Perforated Plate Aligned Spray Nozzles for Gas-Fluid Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spray towers face issues with maldistribution and stratification in gas-fluid contact, leading to inefficient reaction between acidic flue gas and calcium-based slurry, as the dissolved alkalinity in the slurry is depleted rapidly, resulting in incomplete scrubbing of SO2.
Innovation Solution
A spray tower design featuring a perforated plate aligned with spray nozzles to ensure that the gas stream passes through the densest part of the fluid cone, minimizing maldistribution and stratification by forcing all gas through perforations, thereby enhancing contact between the gas and fluid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If spray nozzles are arranged to cover a larger area with overlapping sprays, then the coverage area is increased, but maldistribution and stratification of gas-fluid contact worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The spray tower cross-section is divided into multiple segments by the perforated plate, with each perforation creating a discrete gas pathway that forces gas to contact fluid in specific zones. This segmentation prevents stratification by ensuring gas flows through multiple spray cones rather than allowing large unmixed zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The perforated plate acts as an intermediary device between the gas stream and spray nozzles. It forces gas to pass through perforations that align with spray cones, mediating the contact process to ensure uniform distribution across the tower cross-section while maintaining large coverage area.
2Reliability
If multiple levels of spray nozzles are used to improve contact, then reaction effectiveness is enhanced, but device complexity and tower height increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding nozzle levels in the vertical dimension, the invention introduces a horizontal dimension solution using a perforated plate that spans the tower cross-section. This forces gas to contact multiple spray cones at a single level, achieving thorough mixing without increasing tower height or complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The perforated plate performs multiple functions simultaneously: it distributes gas uniformly across the cross-section, forces gas through dense fluid cones for effective contact, and prevents bypassing of spray zones. This multi-functionality achieves high reaction effectiveness without requiring multiple nozzle levels.
3Area of stationary object
If spray nozzles are staggered to cover larger area, then coverage is improved, but gas-fluid contact efficiency in certain zones remains poor
Solution Approach 1:
The perforated plate creates localized high-efficiency contact zones at each perforation-spray cone alignment, where gas is forced through the densest part of the fluid cone. This ensures that every local zone has optimal contact conditions while collectively covering the entire tower cross-section.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design improves gas-fluid contact efficiency, reducing the need for multiple nozzle levels and allowing for a shorter spray tower configuration, with lower liquid/gas ratios and reduced maldistribution, leading to improved reaction effectiveness and cost-effective arrangement of spray nozzles.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the plurality of spray nozzles includes a spray outlet and each of the plurality of spray nozzles is adapted to spray a cone of the fluid through the spray outlet into the tank
Implementation Method 2
The perforated plate is positioned in the tank so as to define a cross-section of the spray tower and is positioned so that each of the plurality of perforations is aligned with the cone flowing from the spray outlet of one of the plurality of spray nozzles
Data Source
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AI summary
A spray tower (20) for improving contact between a gas stream (22) and a fluid (24). The spray tower (20) includes a tank (26) having an inlet (32) and an outlet (34), and a plurality of spray nozzles (28) positioned in the tank, each of the plurality of spray nozzles including a spray outlet (38). Each of the plurality of spray nozzles (28) is adapted to spray a cone (40) of the fluid (24) through the spray outlet (38) into the tank (26). The spray tower (20) also includes a perforated plate (30) having a plurality of perforations (44). The perforated plate (30) is positioned in the tank (26) so as to define a cross-section of the tank and each of the plurality of perforations (44) is aligned with the cone (40) flowing from the spray outlet (38) of one of the spray nozzles.