Patent ID: 6682633
Filing Date: 2004-01-27
Classification: B01D,Y10S

Abstract:
An apparatus for performing cocurrent vapor-liquid contacting, including fractional distillation of a multicomponent feed stream, which apparatus comprises:a) an external, substantially enclosed, vertical outer vessel; and b) a plurality of contacting modules structured to be placed in layers in the vessel, with each module having an upper end and a lower end and comprising: i. a tapered downcomer located at the lower end of the module and formed from two opposing inclined walls, the downcomer having a liquid outlet opening at Its lower end and an inlet opening at its upper end; ii. horizontal extension plates projecting outward from the upper end of each opposing inclined wall; iii. a pair of vapor-liquid separation chambers located at the upper end of each module, with one chamber being located above each of the horizontal extension plates, the chambers being spaced apart on opposite sides of the module to form an intermediate fluid transfer volume located above and communicating with the inlet opening of the downcomer, each of the chambers having an outlet surface facing the fluid transfer Volume and an opposing inlet surface; and iv. substantially imperforate walls extending upward from the horizontal extension plates to the vapor-liquid separation chambers; wherein the modules are stacked in horizontal layers having the modules spaced apart horizontally, and with the downcomers of each upper layer of modules extending downward into a space between two adjacent modules of a lower level of modules to define two vapor-liquid contact channels leading to the inlet surface of the separation chambers of the lower layer of modules.