Centrifugal-Whirling Contact Tray

The herein disclosed centrifugal-whirling contact tray for heat- and mass transfer processes between gas or vapor and liquid, to be installed in mass-transfer columns, comprises a horizontally extending round plate, a circular hydroseal made of two concentric cylindrical rings placed at some distance from the plane of the round plate, said distance increasing towards the outer one of the rings, arched slots for the passage of gas or vapor provided in the round plate outside of the circular hydroseal projection towards the periphery, said slots having tangentially directed axes and arranged in concentric circles relative to the center of the circular hydroseal, Archimedean spiral-shaped curvilinear plates vertically mounted on the round plate, diverging from the center of the circular hydroseal and bent towards the gas or vapor outlet from the arches slots, an overflow device for the transfer of liquid from the top tray of the column to the bottom one, said device located on the periphery of the round plate and having an overflow pocket and at least one discharge pipe communicating the overflow pocket with the circular hydroseal. According to the invention, the overflow pocket is defined by a cylindrical wall, a foundation secured horizontally in the column wall, and two inclined planes symmetrical with respect to a vertical plane extending through the axis of symmetry of the round plate of the tray, the line of intersection of said planes being directed towards the column axis, and has a cross-section diverging in the direction of flow of liquid being discharged, the center of the circular hydroseal being shifted towards the center of the round plate of the tray through 0.05-0.1 diameter of the tray whose radius is in the zone of quadrant of its circle located in the direction of two-phase flow rotation after a quadrant accomodating a half of the overflow pocket.

The present invention relates to equipment for carrying out heat- and mass transfer processes between gas or vapor and liquid and, more particularly, it relates to centrifugal-whirling contact trays mounted in rectification, absorption, washing and contact vertical columns wherein liquid moves in a downward direction and contacts gas or vapor rising upwards along the column, the liquid phase containing the solid phase or polymerization products.

The herein disclosed invention can be used most expediently for carrying out the processes of rectification, absorption and washing of gases in columns having a diameter of 3 to 4 m wherein very high specific loads are to be provided as regards the liquid, such as 100 m.sup.3 /m.sup.2 h and over (extractive rectification), with the liquid phase containing solid particles or polymerization products.

In addition, the present invention can be used to advantage in columns having a diameter of 5 to 7 m wherein an effective contact is required between very large volumes of gas or vapor and very small amounts of liquid (vacuum rectification and sanitary cleaning of industrial gas discharges from noxious impurities) while the liquid phase contains solid particles or polymerization products.

There is known in the art a tray for use in distillation columns and scrubbers (cf., British Pat. No. 682,721), having inclined holes for the upward passage of vapor or gas to a layer of liquid held on the tray. The holes are shaped as slots and their rows extend radially such that the vapor or gas leaves the slots tangentially to the vertical axis of the column and at a slight angle to the tray surface, and imparts uniform rotational motion to the liquid on the tray. Provided in the center of the tray is a receiving sleeve with a dead-end bottom for receiving the liquid from the overlying tray, while in its peripheral portion the tray has a circular groove for the overflow of liquid to the underlying tray. The overflow lips have a toothed shape to ensure the minimum and uniform level of liquid on the tray.

Sunk in the receiving sleeve located in the center of the tray are bottom ends of discharge pipes for the overflow of liquid from the overlying tray and for providing a hydroseal such that there is always liquid in the receiving sleeve and a stagnant zone is formed where solid particles or polymerization products may remain. Such trays mounted one below another in a distillation column or scrubber provide for the contact of vapor or gas moving upwards along the column with liquid flowing downwards.

The prior art tray operates in the following manner.

The liquid is supplied via discharge pipes from the top tray to the central receiving sleeve filled with liquid for providing a hydroseal in which the bottom ends of discharge pipes are sunk. Over the upper lip of the receiving sleeve, the liquid flows to the tray where it is caused by vapor or gas leaving through the included tray holes to perform rotational motion about the column axis and move from the center to periphery, while contacting with gas or vapor, and flows over to the peripheral circular groove from which it is drained via drainage pipes to the receiving sleeve of the underlying tray. The vapor or gas passes through the holes in the tray directed tangentially to the column axis and at a slight angle to the tray surface, into the layer of liquid held on the tray and imparts uniform rotational motion to the liquid. Therefore, a contact between vapor or gas and liquid is ensured on each tray. As seen, there is always liquid in the central receiving sleeve, as a result of which a stagnant zone is formed, which prevents one from using thermally unstable or polymerizable liquids or those containing solid particles. In addition, the liquid from the receiving sleeve flows over the latter's edge and loses kinetic energy it possessed upon leaving the discharge pipes, therefore, under conditions of high loads with respect to liquid, there forms on the tray a gradient of the liquid layer height in a radial direction which makes for a non-uniform distribution of liquid over the tray cross-section and, as a result, brings about a non-uniform distribution of vapor or gas over the tray cross-section and a sharp decrease of mass transfer efficiency of the contact tray (Murphree efficiency). In the case of high liquid loads in columns of large diameters of over 2-3 m, a large number of discharge pipes will be required overlapping the column cross-section and calling for a high metal consumption. At high vapor or gas velocities, the rate of liquid rotation on the tray increases and, as a result, there decreases the time of contact of liquid with vapor or gas, which brings about a lower efficiency of mass transfer in the contact tray.

There is also known a centrifugal-whirling contact tray for carrying out heat- and mass transfer processes between gas or vapor and liquid (cf., U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,528), comprising a horizontally extending round plate, arched slots for the passage of gas or vapor provided in the round plate outside of the circular hydroseal projection on the plate, said slots having tangentially directed axes and arranged in concentric circles relative to the circular hydroseal center, Archimedean spiral-shaped vertically extending curvilinear plates mounted on the round plate with the arched slots, diverging from the center of the circular hydroseal and bent towards the gas or vapor outlet from the arched slots, an overflow device for the transfer of liquid from the top tray of the column to the bottom one, said device located in the peripheral zone of the round plate and having an overflow pocket and at least one discharge pipe communicating the overflow pocket with the circular hydroseal.

Such a tray is noted for a simple design, low hydraulic resistance and the absence of stagnant zones, this ensuring the reliability of its operation in the presence of solid particles or polymerization products in the liquid. In the course of the tray operation, the liquid flows via discharge pipes to the center of the circular flow-through hydroseal, to the space of the inner ring of the latter, from which the minor portion of the supplied liquid flows over through the gap between the inner ring and tray plate while the remaining, major portion of liquid flows over the upper edge of the inner ring into the gap between the outer and inner rings to fill said latter gap and flow over onto the round plate of the tray through the gap between the outer ring and the tray plate, the inner ring being filled with liquid and the discharge pipe immersed in said liquid, whereby the hydroseal is attained.

However, on ceasing the supply of liquid to the tray, the liquid is fully drained from the circular hydroseal without leaving behind even solid particles or polymerization products. Gas or vapor moves upwards along the column, passes via tangentially directed arched slots and interacts with the liquid flowing from the circular hydroseal in the tray center to yield part of kinetic energy to said liquid, as a result of which a regularly rotational two-phase flow is formed. The liquid performs radial and rotational motion from the center to periphery while gas or vapor performs a helical motion above the tray. The liquid flows from the tray plate to the circular overflow pocket from which it is supplied via discharge pipes to the circular hydroseal of the underlying tray, and so on.

The afore-described prior art tray ensures a close contact between gas or vapor and liquid under conditions of high liquid and gas or vapor loads owing to the organization of an efficient interaction of gas or vapor with liquid in a highly rotational two-phase in a horizontal plane. Following an efficient contact of gas or vapor with liquid, there also takes place their clear separation under the effect of centrifugal forces, as a result of which the liquid is not carried away mechanically at high vapor or gas velocities. The absence of stagnant zones in the through-flow circular hydroseal and the minimum axial agitation of liquid at high velocities of the latter provides a phase flow structure close to the ideal displacement model and makes for higher gradients of concentrations of components distributed between the phases and for an increased motive force of the process, which, in the final analysis, ensures a higher mass transfer efficiency of the tray (Murphree efficiency) at high gas or vapor and liquid loads, i.e., higher gradients of concentrations of components being distributed in gas or vapor and liquid.

However, under conditions of high gas or vapor velocities and a highly rotational two-phase flow, the maximum velocities of elementary volumes of liquid are observed in the peripheral zone of the tray where they reach considerable values, the most intensive interphase mass transfer being known to occur under conditions of high linear velocities of gas or vapor and liquid due to convective diffusion as well as to multiple renewal and expansion of interphase surface. In so doing, in the peripheral zone this process of highly efficient mass transfer in the rotational two-phase flow ceases as a result of the drainage of liquid by gravity to the circular overflow pocket and the reduction of the time of contact of liquid with gas or vapor. In addition, under conditions of very high specific liquid loads on the order of 100 m.sup.3 /m.sup.2 h and over, there is required a large number of drainage pipes overlapping the column cross-section and increasing considerably the metal consumption of overflow devices, trays and column as a whole.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the afore-listed disadvantages of prior art designs and develop a novel improved centrifugal-whirling contact tray.

It is another object of the invention to develop a centrifugal-whirling contact tray that would make for an intensified mass transfer between phases in a rotational two-phase flow.

It is still another object of this invention to develop said tray utilizing overflow devices characterized by a low metal consumption.

Said and other objects of the present invention are attained in the centrifugal-whirling contact tray according to the invention.

In a centrifugal-whirling contact tray for use in heat- and mass transfer processes between gas or vapor and liquid, to be installed in mass-transfer columns, comprising a horizontally extending round plate, a circular hydroseal made of two concentric cylindrical rings placed at some distance from the plane of the round plate, said distance increasing towards the outer one of the rings, arched slots for the passage of gas or vapor provided in the round plate outside of the projection of the circular hydroseal and extending towards the periphery, said slots having tangentially directed axes and arranged in concentric circles relative to the center of the circular hydroseal, Archimedean spiral-shaped curvilinear plates vertically mounted on the round plate, diverging from the center of the circular hydroseal and bent towards the gas or vapor outlet from the arched slots, an overflow device for the transfer of liquid from the top tray of the column to the bottom one, said device located in the periphery of the round plate and having an overflow pocket and at least one discharge pipe serving to communicate the overflow pocket with the circular hydroseal, according to the present invention, the overflow pocket is defined by a cylindrical wall, a foundation secured horizontally in the column wall, and two inclined planes symmetrical with respect to a vertical plane extending through the axis of symmetry of the tray round plate, the line of intersection of said planes being directed towards the column axis, and has a cross-section diverging in the direction of flow of liquid being discharged, the center of the circular hydroseal being shifted towards the center of the tray round plate through 0.05-0.1 diameter of the tray whose radius is in the zone of quadrant of its circle located in the direction of two-phase flow rotation after a quadrant accomodating a half of the overflow pocket.

Now, in the herein disclosed centrifugal-whirling contact tray, thanks to the utilization of rotational motion of a two-phase flow in the tray plate under conditions of a radially circular motion of liquid in a horizontal plane from the center to periphery and a helical upward motion of gas or vapor, the gas or vapor velocity is increased by a factor of 1.5-2.5, without a mechanical carryover of liquid, as compared with conventional value and bubble trays. In addition, owing to centrifugal forces developed under conditions of a rotational two-phase flow in a horizontal plane, there takes place a clear separation of liquid from gas or vapor after their contact and, while so doing, a clarified liquid without foam is supplied to the overflow devices and discharge pipes, as a result of which the permissible rate of fluid movement in discharge pipes increases up to 0.5-0.7 m/s, as distinct from bubble trays to whose overflow devices foam is supplied and the permissible rate of fluid movement in their discharge pipes is assumed to be 0.1-0.2 m/s.

Under conditions of two-phase flow rotation in a horizontal plane with a radially circular motion of liquid from the center to periphery at high gas or vapor velocities, there is ensured intensified mass transfer between phases owing to multiple collisions of intersecting jets of gas or vapor and liquid, whereas centrifugal forces thus developed make for the transfer of liquid from the center to periphery. This helps eliminate the gradient of liquid layer height in the direction of its motion and ensures a uniform distribution of liquid, as well as of gas or vapor, over the tray cross-section, which makes for a higher efficiency of mass transfer in the tray (Murphree efficiency). The provision of Archimedean spiral-shaped vertical plates helps attain an additional agitation of gas or vapor and liquid, dispersion of liquid, as well as an expansion and multiple renewal of interphase surface, which results in intensified heat- and mass transfer between phases and higher mass-transfer efficiency of the contact tray. In addition, the Archimedean spiral-shaped curvilinear plates help preclude the wave-making in the rotational two-phase flow, which results in a uniform distribution of phase flows over the tray cross-section and in a higher efficiency of heat- and mass transfer between the phases. The arrangement of the curvilinear plates in the form of Archimedean spiral ensures a constant width of the front of radially diverging rotational liquid flow between adjacent plates, which makes for a uniform distribution of liquid and gas or vapor flows over the tray cross-section and for a higher efficiency of heat- and mass transfer between phases. By varying the dimensions of curvilinear plates (parameters of Archimedean spiral and height of plate), one can predict a preset efficiency of heat- and mass transfer between phases depending upon the ratio of gas or vapor and liquid loads. For example, at very low liquid loads and high vapor velocities (under conditions of vacuum rectification), Archimedean spiral-shaped curvilinear plates of certain parameters serve to increase the time of contact of liquid with vapor, and the mass-transfer efficiency of the contact tray (Murphree efficiency) can be increased by a factor of 1.3-1.5 as compared with a structure having no Archimedean spiral-shaped curvilinear plates.

In another case, at very high specific liquid loads and low vapor velocities (under conditions of extractive rectification), when the kinetic energy of vapor is insufficient for untwisting the liquid, Archimedean spiral-shaped curvilinear plates of certain parameters help attain an additional untwisting of liquid in a horizontal plane, which also makes for its uniform distribution over the tray cross-section and higher efficiency of heat- and mass transfer between vapor and liquid.

In the peripheral zone of the tray plate, the liquid features the maximum circumferential velocity due to kinetic energy of vapor or gas leaving through the arched slots with tangentially directed axes and contacting with the liquid. Since the overflow pocket is located in the peripheral zone of the tray plate, the strongly untwisted liquid in the two-phase flow continues its rotation in the remaining major portion of the peripheral zone of the tray plate while contacting with gas or vapor, thereby increasing the time of contact of liquid with gas or vapor and the efficiency of mass transfer in the tray (Murphree efficiency).

Owing to the provision of a circular hydroseal made of two concentric cylindrical rings placed at some distance from the plane of the tray plate, said distance increasing towards the outer one of the rings, a flow-through hydroseal is formed upon the draining of liquid into the center of circular hydroseal from the discharge pipe outlet since the lower edge of the inner ring is located below the lower edge of the discharge pipe and below the lower edge of the outer ring while the upper edge of the inner ring is located above the lower edge of the discharge pipe and below the upper edge of the outer ring. In so doing, the liquid fills the inner space of the inner ring, part of the liquid passing through the gap between the inner ring and the tray plate. The rest of the liquid flows over the upper edge of the inner ring into the inter-ring space between the inner and outer rings and, via the gap between the outer ring and the tray plate, it is supplied to the tray plate provided with arched slots having tangentially directed axes and arranged in concentric circles with respect to the center of the hydroseal, where the liquid is caused by gas or vapor leaving the arched slots to perform radial and rotational motion in a horizontal plane from the center to periphery while contacting with gas or vapor. At very high liquid loads, part of the liquid may also be transferred from the inter-ring space between the outer and inner rings by flowing over the upper edge of the outer ring onto the tray plate, however, the bulk of liquid retaining its kinetic energy when drained from the discharge pipe will move under the hydroseal rings. In this case, the inner ring will be constantly filled with liquid and the discharge pipe outlet immersed in liquid, i.e., a hydroseal will be provided, the flow-through nature of the hydroseal ensuring the absence therefrom of solid particles or polymerization products. However, upon discontinuation of the supply of liquid via discharge pipe, it will completely drain off the circular hydroseal and the tray plate together with solid particles. Under operating conditions, a considerable part of kinetic energy of liquid flowing from the discharge pipe will be used to increase the velocity of radial motion of liquid on the tray plate, which makes for a reduced gradient of height of the liquid layer on the tray plate and for a more uniform distribution of liquid and gas or vapor over the tray cross-section, this being known to result in a higher mass-transfer efficiency of the contact tray. This advantage is especially pronounced when increasing the mass-transfer efficiency of contact trays of large diameters (3- 4 m). The absence of stagnant zones in a flow-through circular hydroseal and on the tray plate is likewise known to promote the increase of the mass-transfer efficiency of the contact tray and the reduction of the liquid residence time on the tray and in the column, which is important under conditions of separation of thermally unstable and polymerizable mixtures.

The afore-described arrangement of the overflow pocket helps utilize a large portion of the peripheral zone of the tray plate for increasing the time of contact of liquid, rotating at high linear velocities, with gas or vapor in order to improve the efficiency of mass transfer between liquid and gas or vapor, as well as shift the discharge pipe inlet communicated with the overflow pocket foundation closer to the discharge pipe outlet located in the central portion of the tray plate, and to expand the area of the flow pocket foundation and the volume of the flow pocket to provide a possibility of expanding the section area of the discharge pipe inlet and increasing the liquid throughout of the overflow devices. The use of a single discharge pipe in overflow devices for the transfer of liquid from the top tray to the bottom one makes for a lower metal consumption of the overflow devices and fuller utilization of the tray plate areas inasmuch as a single discharge pipe takes a smaller area than several discharge pipes under comparable conditions.

It is expedient to provide a separation ring for shaping a two-phase rotational flow, attached to the tray round plate, spaced from the surface of the latter through a distance sufficient for the passage of liquid and arranged concentrically with the circular hydroseal, the height of the separation ring wall exceeding that of the vertical curvilinear plates.

The separation ring provides for the shaping of a rotational two-phase flow at high velocities of gas or vapor about the center of the circular hydroseal and for the phase separation after their contact upon which the bulk of liquid is caused by centrifugal forces to be reflected from the inner walls of the separation ring, flow down and, via gap between the separation ring and the tray plate, be urged by the rotational two-phase flow to flow over to the annular space between the column walls and separation ring to continue rotary motion over the peripheral zone of the tray plate towards the overflow pocket, while gas or vapor separated from liquid performs upward spiral motion to get under the overlying tray. Owing to the provision of the separation ring, high gas or vapor velocities are attained without mechanical carryover of liquid.

It is expedient that the discharge pipe inlet communicated with the overflow pocket foundation be ellipse-shaped in plan, inasmuch as an ellipse has a greater discharge perimeter as compared with a circle of the same area, which makes for a higher liquid throughput of the drainage pipes, lower metal consumption and reduced sectional area of the overflow devices, this resulting in a larger contact area of the tray plate and higher mass-transfer efficiency of the latter.

It is also expedient that the inclined portion of the bend-shaped discharge pipe should have a cross-section diverging in the direction opposite to that of the liquid flow while its vertical portion has a constant area section in the form of a cylinder. Such an arrangement of the discharge pipe will ensure a high throughput thereof inasmuch as a liquid with a lower velocity can be imparted motion in the discharge pipe with the aid a lower velocity head developed owing to a hydrostatic head decreasing upwards over the height of the discharge pipe. In addition, such a design will help reduce the sectional area of overflow devices and, thereby, increase the effective contact area of the tray plate and improve the mass-transfer efficiency of the contact tray.

It is further expedient that the tray be provided with a discharge channel located in the peripheral zone thereof and having a cross-section diverging vertically and radially in the direction of two-phase flow rotation, the liquid inlet section of the channel being located in a zone diametrically opposite to the overflow pocket while the outlet cross-section of the channel communicates with the overflow pocket. Such an arrangement will ensure a uniform distribution of liquid in the peripheral zone of the plate tray, said liquid flowing partly to the discharge channel while its amount increases owing to the flowing off the tray plate in the direction of two-phase flow rotation and consequently, provide for an increased column output, as well as for a uniform distribution of liquid and gas or vapor over the tray plate cross-section to improve the mass-transfer efficiency of the contact tray.

It is likewise expedient that the tray plate, in its zone overlapped by the projection of the circular hydroseal, be provided with arched slots with radially extending axes designed to ensure the passage of gas or vapor through the slots in a radial direction from the center to periphery, this serving to expand the effective surface of contact between liquid and gas or vapor and improve the mass-transfer efficiency of the contact tray, all the more so in view of the fact that the liquid in the gaps between the hydroseal rings and the tray plate also moves in a radial direction from the center to periphery and has a high kinetic energy, and there will take place an ejection of gas or vapor via slots with less pressure difference required to overcome the resistance to the flow of gas or vapor when passing through the slots.

It is expedient that the tray be provided with a vertically extending partition located above the top edge of the side wall of the overflow pocket between the separation ring and the column wall, said vertically extending partition being located above the top edge of the overflow pocket side wall most remote in the direction of rotation of two-phase flow on the tray plate, the distance from the outer edge of the tray plate and from the separation ring to the vertically extending partition being equal to 0.01-0.1 of the maximum width of the overflow pocket while the height of the vertically extending partition increases in the direction from the separation ring towards the periphery of the tray plate, the average height of the partition being 0.05-0.1 tray diameter.

The vertical partition helps reflect the rotational flow of liquid over the overflow pocket and direct said liquid to the overflow pocket under conditions of very high liquid loads on the order of 100 m.sup.3 /m.sup.2 n and over, as a result of which an additional layer of liquid is formed above the overflow pocket by the effect of the velocity head of rotational two-phase flow, said layer, in its turn, making for a higher velocity of liquid in the overflow devices of the tray and for a higher liquid throughput of said devices. In addition, the vertical partition keeps the liquid from getting onto the tray plate from the overflow pocket, which would be equivalent to the countermixing of liquid affecting the motive force of the process and the mass-transfer efficiency of the tray. Moreover, a higher mass-transfer efficiency of the contact tray is attained thanks to an increase of the useful area of the tray plate owing to a reduced sectional area of the overflow devices.

It is expedient that a horizontally extending reflecting disk be mounted on the discharge pipe above the circular hydroseal in the direction of liquid flow, said disk having the same diameter as the outer ring of the circular hydroseal and serving to direct downwards to the circular hydroseal the liquid moving upwards upon an impact against the tray plate following the outlet from the discharge pipe and prevent said liquid from spraying and being mechanically carried to the overlying tray.

It is also expedient that the smaller portion of the inlet cross-section of the overflow pocket, located closer to the tray center, be overlapped by a plate attached to the side walls of the overflow pocket and having arched slots whose size and position fully coincide with those of the arched slots provided in the tray round plate. Such a solution makes for a more uniform distribution of liquid in the zone of the overflow pocket inasmuch as said plate with arched slots serves to increase the path of liquid movement on the tray plate, which results, as is known, in an improved efficiency of mass transfer in the contact tray. In addition, gas or vapor from the overflow pocket is sucked off via slots in the plate due to ejection to improve the operating conditions of the overflow devices, i.e., increase their throughout, under conditions of high liquid loads.

It is further expedient that the overflow pocket be partly closed on the periphery thereof with a plate attached to the side walls of the overflow pocket and having arched slots whose size and position coincide with those of the arched slots provided in the tray plate. Such a solution makes for the recirculation of some part of liquid in the peripheral area of the tray plate, said liquid being caused by centrifugal forces and forces of inertia to flow over the plate above the overflow pocket in the peripheral portion thereof and resume rotational motion in the peripheral portion of the tray plate, thereby making for an increased height of the liquid layer on the tray and, consequently, for a longer time of contact between gas or vapor and liquid and a higher mass-transfer efficiency of the contact tray unde810000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000