Structured Packing

Abstract

An apparatus for a heat transfer or mass transfer process, comprising a column or divided column having at least one pair of converging walls or wall portions and, within at least a region of the column or divided column bounded by at least one pair of converging walls or wall portions, a structured packing having a corrugation angle of at least about 50°; a method of heat and/or mass transfer applicable to the apparatus; and a method of installation of structured packing into a relevant apparatus.

Description

FIELD[0001]The present invention generally relates to structured packing. Structured packing has particular application in heat and / or mass exchange columns, especially in cryogenic air separation processes, although it may be used in other applications, such as heat exchangers, for example.BACKGROUND[0002]The term “column” as used herein means a distillation or fractionation column or zone, i.e. a column or zone wherein liquid and vapour phases are countercurrently contacted to effect separation of a fluid mixture, such as by contacting of the vapour and liquid phases on packing elements or on a series of vertically-spaced trays or plates mounted within the column.[0003]A divided wall column is a system of thermally coupled distillation columns. In divided wall columns, at least one dividing wall is located in the interior space of the column. The dividing wall generally is vertical. Two different mass transfer separations may occur on either side of the dividing wall, for example....

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0025]In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of heat and / or mass transfer, comprising supplying one or more fluids to a column or column division having at least one pair of converging walls or wall portions and which, within at least a region of the column or divided column bounded by, or lying between, at least one pair of converging walls or wall portions, contains a structured packing having a corrugation angle of at least about 50° such that the one or more fluids contact the structured packing in order to effect heat transfer and / or mass transfer.

[0026]In the context of the present invention, a column division is a part of a column physically separated from the remainder of the column by at least one dividing wall arranged substantially to co-extend with the longitudinal axis of the column. That is, where the column has its longitudinal axis positioned vertically, as is usual in use, the or each column division is created by the presence of a substantially vertical wall within the column that physically segregates a part of the column volume from the remainder, such as to prevent the mixing of fluid present in the column division with fluid present in the remainder of the column over the vertical distance over which the dividing wall extends.

[0027]It is believed by the present inventors that the presence of at least one pair of converging walls or wall portions, and in particular the presence of an angle or corner, in the cross-section of a column or column division restricts the mixing of fluid within the column in an edge zone close to the column or column division wall, resulting in reduced efficiency of mass transfer and / or heat transfer within the column where a structured packing optimised for use in a cylindrical column is used. The present invention provides benefit in terms of cost savings and increased efficiency of mass transfer by use of a structured packing optimised for use in a column or column division having at least one pair of converging walls or wall portions, which optimisation has not previously been considered necessary.

Problems solved by technology

However, each rotation increases the pressure drop through the column comprised of the packing.

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