume the tray spacing in inches.
(3) one can determine Csb from the Fair correlation, Figure 12-16, p.
Calculating FLV from Eq. (12-9),
387, Wankat.

Once Csb is obtained, the K factor and then the flooding velocity, uflood, can be calculated from Eqs.
(12-8)
(1) respectively.
(2) and (12-7),

Correlationforcapacityfactor

AdditionalFactors

Column(Tray)Diameter

Theminimumcolumndiameterfortraycolumnsistypically0.75m;otherwise,packedcolumnsareused.

Themaximumdiameterofthecolumncanbequitelarge upto5m althoughitmaybedecidedto

operate2ormoreseparatecolumnsinplaceofanotherwiselargediametersinglecolumn.

Asthecolumndiameterdecreases,thevaporvelocityincreasesforagivenvaporflowrate.

Theminimumcolumndiameterisbaseduponthemaximumvaporvelocitythatcausesexcessive
entrainmentandflooding.

Themaximumcolumndiameterisbaseduponmaintainingahighenoughvelocitytopreventexcess
weeping.

Theoperatingvaporvelocity,andhenceactualcolumndiameter,isspecifiedasafractionoftheflooding
vaporvelocity typically0.65to0.90.

Thefinalconsiderationiscolumncost alargerdiametercolumnismoreexpensivethanasmaller
diametercolumn,althougheconomiesofscaleenterintothecost.

OtherFactors

Thetotalareaofthetrayholeopening

Thelayoutofthetrayholes:

Baseduponvaporflowpertray
Sizedtopreventweeping,minimizepressuredrop,andreduceentrainmentatagivenvaporvelocity.

Differentpatternsavailable
Layoutchosentoensureanevenandwellmixedflowofvaporandliquidacrossthetraysothat
therearenodryspotsandbypassingofvaporonthetraythatwouldreduceefficiency.

Theliquiddepthonthetrays,hence,theweirheight:

Typicallyrangefrom12to75cm
Baseduponvaporandliquidflowpertray
Sizedtopreventdryspots,increaseliquidvaporcontacttime,andtopreventasprayregimethat
reducesefficiency.

Operatingvaporvelocityandcolumn
diameter
operatingvelocity,uop =fuflood
wherefisthefractionalapproachtoflooding
Knowingthevapormolarflowrateand
operatingvelocity,thecolumndiametercanbe
calculated.

EfficiencyofTrays

Packedcolumns

Introduction
usedextensivelyforabsorption,strippingand
distillation.
usedwheneverlowholduporlowpressure
dropisdesirable
liquidandvapordistributionareimportant
considerations
filledwithrandomorstructuredpackings

Packedcolumns
Atypicalcolumnconsistsofacylindricalshellcontaining
asupportplateforthepackingmaterialandaliquid
distributingdevicedesignedtoprovideeffective
irrigationofthe
packing.
Devicesmaybeaddedtothepackedbedtoprovide
redistributionofliquidthatmightchanneldownthe
wallorotherwisebecomemaldistributed.
Severalbeds,eachwithliquiddistributorand
supportdevice,maybeusedwithinthesamecolumn
shell.

Typesofpackings
eitherrandomorstructured
randompackings:smallhollowstructureswith
largesurfaceareaperunitvolume;dumped
randomlyinthetower
structuredpackings:layersofelements
fabricatedfromexpandedmetal,wovenwire
screenorsheetmetal,andarestackedintothe
towerverycarefully highmasstransferefficiency
choiceofpackingisbasedonpressuredropand
masstransferefficiency

Randompackings

StructuredPackings

Knittedstructurepacking

Gauzepacking

Tcipac structuredpacking

Supportplates
primarypurposeofapackingsupportistoretainabed
ofpackingwithoutexcessiverestrictiontogasand
liquidflow.
alsoservestodistributebothstreams.
unlesscarefullydesigned,thesupportplatecanalso
causeprematurecolumnflooding.
designofthesupportplatesignificantlyaffectscolumn
pressuredropandstableoperatingrange.
Twobasictypesofsupportplatesmaybeutilized:
Countercurrent
Separateflowpassagesforliquidandgas

TypesofSupportPlates

Packingsupports(countercurrent)

Supportplate,captype(gasinjectiontype)

Beamtypegasinjectionsupportplateforlargecolumns

LiquidDistributors

Troughtypeliquiddistributor

Perforatedpipedistributor