Packed tower distributors tested

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Hydrocarbon Process.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6252357

Albright, M A

Various distributor designs are tested by using a computer model to simulate the liquid flow through a packed bed. The effects of nonhomogeneous liquid flow within the distributor also are studied. The results show the design of the distributor can have a marked effect on the overall efficiency and operation of a packed column. The conclusions are as follows: Every packing has a natural liquid flow distribution. No matter how perfect or imperfect the initial distribution is, the flows will tend toward the natural distribution. Given a deep enough packing bed, the natural distribution will be reached. Perfect distribution will degrade to natural. Maldistribution will improve--sometimes very slowly--to natural. For any real distributor, there is an initial distribution-other than perfect--that will minimize the bed depth required to reach natural distribution. The best drip pan distributor is one that has one drip point for each 10 to 12 pieces of packing in the top layer of packing. The best single spray distributor is one that just reaches the column wall and is as near homogeneous as possible. The best seven-spot multiple spray is a set that overlap and is adjusted so that the column diameter/individual spray diameter (at the packing surface) is about 2.4. Each individual spray must be as homogeneous as possible.

• Research Organization: Phillips Petroleum, Bartles
• OSTI ID: 6252357
• Journal Information: Hydrocarbon Process.; (United States), Journal Name: Hydrocarbon Process.; (United States) Vol. 62:9; ISSN HYPRA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020400* -- Petroleum-- Processing
CHEMICAL REACTORS
COLUMN PACKING
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DESIGN
DISTRIBUTION
EFFICIENCY
EXTRACTION APPARATUSES
EXTRACTION COLUMNS
FLOW MODELS
FLUID FLOW
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
LIQUID FLOW
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OPERATION
PACKED BED
PACKINGS
PETROLEUM REFINERIES
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
SIMULATION