Vapor-liquid contacting apparatus and process with downcomer at shell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12515158-B2
Application number	US-202318463695-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2023
Priority date	Mar 29, 2018
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

A high capacity and high efficiency vapor-liquid contacting apparatus and process is useful in distillation columns and other vapor-liquid contacting processes. The apparatus is characterized by a half module comprising a downcomer against a shell of a vessel for transporting liquid to a subjacent stage which utilizes a demister to effect vapor-liquid separation at the downcomer outlet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A process for vapor-liquid contacting, comprising the steps of:
directing a liquid through an inlet of a downcomer in a vessel; contacting the liquid with a shell of the vessel or an outer wall of the downcomer adjacent to the shell of the vessel while descending in said downcomer; directing the liquid from an outlet of the downcomer into a contacting volume; entraining the liquid in a first portion of a vapor ascending in said contacting volume to flow co-currently into a demister; separating the liquid from the first portion of the vapor in the demister to provide a separated liquid; and passing the separated liquid from the demister onto a transport deck having a plurality of perforations, wherein only the first portion of the vapor flows up passed the transport deck through the demister and a second portion of the vapor flows up passed the transport deck through the plurality of perforations, wherein the first portion of the vapor is prohibited from flowing up passed the transport deck through the plurality of perforations, and wherein the second portion of the vapor is prohibited from flowing up passed the transport deck through the demister.

2 . The process of claim 1 wherein the liquid directed through the inlet of said downcomer is from a superior receiving deck.

3 . The process of claim 1 further comprising cross-contacting the separated liquid on the transport deck with the second portion of the vapor passing through perforations on the transport deck from an inferior stage.

Assignees

• Uop Llc

Inventors

• Xu Zhanping

Classifications

• B01D1/305 Primary

  Demister (vapour-liquid separation) · CPC title

• B01J2219/32408

  Metal · CPC title

• B01J19/32

  Packing elements in the form of grids or built-up elements for forming a unit or module inside the apparatus for mass or heat transfer · CPC title

• B01J2219/32234

  Inclined orientation · CPC title

• B01D3/326 Primary

  Tray supports · CPC title