Patent ID: 7673857

Claim:
A method of operating at least one section of structured packing in a countercurrent vapour/liquid contact column to reduce maldistribution of a liquid in the countercurrent vapour/liquid contact column under sway motion conditions of ±3° tilt from the vertical, the method which comprises the steps of: providing the countercurrent vapour/liquid contact column under a sway motion of ±3° tilt from the vertical; providing a liquid to the countercurrent vapour/liquid contact column; and using as the at least one section of structured packing a section having a length of about 1 m to about 6 m and a specific surface area of about 600 m 2 /m 3 to about 1500 m 2 /m 3 , wherein the at least one section of structured packing used in the countercurrent vapour/liquid contact column reduces maldistribution of the liquid and increases the efficiency of the countercurrent vapour/liquid contact column compared to a countercurrent vapour/liquid contact column under a sway motion of ±3° tilt from the vertical using structured packing with a specific surface area of less than 500 m 2 /m 3 .