5/30/2017 DistillationColumnInternals

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anintroduction
Copyright19972016byM.T.Tham

Introduction COLUMNINTERNALS
TypesofColumns
TraysandPlates
BasicEquipment
andOperation Theterms"trays"and"plates"areusedinterchangeably.Therearemanytypesof
traydesigns,butthemostcommononesare:
ColumnInternals
Reboilers Bubblecaptrays
Abubblecaptrayhasriserorchimneyfittedover
Distillation
eachhole,andacapthatcoverstheriser.The
Principles
capismountedsothatthereisa
VapourLiquid spacebetweenriserandcapto
Equilibria allowthepassageofvapour.
Distillation Vapourrisesthroughthechimney
ColumnDesign andisdirecteddownwardbythecap,finally
dischargingthroughslotsinthecap,andfinallybubblingthroughtheliquidon
Effectsofthe
thetray.
NumberofTrays
orStages
Valvetrays
FactorsAffecting
Invalvetrays,perforationsarecoveredby
Operation
liftablecaps.Vapourflowsliftsthecaps,thusself
Crossword creatingaflowareaforthepassageofvapour.
OtherResources Theliftingcapdirectsthevapourtoflow
horizontallyintotheliquid,thusprovidingbetter
Copyright
mixingthanispossibleinsievetrays.
Information

Valvetrays(photoscourtesyofPaulPhillips)
Sievetrays

Sievetraysaresimplymetalplateswithholesin
them.Vapourpassesstraightupwardthroughthe
liquidontheplate.Thearrangement,numberand
sizeoftheholesaredesignparameters.

Becauseoftheirefficiency,wideoperatingrange,easeofmaintenanceandcost
factors,sieveandvalvetrayshavereplacedtheoncehighlythoughtofbubblecap
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traysinmanyapplications.

LiquidandVapourFlowsinaTrayColumn
Thenextfewfiguresshowthedirectionofvapourandliquidflowacrossatray,and
acrossacolumn.

Eachtrayhas2conduits,oneoneachside,calleddowncomers.Liquidfallsthrough
thedowncomersbygravityfromonetraytotheonebelowit.
Theflowacrosseachplateisshownintheabovediagramon
theright.

Aweironthetrayensuresthatthereisalwayssomeliquid
(holdup)onthetrayandisdesignedsuchthatthetheholdupis
atasuitableheight,e.g.suchthatthebubblecapsarecovered
byliquid.

Beinglighter,vapourflowsupthecolumnandisforcedtopass
throughtheliquid,viatheopeningsoneachtray.Thearea
allowedforthepassageofvapouroneachtrayiscalledthe
activetrayarea.

Thepictureontheleftisa
photographofasectionofa
pilotscalecolumnequipedwith
bubblecappedtrays.Thetopsofthe4bubblecapson
thetraycanjustbeseen.Thedowncomerinthis
caseisapipe,andisshownontheright.Thefrothing
oftheliquidontheactivetrayareaisduetoboth
passageofvapourfromthetraybelowaswellas
boiling.

Asthehottervapourpassesthroughtheliquidonthe
trayabove,ittransfersheattotheliquid.Indoingso,
someofthevapourcondensesaddingtotheliquidon
thetray.Thecondensate,however,isricherinthe
lessvolatilecomponentsthanisinthevapour.
Additionally,becauseoftheheatinputfromthe
vapour,theliquidonthetrayboils,generatingmore
vapour.Thisvapour,whichmovesuptothenexttrayinthecolumn,isricherinthe
morevolatilecomponents.Thiscontinuouscontactingbetweenvapourandliquid
occursoneachtrayinthecolumnandbringsabouttheseparationbetweenlow
boilingpointcomponentsandthosewithhigherboilingpoints.

TrayDesigns
Atrayessentiallyactsasaminicolumn,eachaccomplishingafractionofthe
separationtask.Fromthiswecandeducethatthemoretraysthereare,thebetter

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thedegreeofseparationandthatoverallseparationefficiencywilldepend
significantlyonthedesignofthetray.Traysaredesignedtomaximisevapourliquid
contactbyconsideringthe
liquiddistributionand

vapourdistribution

onthetray.Thisisbecausebettervapourliquidcontactmeansbetterseparationat
eachtray,translatingtobettercolumnperformance.Lesstrayswillberequiredto
achievethesamedegreeofseparation.Attendantbenefitsincludelessenergyusage
andlowerconstructioncosts.

LiquiddistributorsGravity(left),Spray(right)
(photoscourtesyofPaulPhillips)

Packings
Thereisacleartrendtoimproveseparationsbysupplementingtheuseoftraysby
additionsofpackings.Packingsarepassivedevicesthataredesignedtoincreasethe
interfacialareaforvapourliquidcontact.Thefollowingpicturesshow3different
typesofpackings.

Thesestrangelyshapedpiecesaresupposedtoimpartgoodvapourliquidcontact
whenaparticulartypeisplacedtogetherinnumbers,withoutcausingexcessive
pressuredropacrossapackedsection.Thisisimportantbecauseahighpressure
dropwouldmeanthatmoreenergyisrequiredtodrivethevapourupthedistillation
column.

Structuredpacking(photocourtesyofPaulPhillips)

PackingsversusTrays
Atraycolumnthatisfacingthroughputproblemsmaybedebottleneckedby
replacingasectionoftrayswithpackings.Thisisbecause:
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packingsprovideextrainterfacialareaforliquidvapourcontact

efficiencyofseparationisincreasedforthesamecolumnheight

packedcolumnsareshorterthantrayedcolumns

Packedcolumnsarecalledcontinuouscontactcolumnswhiletrayedcolumnsare
calledstagedcontactcolumnsbecauseofthemannerinwhichvapourandliquidare
contacted.

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