Segmented Countercurrent Gas-Liquid Contactor Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas-liquid contactors face challenges in achieving efficient mass transfer and dispersion of liquids in a gas phase, leading to limitations in absorption and stripping efficiency, and often result in complex and costly equipment designs, as well as foaming issues that reduce throughput and operational range.
Innovation Solution
A contactor design featuring countercurrent contacting between upflow gas and downflow liquid, with cells separated by partition walls and injection holes and flow ports that facilitate sheet-like fluid flows, promoting effective dispersion and mass transfer without the need for high-pressure means, and preventing foaming by ensuring gas flows through the liquid phase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If liquid drops or bubbles are dispersed into gas phase or liquid phase respectively (spray column or bubble column), then dispersion state of gas and liquid is good, but time period of gas-liquid contacting is short and theoretical stage number is only one or two
Solution Approach 1:
The column is divided into multiple theoretical stages by installing horizontal partition walls at different heights, with each stage containing a dispersion chamber and a separation chamber. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both good dispersion (in the dispersion chamber) and extended contact time (across multiple stages), resolving the contradiction between dispersion quality and equipment complexity.
2Device complexity
If packed column or tray column is used to increase theoretical stage number, then contacting area is increased, but liquid is not in well dispersed state in gas phase
Solution Approach 1:
Each stage is segmented into a dispersion chamber (for creating liquid drops in gas) and a separation chamber (for maintaining contact). This segmentation enables both good dispersion and multiple theoretical stages without the foaming problems of traditional tray columns.
Solution Approach 2:
The horizontal partition wall acts as an intermediary structure that separates the dispersion and separation functions within each stage while maintaining countercurrent flow between stages, enabling both good dispersion and extended contact time.
3Device complexity
If tray column with bubble dispersion is used, then theoretical stage number can be increased, but foaming phenomenon reduces throughput and processing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting each stage into dispersion and separation chambers, the invention prevents foam accumulation that occurs in traditional tray columns. The separation chamber allows gas and liquid to separate cleanly, maintaining high throughput while achieving multiple theoretical stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The design converts the potential harm of foam formation into a benefit by using the phase separation principle - liquid drops disperse in the gas phase in the dispersion chamber, then separate and drain in the separation chamber, preventing foam accumulation while maintaining mass transfer efficiency.
4Productivity
If absorption column or stripping column is designed for high efficiency, then special equipment constitution is needed, but equipment complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The column is segmented into multiple identical modular stages, each containing a dispersion chamber and separation chamber. This modular segmentation achieves high absorption efficiency through multiple theoretical stages while keeping each stage's structure simple and standardized, reducing overall equipment complexity and cost.
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 enhances absorption and stripping efficiency, reduces equipment complexity and cost, and prevents foaming, allowing for a more compact and efficient gas-liquid contactor with improved throughput and operational flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
a contactor in which an upflow fluid being a gas is fed from a lower part in a column and a downflow fluid being a liquid is fed from an upper part of the column and the gas and the liquid are subjected to countercurrent contacting
Implementation Method 2
providing, in the partition wall of the respective stages, a downflow fluid injection hole in a lower part of the upper stage side cell so that the downflow fluid blocked by the partition wall and residing injects into the lower stage side cell
Implementation Method 3
providing an upflow fluid flow-in port in an upper side than a region in which the downflow fluid resides, through the upflow fluid flow-in port the upflow fluid from the lower stage side cell flowing into the upper stage side cell
Implementation Method 4
separating the upper stage side cell and the lower stage side cell by a partition wall
Data Source
AI summary
[Technical Problem] A contactor is provided which is capable of making fluids of two phases contact each other under a good dispersion state and which can be easily multi-staged.[Means for Solving the Problems] The inside of a contactor 1 is divided into a plurality of cells 22, 32 by partition walls (a vertical wall 10, horizontal walls 21, 31) and the respective cells 22, 32 become countercurrent contacting spaces of an upflow fluid flowing up in the contactor 1 and a downflow fluid flowing down in the contactor 1. A downflow fluid injection hole 52 provided in the vertical wall 10 of each stage makes the downflow fluid blocked by the partition wall and residing inject into the neighboring cells 22, 32 of a lower stage side, while an upflow fluid flow-in port 51 provided in an upper side of the injection hole 2 makes an upflow fluid from the cells 22, 32 of the lower stage side flow in.