ELHA E.

MARUQUIN
BSChE-4

Trays
1. Bubble Cap Trays
An enhanced gas-liquid contact can be achieved having bubble caps on the tray at
very low liquid flow rates. A bubble cap consists of a riser (also called chimney) fixed to
the tray through a hole and a cap is mounted over the riser. The gas flows up to through
the riser, directed downward by the cap through the annular space between riser and cap.
Finally, the gas is dispersed into the liquid. A number of slots in lower part of the cap
help in gas bubble dispersion. Un-slotted types of cap designs are also common in
application. Bubble caps are especially suitable for higher turndown ratio. Turndown ratio
is the ratio of maximum operating vapor rate to the minmum allowable vapor rate, below
which weeping starts.
A bubble cap tray has riser or chimney fitted over each hole, and a cap that covers the
riser. The cap is mounted so that there is a space between riser and cap to allow the
passage of vapour. Vapor rises through the chimney and is directed downward by the cap,
finally discharging through slots in the cap, and finally bubbling through the liquid on the
tray.

Figure 1: Bubble Cap Tray

2. Sieve Trays
Sieve trays are simply metal plates with holes in them. Vapour passes straight upward
through the liquid on the plate. The arrangement, number and size of the holes are design
parameters. Vapor comes out from the holes to give a multi orifice effect. The vapor
velocity keeps the liquid from flowing do through the holes (weeping). Vapor flow
through the tray deck to contact the liquid is controlled by the number and size of the
perforations.

The punching direction affects the dry pressure drop, a smaller hole diameter result in
lower pressure drop for the same open area. This is due to the ratio of hole diameter to the
tray thickness. The number and hole size are based on vapor flow up the tower. The liquid
flow is transported down the tower by down-corners, a dam and overflow device o the
side on the plate.

A sieve tray has higher entrainment than valve tray at the same vapor velocity. This is
due to the spray of liquid directed upwards to the next tray. For efficient operation, the
hole velocity must be sufficient to balance the head of the liquid on the tray deck and thus
prevent liquid from passing through the perforations to the tray. Sieve trays can be used in
almost all services. Sieve trays are simple and easy to fabricate and therefore relatively
inexpensive.

Figure 2: Sieve Tray

3. Valve Trays
In valve trays, perforations are covered by liftable caps Vapour flows lifts the cap,
thus self creating a flow area for the passage of vapour. The lifting cap directs the vapour
to flow horizontally into the liquid, thus providing better mixing than is possible in sieve
trays.

Valve tray uses valve (moveable disc) which almost closes off completely at low
vapor rate, thus minimize tray open area. When lifted, as vapor rate increases, the open
area increases for vapor flow between the valve disc and the tray deck.

Valves can be round or rectangular, with or without caging structured. Most types of
valves, the opening may be varied by the vapor flow, so that the trays can operate over a
wide range of low rates with high separation efficiency and large flexibility.

Because of their flexibility and price (slightly more expensive than sieve tray), valve
trays are tending to replace bubble-cap trays.

Valve tray has minimum capacity of approximately 60%. The dry pressure drop of
valve tray is lower than bubble ca, because the valve does not need a chimney for the
vapor and it depends on weight of valve.

The valve tray can used in condition where vapor rate change unpredictability over a
given section of tower, a tower utilized in blocked operation at varying rate and feed
compositions, a fluctuations in feed rate, and servicing of auxiliary equipment operating
the entire unit at low rate.

Figure 3: Valve Tray

4. Dual-Flow Trays
Dual flow tray is a sieve tray without a downcomer. Vapors move up to the tray above
through the hole, while the liquid travels down in the same hole that can result in mal-
distribution and low efficiency.

Dual flow trays are designed with enough open area on the tray deck to eliminate
stagnation and promote back missing that makes it suited to handle highly fouling
services, slurries and corrosive services. Dual flow trays are well suited also for the
fractionation of polymerizable compounds and give more bubbling area, therefore have a
greater capacity than other tray types.

Dual flow trays is also the least expensive to make and easiest to install and maintain.
Dual flow trays perform best in the operating region of 60 to 85% of flood and increases
the efficiency with vapor rate. The challenge of dual flow tray is mal-distribution in larger
diameter towers.

The top of a column will move in a typical storm as much as six inches. This
movement will cause the hydraulic load to migrate in the column.

Improper feed, reflux or vapor distribution can also create mal-distribution problems.
Dual flow trays have poor turndown ratio resulting from the rapid fall off in efficiency as
the vapor loading decreases. Therefore the operating vapor and liquid rate ranges must be
kept small. Two types of dual flow trays are available; standard deck and rippled deck.
The standard deck has a flat plate, and the rippled deck has sinusoidal waves.

Figure 4: Dual Flow Tray

Comparison of the Common Types
Tray Type Bubble Cap Dual-flow Sieve Valve
(moving/non-
moving)
Capacity Moderate Very high High High to very
high
Pressure Drop High Low to Low to Moderate. Older
moderate moderate designs were
somewhat
higher. Recent
designs same as
sieve trays.
Efficiency Moderate(0.6- Lower High(0.7-0.9)* High(0.7-0.9)*
0.8)* compared to
others(0.5-
0.7)*
Turndown Very high. Can Low. Not Approximately Approximately
handle very low suitable for 2:1. Unstable 3-5:1. Higher
liquid rates varying loads for varying load turndown
operations designs can be
provided on
request.
Maintenance Relatively high Low Low Low to
moderate
Fouling High. Tends to Extremely low. Low Low to
tendency accumulate Best choice for moderate
solid particles severe fouling
Main Very low flow Capacity Most columns Most column
Application conditions revamps where where turndown services where
where leakage efficiency and not important turndown
needs to be turndown not important
minimized critical high
fouling and
corrosive
services
Cost High. Low Low Marginally
Approximately higher than
2-3 times that sieve trays
for sieve trays
Packing

1. Structured Packing

Structured packing are characterized by a very effective technique and a versatile range of
applications. the packings offers high separation efficiency, good wettability and low pressure
drop. they can be adapted to address any functional problem for distillation, absorption or
solvent extraction.

The term structured packing refers to packing elements made up from wire mesh or
perforated metal sheets. The material is folded and arranged with a regular geometry, to give a
high surface area with a high void fraction. A typical example is shown in Figures, Structured
packings are produced by a number of manufacturers.

The basic construction and performance of the various proprietary types available are
similar. The advantage of structured packings over random packing is their low HETP
(typically less than 0.5 m) and low pressure drop (around 100 Pa/m). They are being
increasingly used in the following applications:

1. For difficult separations, requiring many stages: such as the separation of isotopes.
2. High vacuum distillation.
3. For column revamps: to increase capacity and reduce reflux ratio requirements.
 The applications have mainly been in distillation, but structured packings can also be
used in absorption; in applications where high efficiency and low pressure drop are needed.
The cost of structured packings per cubic metre will be significantly higher than that of random
packings, but this is offset by their higher efficiency.

Presently, the structured packing are used in most of all the following applications:

-ethereal oils
-isomer mixtures
-fatty acids
-fatty alcohols
-deodorizing of edible oils
-degassing of transformer oils
-pilot columns
-essential oils
-isomer mixtures
-vitamins
-fatty acids
-fatty alcohols
-isocyanates
-vacuum columns
-normal and high-pressure columns
-absorption of components and pollutants from gas and air flows
-natural gas drying with glycols
-refinery columns (atmospheric and under vacuum)
-petrochemical columns
-exhaust air washing in aluminum rolling mills
-recovery of lube and rolling oil
-wastewater treatment with stripping columns
-revamping existing tray or random rings columns to improve the performance and capacity

2. Structured Packing

Various types of random packings are used with packed towers, Most commonly used
random packings are Pall Rings, Berl saddles, Intalox saddles, Raschig rings, Tellerettes,
Hypac etc. the structure of this packings are shown in figures below.

Pall rings are most preferred and commonly use random packing but their cost per unit
volume is high. Pall Rings required minimum diameter and minimum height for the given
absorption or distillation duty as compared to other types of the random packings. Pall rings
are available in metal and plastics.
 For high temperature services Polypropylene or polyethylene pall rings can’t be used.
Plastic packings are also attacked by some organic solvents. For corrosive services, ceramic
Berl saddle are cheaper than metallic pall rings.
For example, in the distillation of the mixture of phosphorous tri chloride and phosphorous
oxychloride, Packed tower with ceramic packing used. Ceramics become brittle at high
temperature and have poor strength so at very high temperature and corrosive services, Glass
lined column with glass Rasching rings are preferred against packed column of special alloy.

For an example, in vacuum distillation of concentrated nitric acid by using sulfuric acid
as solvent, glass packed tower with glass rasching rings are used. Rasching rings are the
cheapest packing materials but have least efficiency so they required maximum diameter of
column as well as maximum height of column so sometimes the total cost of column goes high.
Diameter of tower is recommended to be more that 10 times the packing size.