Multiple downcomer trays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11148069-B2
Application number	US-201916707029-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2019
Priority date	Dec 9, 2019
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

Multiple downcomer trays having increased active area for vapor-liquid contact and separation are described. The increased active area of the tray is achieved by adding raised bubble promoters surrounded by perforated vertical contactors on the tray deck. The bubble promoters and surrounding vertical contactors are located under the downcomers from the tray above. The bubble promoter and surrounding vertical contactor promote uniform fluid flow and contact.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tray comprising:
a perforated deck;
a plurality of parallel trough-shaped downcomers extending through the deck, each downcomer having a plurality of spout zones at a bottom;
a plurality of perforated bubble promoters on the deck, each bubble promoter defining an area on the deck, the bubble promoters positioned to align with a plurality of spout zones on a plurality of parallel trough-shaped downcomers on an adjacent tray rotated 90 degrees from the downcomers on the tray; and
a plurality of vertical contactors, each vertical contactor having two opposing perforated side walls, two opposing end walls configured to receive sides of a downcomer from a tray above, an open bottom configured to enclose the bubble promoter, and a top configured to receive the downcomer from the tray above.

2. The tray of claim 1 wherein the defined area on the deck has an opening.

3. The tray of claim 1 wherein the defined area on the deck comprises a perforated plate.

4. The tray of claim 1 wherein the defined area on the deck comprises a hole.

5. The tray of claim 1 wherein a total open area of one of the defined areas is greater than or equal to 100% of a total open area of the bubble promoter for the one defined area.

6. The tray of claim 1 wherein a total open area of one of the defined areas is greater than or equal to 120% of a total open area of the bubble promoter for the one defined area.

7. The tray of claim 1 wherein a size of the perforations of the deck is different from a size of the perforations of the bubble promoters.

8. The tray of claim 1 wherein a pitch of the perforations of the deck is different from a pitch of the perforations of the bubble promoters.

9. The tray of claim 1 wherein the bubble promoters have an inverted V-shape with vertical ends, an inverted V-shape with at least one inclined end, a pyramid shape, or combinations thereof.

10. The tray of claim 1 wherein the downcomers have sloped sides.

11. The tray of claim 1 wherein an open area in the side walls of the vertical contactors is in a range of 15 to 40% of a total area of the side walls.

12. The of tray of claim 1 wherein an open area of the deck is in a range of 10 to 30% of a total area of the deck, or wherein an open area of one of the bubble promoters is in a range of 10 to 30% of a total area of the one bubble promoter, or both.

13. The column of claim 1 wherein a length of the spout zones on a first tray is less than a length of the bubble promoters on a tray below, or a width of the spout zones on the first tray is less than a width of the bubble promoters on the tray below, or both.

14. A mass transfer column comprising:
at least two trays vertically spaced apart, each tray comprising:
a perforated deck;
a plurality of trough-shaped downcomers extending through the deck each downcomer having a plurality of spout zones at a bottom;
a plurality of perforated bubble promoters on the deck, each bubble promoter defining an area on the deck, the bubble promoters on the tray below positioned to align with a plurality of spout zones on a first tray, wherein the downcomer on the first tray is terminated above a top of the bubble promoter on the tray below, wherein the downcomers on the first tray are rotated 90 degrees from the downcomers on the tray below; and
a plurality of vertical contactors, each vertical contactor having two opposing perforated side walls, two opposing end walls configured to receive sides of the downcomer from the first tray, an open bottom configured to enclose the bubble promoter, and a top configured to receive the downcomer from the tray above.

15. The column of claim 14 wherein a length of the spout zones on the first tray is the same as a length of the bubble promoters on the tray below, or a width of the spout zones on the first tray is the same as a width of the bubble promoters on the tray below, or both.

16. The column of claim 14 wherein the bubble promoters have an inverted V-shape with vertical ends, an inverted V-shape with at least one inclined end, a pyramid shape, or combinations thereof.

17. The column of claim 16 wherein the bubble promoters have the inverted V-shape with at least one inclined end, and wherein the inclined end is perforated.

18. The column of claim 14 wherein the downcomers on the first tray have sloped sides.

19. The column of claim 14 wherein at least one of:
a total open area of one of the defined areas of the first tray is greater than or equal to 100% of a total open area of the bubble promoter for the one defined area on the first tray; or an open area of the deck of the first tray is in a range of 10 to 30% of a total area of the deck; or
an open area of the bubble promoters of the first tray is in a range of 10 to 30% of a total area of the bubble promoters.

20. The column of claim 14 wherein a size of the perforations of the deck is different from a size of the perforations of the bubble promoters, or wherein a pitch of the perforations of the deck is different from a pitch of the perforations of the bubble promoters, or both.

Assignees

• Uop Llc

Inventors

• Xu Zhanping
• Mudrock Rebecca

Classifications

• B01J2208/00548

  Flow · CPC title

• B01D3/324

  Tray constructions · CPC title

• B01D3/225 Primary

  Dual-flow sieve trays · CPC title

• B01D3/20 Primary

  Bubble caps; Risers for vapour; Discharge pipes for liquid · CPC title

• B01D3/163

  Plates with valves · CPC title