Liquid-vapor contact apparatus

A liquid-vapor contact apparatus for use in distilling air on board a ship has vertical outer walls disposed in the manner of the vertical faces of a cuboid. The apparatus includes a plurality of spaced, parallel, vertical plates. Between each pair of adjacent plates there is a plurality of spaced, generally horizontal, liquid-vapor contact members each including a horizontal tray member and having edges and in fluid-tight engagement with the respective plates. There are a plurality of downcomers for conducting liquid from tray member to tray member, there being separate flow paths for liquid between each pair of adjacent plates. The two outermost plates form one pair of walls of the apparatus. The other pair walls comprises alternate edge portions of plates and spacer bars (or members).

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to liquid-vapour contact apparatus suitable for use 
in fractionally distilling a liquid mixture comprising two or more 
components. 
Conventional distillation columns for use in separating air employ circular 
or part-circular liquid-vapour contact trays. It has been found that 
aboard ship such columns perform badly as a result of the motion of the 
ship causing maldistribution of the liquid on the trays. Our UK patent 
specification No. 1 478 459 relates to a distillation column whose trays 
are each provided with spaced vertical baffles that limit displacement of 
the liquid across the tray in a direction normal to that of the liquid 
flow. The aforesaid UK patent specification describes an embodiment of 
such a column in which trays with generally rectangular liquid-bearing 
surfaces are employed. However, it has been found necessary to employ 
generally tubular column walls as difficulties arise in fabricating a 
vessel (for containing the trays) in the shape of a cuboid. Moreover, when 
a cylindrical vessel is employed it is found necessary to use separate 
reboilers and condensers. These requirements tend to add unnecessarily to 
the overall size of the apparatus thereby giving rise to further 
disadvantage since on board ship there is generally limited space 
available for an air separation column. The invention aims at providing a 
liquid-vapour contact apparatus that can for example be fabricated by 
vacuum brazing and that has vertical outer walls disposed in the manner of 
the vertical faces of a cuboid. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the present invention there is provided a liquid-vapour 
contact apparatus having vertical outer walls disposed in the manner of 
the vertical faces of a cuboid, said apparatus including a plurality of 
spaced, parallel, vertical plates, there being between each pair of 
adjacent plates a plurality of spaced, generally horizontal, liquid-vapour 
contact members each having one edge in engagement with one of said pair 
of plates and an opposite edge in engagement with the other of said pair 
of plates, and a plurality of downcomers for conducting liquid from tray 
to tray in downward vertical sequence, whereby there are separate flow 
paths for liquid between each pair of adjacent plates, and wherein the 
outermost plates provide one pair of opposed, vertical, outer walls of the 
apparatus, and the other pair of such walls each comprise alternate plate 
edges portions and vertical spacer members. 
Preferably, each plate, save the said outermost ones, has a plurality of 
apertures formed therethrough for the passage of vapour, such apertures 
being disposed such that in operation of the column no liquid passes 
therethrough. The presence of such apertures helps to limit at any level 
in the apparatus differences in composition between the vapour between one 
pair of adjacent plates and the vapour between another pair of adjacent 
plates. 
If desired, the liquid-vapour contact apparatus according to the invention 
may form part of a unitary apparatus additionally including a reboiler and 
a condenser. 
The apparatus according to the invention is particularly suited for air 
separation use on board ship.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings, a distillation apparatus or column 2 formed as a 
unitary article has at its bottom, a reboiler 4 and at its top a condenser 
6, and extending therebetween a liquid-vapour contact apparatus 8 in 
accordance with the invention. The distillation apparatus 2 is generally 
cuboidal in shape. The apparatus 8 has a first pair of opposed, vertical, 
outer walls 10 and a second pair of opposed, vertical, outer walls 12. As 
shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus 8 includes a plurality of vertical plates 
14 that are spaced equally apart from one another and extend in parallel 
with one another. The two outermost ones of the plates 14 form the walls 
12 of the apparatus 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the walls 10 are each formed by 
arrangement of edge portions 15 of the plates 14 and longitudinal spacing 
bars or members 16 extending from top to bottom of the apparatus 8. 
The apparatus 8 additionally includes a plurality of liquid-vapour contact 
members 20, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Between each pair of adjacent 
plates 14 there is a vertical array of such members 20. The members 20 
each include a horizontal tray member 26 having a horizontal liquid 
bearing surface and perforations 36 formed therethrough. The peforations 
36 are equally spaced from one another and have vertical axes. The members 
20 have edges 22 and 24 in fluid-tight engagement with the plates 14 that 
they respectively abut. The liquid-vapour contact members 20 also include 
vertical partition members 28 which provide a weir 30 for each tray member 
26 and a wall of a downcomer 34 for conducting liquid from said tray 
member to the tray member 26 immediately therebelow. Each downcomer 34 has 
a horizontal, liquid-collecting member 35 which is typically formed 
integral with the tray member 26 onto which said liquid is to be conducted 
by that downcomer in operation of the distillation apparatus 2. 
With reference to FIG. 3, each plate 14 except the two that constitute the 
walls 12 has a multiplicity of orifices 38 formed therethrough. The 
orifices 38 may be arranged in rows 39, the distance between adjacent rows 
39 being the same as the distance between adjacent tray members in each 
said array of such tray members. The position of each row 39 is such that 
in operation only vapour fully disengaged from liquid can pass 
therethrough. As shown in FIG. 3, therefore, the rows of 39 of orifices 38 
are typically positioned just below the level of respective tray members 
26. 
The liquid-vapour contact members 20 (including the members 26, 28 and 35) 
may comprise an integral pressing or may be fabricated from two or more 
pieces of metal. Typically, the apparatus 8 is formed of aluminium, 
although stainless steel and copper are acceptable alternatives. Where the 
members 20 are formed from more than one piece of metal, they may be 
prefabricated or alternatively joined together with other parts of the 
apparatus 8. Typically, in order to fabricate the apparatus 8, an assembly 
of all the plates 14, spacer members 16, and liquid-vapour contact members 
20 is made as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. All of the abutting surfaces may then 
be vacuum brazed together to form a unitary apparatus. Typically, the 
reboiler 4 and the condenser 6 may be brazed to the apparatus 8 at the 
same time. In general, the method of manufacture may resemble that 
employed to make matrix heat exchangers. It is to be appreciated that the 
perforations 36 and orfices 38 are made prior to the commencement of the 
vacuum brazing. 
It is not essential that the various abutting surfaces be vacuum brazed 
togther in order to make fluid-tight joints therebetween. Other joining 
methods such as welding may be employed. However, vacuum brazing is 
generally preferred. Each pair of adjacent plates 14 defines therebetween 
a discrete and separate flow path for the liquid from that defined by the 
other pairs of adjacent plates 14. 
In operation liquid from the condenser 6 flows onto each top tray member 26 
at the top of a vertical array flows therealong and is conducted by a 
downcomer 34 to the next tray member 26 therebelow. In FIG. 3, the liquid 
flow path is illustrated by the arrows 42. As it passes along each tray 
member 26, liquid comes into intimate mass exchange relationship with 
vapour ascending the column from the reboiler 4 and passing through the 
perforations 36 in the tray members 26. Thus, the liquid as it descends 
the apparatus 8 tends to become richer in the less volatile component or 
components of the mixture being distilled, and the vapour as it ascends 
the column becomes richer in the more volatile component or components of 
the mixture being distilled. In FIG. 3, the upward passage of the vapour 
is indicated by the arrows 40. It is also to be appreciated that there 
will be some exchange of vapour across the plates 14 through the orifices 
38. Such exchange of vapour helps to limit any disparity between the 
composition of vapour between one pair of adjacent pipes 14 and that of 
vapour at the same level between another pair of plates 14. 
The apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings is 
particularly intended for the distillation of air on board ship in order 
to produce either a nitrogen or an oxygen product, or both. The plates 14 
help to limit displacement of the liquid on the tray members 26 in a 
direction generally at right angles to the direction of flow. Typically, 
on board a ship, the apparatus is mounted such that one wall 12 faces the 
stern and the other wall 12 faces the bow.