Patent ID: 7270316

Claim:
An improved distillation column having a cross section comprising: a first distillation tray comprising a first contact tray extending over less than the entire area of a cross section of said distillation column, a first weir along an outlet side of said first contact tray, a first liquid collection area below said first outlet side for collecting liquid from said first contact tray, said first collection area being positioned in a vapor area of a second distillation tray positioned below said first distillation tray, said second distillation tray comprising a second contact tray extending over less than the entire area of the cross section of said distillation column, a second weir along an outlet side of said second contact tray, a liquid second collection area below said outlet side for collecting liquid from said second contact tray wherein said second contact tray extends over the area of the cross section of said distillation column not covered by said first contact tray, whereby the area of the distillation column covered by the combined area said first contact tray and said second contact tray corresponds to the entire cross section of said distillation column.