Patent ID: 6227524
Filing Date: 2001-05-08
Classification: B01D

Abstract:
A contact tray assembly for positioning in a liquid-gas mass transfer column apparatus comprising;(a) a horizontal tray member supported within the column apparatus, said tray member containing a plurality of openings therein,(b) a contact and separation element (CSE) positioned in each tray opening, each CSE element comprising(i) an open, vertical, cylindrically shaped nozzle, which rests with a lower edge on said tray plate, said nozzle having at least one row of annular holes at a lower end;(ii) an axial swirler firmly attached inside said nozzle, said swirler having inclined vanes in an upper section and a dense net of short, vertical vanes arranged lengthwise to said swirler axis and located adjacent said annular holes in said nozzle lower end,(iii) a hollow cyclone separator at an upper output end of said nozzle with an interior deflection ring opposite said nozzle output end;(iv) at least two deflection rings fastened exterior and concentric to said cylindrical nozzle, said rings having diameters at least as large as said cyclone separator outer diameter;(c) weir means secured to said tray member for maintaining a liquid level on said tray member about 50 to 300 mm above said nozzle lower annular holes; and(d) inlet means for delivering liquid to said tray assembly from above;(e) whereby a maximum capacity correlates with the gas-liquid flow rates, and a high mass transfer efficiency is ensured where the free cross-section of the CSEs for the gas throughput is in the range from 0.36 to 0.54 of the cross-section of the nozzle inlet opening.