Engineering Encyclopedia

Saudi Aramco DeskTop Standards

Packed Towers

Note: The source of the technical material in this volume is the Professional
Engineering Development Program (PEDP) of Engineering Services.
Warning: The material contained in this document was developed for Saudi
Aramco and is intended for the exclusive use of Saudi Aramco’s
employees. Any material contained in this document which is not already
in the public domain may not be copied, reproduced, sold, given, or
disclosed to third parties, or otherwise used in whole, or in part, without
the written permission of the Vice President, Engineering Services, Saudi
Aramco.

Chapter : Process For additional information on this subject, contact

File Reference: CHE20506 R.A. Al-Husseini on 874-2792
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CONTENTS PAGES

PACKING CHARACTERISTICS......................................................................1
Packed Towers ........................................................................................1
Dumped or Random Packing ..................................................................3
Structured Packing ..................................................................................4
Packing Applications...............................................................................5
Packing Applications, Cont’d..................................................................6
Packing Efficiency (HETP) .....................................................................7
Flooding ..................................................................................................9
Packing Performance...............................................................................9
Pressure Drop ........................................................................................10
Packed Tower Capacity.........................................................................12
Norton Correlation .....................................................................12
Eckert Correlation......................................................................13
PACKED TOWER INTERNALS.....................................................................16
Liquid Distributors ................................................................................16
Narrow Channel Distributors .....................................................17
Orifice Pan .................................................................................18
Spray Nozzles ............................................................................19
Weir Trough Distributors...........................................................19
Ladder (Branched Perforated Pipe)............................................20
Weir-Riser..................................................................................20
Vapor Feed Distributors ........................................................................21
Redistributors ........................................................................................21
Support Screens or Plates ......................................................................21
Bed Limiters ..........................................................................................22
Demisters...............................................................................................23
Inlets and Drawoffs ...............................................................................23

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Information Sources ..............................................................................23

Packed Tower Internals Summary.........................................................25
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS AND EVALUATION OF PACKED
TOWERS ..........................................................................................................27
Packing Type and Size ..........................................................................27
Materials Selection ................................................................................27
Stainless Steel Packing ..............................................................27
Plastic Pall Rings or Other Equivalent Plastic Packings............27
Ceramic Packings ......................................................................28
Tower Diameter.....................................................................................28
Packed Bed Height ................................................................................28
Evaluating and Specifying Towers........................................................29
Pressure Drop.............................................................................29
Capacity .....................................................................................29
Packing Efficiency .....................................................................29
Packed Bed Height.....................................................................29
Distribution Quality ...................................................................29
Tower Internals ..........................................................................30
Revamps ....................................................................................30
Packed Tower Calculations with PRO/IITM .........................................30
SUMMARY......................................................................................................33

GLOSSARY .....................................................................................................34

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PACKING CHARACTERISTICS

Packed Towers

Towers may contain one or more packed sections. Frequently towers contain both packing
and trays, such as in vacuum crude units. Packing in a tower is usually divided into sections
(Figure 1) due to one or more of the following conditions:

• Introduction of feed.
• Removal of a side product.
• Packing height exceeds maximum allowable. Height limits are set by:
- Packing mechanical strength.
- Uniform distribution considerations.

Each packed section has its own liquid collection, support plate, hold-down grid, and
distributor.

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Vapor Out

Demister; Use Only

If Deentrainment Required
Reflux
Liquid Distributor
Bed Limiter

Pa ckin g

Gas Injection
Support Plate

Chimney T ray Liquid Product

Drawof f or Drawof f
Feed

Liquid Distributor
(For All-Liquid Feed)
Pa ckin g
Bed Limiter

Gas Injection
Support Plate
Vapor Distributor Vapor In

Liquid Out
Packed Tower Internals
Figure 1

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Dumped or Random Packing

Random packings are dumped into the tower and orient themselves randomly. They are
manufactured in various sizes and shapes, (for example, Pall rings, Ballast rings, Nutter rings,
and Intalox Metal Tower Packing (IMTP). The capacity, efficiency, and pressure drop
characteristics vary with packing size and type. Figure 2 illustrates common packings.
Raschig rings, the first type of packing, are rarely used today.

Commonly Used Packings

Figure 2

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Structured Packing

Structured packing is fabricated from long sheets of metal with the pieces held together by
bands or tie rods. Typically, each bundle is about 8 to 12 in. high, 15 in. wide, and up to 6 ft.
long. It is installed in layers and is most often oriented at 90° to the layer below. Different
sizes are available by varying the crimp height (Figure 3).

Structured packing offers capacities up to 30% higher than Pall rings for equal efficiency or
efficiencies up to 50% higher at the same capacity. In addition, pressure drop can be one-
half that of Pall rings. Its cost, however, is two to four times the cost of dumped packing of
the same capacity and material of construction.

Some of the suppliers of structured packing are: Glitsch (GEMPAK), Koch Engineering
(FLEXIPAC), Norton (INTALOX Structured), Nutter Engineering (Montz), and Sulzer
Brothers (MELLAPAK).

Front View Isometric View

Example of Structured Packing
Figure 3

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Packing Applications

Packing can be used in most of the applications that currently use trays. For such cases, the
choice will be dictated by economics. For most new towers, equipment costs favor trays. In
vacuum towers, however, the low pressure drop provided by packing will usually generate
additional process credits that outweigh the incremental cost of a packed tower. The Ras
Tanura crude unit vacuum column C-200, for example, uses beds packed with pall rings in
pumparound service(Figure 4). The bottom bed, immediately above the feed, is the wash
section grid. Some of the key areas where packing and grid are favored, are listed below.

• Applications where pressure drop across the internals is critical, such as in vacuum
distillation or units for cleaning up recycled gas that requires compression.
• Revamps, especially where downcomers consume a large percentage of the tower cross-
sectional area or where downcomer filling is high, such as heavily liquid-loaded towers
such as debutanizers and depropanizers.
• Corrosive, nonfouling services where ceramic packings are more economical than alloy
trays.
• In small towers less than 2 ft. in diameter, where packing and tray costs are nearly equal
and where cartridge trays cannot be installed for accessibility reasons.
• Where low holdup is required, as in batch distillation of thermally degradable liquids.
• Where severe thermal shocks are likely to occur.

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Packing Applications, Cont’d

Ras Tanura
Crude Unit To Vacuum
System
C-200 Vacuum Column

Packing Applications
Figure 4

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Packing Efficiency (HETP)

The efficiency of packing is most often expressed as height equivalent to a theoretical plate,
(HETP), the packing height for a separation requiring a theoretical plate. Other methods for
predicting the required packing height are height of transfer unit, (HTU), and overall mass
transfer coefficient (KOG).

Packing efficiency is a function of the vapor and liquid rates and properties and of the
packing type and size. Figure 5 illustrates the trade-off between efficiency and capacity. In
general, structured packing (upper curve) provides higher efficiency or capacity than random
packing. Smaller packing provides higher efficiency at lower capacity.

Efficiency - Capacity Relationship

Figure 5

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Figure 6 provides packing efficiencies for Berl saddles and Raschig rings. Estimates for other
types of packing can be obtained from packing vendors.

Height Equivalent to a Theoretical Plate, (HETP)

Figure 6

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Flooding

Flooding is harder to define in a packed tower than in trays. There is no tray spacing or
downcomer to fill with liquid. At a point called the load point, liquid begins to accumulate in
the spaces between the packing, and the pressure drop begins to rise more sharply. With
further increases in vapor rate, the pressure drop rises almost vertically and liquid begins to
pile up on the top of the packing. As with trays, as liquid begins to accumulate in the packing
and backmixing occurs, analogous to entrainment on trays, the efficiency (HETP) becomes
poorer.

Additional information about flooding is in the “Pressure Drop” and “Packing Capacity”
sections.

Packing Performance

Figure 7 illustrates the effect of loading, expressed as percent of flood on packing efficiency.
At low loadings, HETP is high and efficiency is low. The width of this range depends on the
uniformity of liquid and vapor distribution across the cross section of the tower. Packing can
provide good efficiency at very low loadings, as low as 10% of flood. However, distributors
cannot provide such a turndown. For a distributor designed to operate on the full capacity of
the tower, the lower limit of acceptable operation is about 35-40% of flood.

Most packings also exhibit a peak efficiency range (low HETP) that is near the design point
of the tower. The depth and width of the peak efficiency region in the HETP curve depends
on the packing size and type and the tower diameter. The HETP correlations generally do not
predict this peak efficiency.

The Width of this Range

Depends on the Quality of
Liquid Distribution

HE T P
Design Curve

Actual HETP
Operating Range

0 10 0
% o f Fl o o d

Packing Performance
Figure 7

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Pressure Drop

The pressure drop of a packed bed is of course important for certain applications that require low
pressure drops, such as vacuum crude units. Pressure drop is also an important measure of the how
close a packed bed is to its capacity limit. The pressure drop of a packed bed operating near or at its
capacity limit (incipient flooding) is about 1.0 to 1.5 inches of water per vertical foot of packing (1.0
inch of water is equal to 0.0361 psi).

The pressure drop of a packed bed can be obtained from the Norton correlation, Figure 8. Each
curve in Figure 8 corresponds to a constant pressure drop, ∆P, inches of water per foot of
packing. Vacuum units are normally designed for pressure drops in the low range, strippers
in the medium range, and atmospheric to high-pressure units in the upper range. Design
above the 1.5 in. water curve may result in excessive entrainment and flooding. The final size
should be verified by the packing vendor.

To determine the pressure drop of packed bed the following data are needed:

G' = Gas rate, lb/s

L/G = Liquid to vapor weight ratio, lb/lb
ρL = Liquid density, lb/ft.3
ρV = Vapor density, lb/ft.3
ρW = Water density, 62.43 lb/ft.3
F = Packing factor (Figure 9)
µ = Liquid viscosity, cP
St = Tower cross-sectional area, ft.2

G, the gas rate per unit of cross-sectional area is calculated from:

G'
G=
St

To determine the pressure drop, calculate the coordinates X and Y of Figure 8 and find the pressure
drop curve that has a X-Y coordinate. Interpolation between the constant pressure drop curves may
be needed.

The Norton pressure drop correlation is also available in PRO/Il TM.

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Packed Column Pressure Drop Correlation

(Norton Correlation)
Figure 8

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Packed Tower Capacity

The vapor-handling capacity of packings is determined by the packing type, size, liquid
loading, system surface tension, and viscosity. The capacity of a packed tower (flooding limit)
can be determined by using the Norton correlation (Figure 8) or the Eckert correlation (Figure
9). The design of a new tower should be based on the highest acceptable percentage of flood,
which generally is 80-85% for non-foaming systems (SADP C-001, 4.2.1).

Norton Correlation

1. Using the expected liquid to vapor ratio, L/G, and the vapor and liquid densities,
compute the value X of the horizontal axis from

ρ 0.5
X= L V
G ρL

2. Using the calculated X and the 1.5 in. water pressure drop curve, read the corresponding
Y on the vertical axis.

3. Solve for G, gas rate, lb/(s•ft.2).

Y 32.17 ρ V ρ L - ρ V 0.5
G=
ρ W 0.1
Fµ0.1
ρL

Note: Packing factors, F, are available in Figure 10, or may be obtained from the packing
vendor.

4. Calculated the gas rate at flood (100% of flood) from:

2
G' , gas, lb / s = G, gas, lb / s • ft × St

The percent of flood of a specific operation is calculated by dividing the vapor rate at this
operation by the vapor rate at 100% of flood obtained in step 3.

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Eckert Correlation

The Eckert correlation, Figure 9, provides the flooding limits. The curve is also available in
Maxwell’s Data Book on Hydrocarbons, Page 247 and in the Saudi Aramco Design Practices,
ADP C-001 (metric units). To use the Eckert correlation, follow the procedures outlined
under the Norton correlation. Please note, however, that the parameters on the vertical axis of
the Eckert correlation are not the same with the ones in the Norton correlation. The Eckert
correlation is used by PRO/IITM to calculate the flood point of the packing.

Packed Tower Capacity

Eckert Correlation
Figure 9

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Specific Fraction
Packing Surface Area Void
Packing Type Size Factor, F ft2/ft3 (m2/m3) Volume (ε)

Pall Rings 5/8 70 104 341 0.932

(Metal) 1 56 63 207 0.935
1.5 40 43 141 0.951
2 27 31 102 0.954
3.5 18 17 56 0.975
Pall Rings 5/8 75 104 341 0.865
(Plastic) 1 55 63 207 0.877
1.5 40 43 141 0.888
2 26 31 102 0.919
3.5 17 17 56 0.945
INTALOX Saddles 1/2 200 0.71
Ceramic (Norton) 3/4 145 0.73
1 92 78 256 0.73
1.5 52 59 194 0.76
2 40 36 118 0.76
3 22 28 92 0.79
IMTP 25 41 70 230 0.67
40 27 46 151 0.73
50 18 28 92 0.78
70 12 18 59 0.984
Nutter Rings 0.7 71 233 0.965
1 50 164 0.977
1.5 37 121 0.978
2 29 95 0.978
2.5 25 82 0.978
3 20 66 0.978
Raschig Rings 1/2 580 370 0.64
Ceramic 3/4 255 240 0.72
1 155 190 0.74
1.5 95 120 0.74
2 65 92 0.74

See notes on next page.

Random Packing Characteristics
Figure 10

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Notes:

1. Pall rings are available in stainless steels, aluminum, Monel, copper, nickel, Inconel, and
Alloy 20. Weights given by Note 3 are for stainless steel. Packing manufactured under
the trade names FLEXIRINGS and BALLAST RINGS are considered equivalent to Pall
rings for design purposes.
2. Plastic Pall rings and INTALOX saddles are available as standard in polypropylene and
on special order in high density polyethylene, glass fiber reinforced (Pall rings only),
and a variety of other plastics.
3. To obtain the approximate weight of stainless steel packing in lb/ft.3, calculate from 510
(1-ε). Ιn kg/m3, use 8170(1-ε).
4. Data are representative but may vary between vendors and with time.
5. The packing factor, F, is a characteristic of the packing type and the size. It is used in
pressure drop calculations.
6. The fraction void volume, ε, is the fraction of a packed bed that is not occupied by the
packing material. It is available for the vapor and liquid.

Additional correlations are available in Distillation - Design by H.Z. Kister. The packing vendor
should be consulted prior to any final design.

Random Packing Characteristics

Figure 10, Cont’d

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PACKED TOWER INTERNALS

Following is a review of the most common packed tower internals. Figure 18 provides a
summary and lists their tower height requirements. Similar information is in ADP-C-001,
4.4.1 and 4.4.2 and Figure XV. Figure 1 illustrates a tower with typical internals.

Liquid Distributors

Uniform initial distribution of the liquid is essential for good vapor/liquid contact and the
efficient operation of a packed bed. Poor distribution caused by plugging, upset, bad
installation, or poor design can reduce the efficiency of a packed bed to a fraction of its
design value. In short, the liquid distributor is the most important packed tower internal.

Suggestions for specifying distributors and for evaluating distributors recommended by

vendors are shown below. Descriptions of the most common distributor types follow the
suggestions.

• Most fractionation services require high efficiency distributors. These are the orifice
pan and narrow channel types. Spray distributors provide poor distribution quality;
however, they are acceptable in heat transfer services, such as vacuum crude unit
pumparounds or in wash sections.

• Fouling and plugging are common distributor problems. To reduce the probability of
such problems, it is recommended that:

a) the feed lines use strainers (see design recommendations in Internals Summary)
b) the distributor orifices are elevated, about 2 inches from the distributor bottom, to allow
settling of solids without plugging the orifices ( see Figure 11)
c) small orifice sizes, e.g., below 3/8 inches, should be avoided.

• To ensure good distribution, especially in random packings, a drip point density of 6 to

8 points per square foot is desirable, For towers with low liquid rates, a high drip point
density and a large orifice diameter cannot be met simultaneously. In such cases, a
compromise between good distribution and the possibility of plugging must be made.

• It is recommended that the vendors water-test all distributors with diameters over 3 ft.. in
their facilities. The test should be done at the full and turndown rates.

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Narrow Channel Distributors

• High distribution quality.

• Turndown > 2/1 depending on design used.
• Requires accurate leveling.
• A minimum of 6 to 8 drip points recommended.
• Raised orifices recommended to allow solids collection without plugging.
• Guide tubes can minimize vapor/liquid interference.

Parting Box
Parting Box
can be fed
by downcomer

Strainers
in feed line

D u r b i e p s T
Narrow Channels

Parting Box Orifices

Orifices raised distribute liquid to channels
above channel
floor for Guide Tubes minimize
solids collection vapor/liquid interference

Narrow Channel Distributor

Figure 11

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Orifice Pan

• Can be used as a redistributor between packed beds.

• Use for moderate to high liquid loadings in diameters up to 12 ft.
• Turndown > 2/1, depending on the design used.
• Raised orifices and drip tubes improve performance.

Note: Models with raised orifices and drip tubes are available.

Orifice Pan
Figure 12

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Spray Nozzles

• Wide range of applicability; can be used in both small and large diameter towers.
• Poor turndown capability; about 50%.
• Liquid distribution quality is poor to moderate depending on design used.
• Demisting device often required above nozzles.
• Upstream strainers required.
• Low distribution quality.

Spray Nozzle
Figure 13

Weir Trough Distributors

• Recommended for larger towers with diameters greater than 3 ft.

• Turndown > 2/1 depending on design used.
• Less prone to plugging than other distributors.
• Requires accurate leveling for good operation.
• Low distribution quality.

Weir Trough
Figure 14

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Ladder (Branched Perforated Pipe)

• 3/1 turndown.
• Not recommended for fouling service.
• Low distribution quality.

Ladder
Figure 15

Weir-Riser

• For small towers.

• Critical that it be level.
• Vapor and liquid use the same openings -- potential entrainment difficulties.
• Low distribution quality.

Liquid distributors should generally be located 6 to 18 in. above the packing in order to
provide sufficient free vapor space in the tower for gas disengaging. The distributors
described here can generally be fabricated from most common materials of construction.

Weir-Riser
Figure 16

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Vapor Feed Distributors

A perforated pipe is recommended for vapor feed distribution. Depending on tower size, the
distributor may be constructed in a T or an H configuration. Additional information on tower
feed design is in ChE 205.05 and ADP Sections 3.1.5 and 4.4.3.

Redistributors

When a bed exceeds the maximum allowable height (see section on Packed Bed Height), it
must be divided into two or more beds. A redistributor is used between two packed beds to
ensure good liquid distribution to the bed below. One common type of redistributor is the
orifice pan type distributor. When it is used a redistributor, it should have hats over the
chimneys. Because of splashing of liquid from and the formation of bubbles on the
redistributor, the quality of distribution is not as good as with a properly fed distributor. For
services where the performance of the packed bed is important, collection of the liquid from
the bed above with a chimney tray will improve the redistributor performance. In this case,
both a narrow channel or a orifice pan distributor can be used.

Support Screens or Plates

Heavy screens or perforated plates are normally used to support the various packed sections
within a column (See Figure 17). The screens or plates must have adequate mechanical
strength for the height and weight of the packed sections. Furthermore, pressure drop losses
across the screens or plates must be commensurate with those across the packed sections. It is
very important that the support plate has sufficient open area so that it does not limit the tower
capacity with today’s higher-capacity packings.

Beam-Type Gas-Injection Support Plate

Figure 17

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Bed Limiters

There are two types of bed limiters (also called hold-down grids), supported and unsupported.
The supported version contains support beams and is fastened to the tower wall. The
unsupported version rests directly on the packing and is free to move vertically. Both types
should have at least 80% open area. Both types may also require a mesh screen on their lower
side to prevent carryover of small packings. See Figure 18.

Supported Type Of Bed Limiter

Figure 18

For metal and plastic packings, a supported bed limiter is usually provided. It prevents
expansion of the bed during high pressure-drop operation and contains the packing during
minor operating surges.

For ceramic and other breakable packings, an unsupported bed limiter is provided. It
prevents packing breakage due to fluidization and helps minimize "fines" from plugging the
bed, thereby reducing tower capacity.

For structured packing, no bed limiters are required. For grids, the top three layers are
normally bolted together with "J" bolts.

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Demisters

Elimination of entrained liquid may be necessary in services handling corrosive or expensive

liquids or when spray nozzles are used. Refer to ChE 205.05 section on wire mesh
entrainment screens (demisters) and the ADP section on vapor-liquid separators.

Inlets and Drawoffs

To obtain good efficiencies with packing, it is necessary to have good vapor and liquid
distribution. All-vapor, all-liquid, and mixed-phase inlets have different requirements.

Vapor inlets. Good vapor distribution at vapor inlets is important. Pressure drop in packed
beds is too low to correct for maldistribution caused by poor introduction of the vapor feed.
Vapor feed distributors are recommended for most vapor feeds (see section on vapor feed
distributors).

Liquid Feeds. A liquid distributor is required. If in addition to the feed, there is liquid from a
packed bed or a trayed section above the feed, then all of the liquid has to be distributed to the
bed below (see section on liquid distributors).

Mixed-Phase Feeds. The two phases of a mixed-phase feed must be separated before the liquid
is fed to the packing. Otherwise, adverse kinetic effects and disengaging problems almost
guarantee that the packed bed will perform poorly, Premature flooding due to liquid
entrainment at the feed and poor liquid distribution, are two common problems of improperly
introduced feeds. One way to ensure proper vapor-liquid disengagement is to introduce the
mixed-phase feed over a chimney tray. The liquid from the chimney tray is sent to a liquid
distributor below.

Drawoffs. Liquid sidestreams below packed beds are generally drawn from chimney trays.

Information Sources

• Saudi Aramco Design Practices, ADP-C-001, Section 4.

• Handbook of Separation Techniques for Chemical Engineers, P.A. Schweitzer, Editor,

Part One 1.7 and 1.8.

- Capacity and DP
- Packing data
- Hardware description
- Norton packings (1.7 by Eckert)
- HETP guides
- Excellent reference for mesh type packings

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• Billet's Distillation Engineering

• Performance and Design of Packed Distillation Columns, W. L. Bolles and J. R. Fair, I.

Chem. E. Symp. Series (London), No. 56, Section 3.3, Page 35 (1979).

- Plus follow-up article in Chem. Engr., July 1982, Page 109.

- Analysis and Data Bank - More Than 500 Runs.
- Capacity, ∆P, Efficiency.

• Distillation - Design, H.Z. Kister, McGraw-Hill.

- Wide coverage of design practices. Excellent reference.

• Distillation - Operation, H.Z. Kister, McGraw-Hill.

- Thorough review of operating issues. Excellent reference.

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Packed Tower Internals Summary

TOWER
HEIGHT
DEVICE TYPE REQUIRED ** COMMENTS

Support Plate Gas injection Minimal Typical crimped surface design permitting gas
injection above points where liquid drains from
packing.

Liquid Orifice pan 30 to 48 in. Also used for redistribution between packed
Distributor (750-1200 mm) beds. Turndown greater than 2 to 1 may
require additional tower height.

Perforated pipe or 24 to 36 in. Normally requires 2 to 4 psi (13.8 to 27.6 kPa)

duct with branching (600-900 mm) pressure drop.
laterals
Narrow channel 30 to 48 in. Usually preferred over orifice pan for high
(750-1200 mm) turndown and large towers. Typically more
resistant to fouling than other distributor types.

Spray nozzles (wide 30 to 36 in. Used typically in vacuum pipestills. Not

angle, full cone) (750-900 mm) recommended for difficult separations.
Requires 3 to 20 psi (21 to 138 kPa) pressure
drop.

Two-Phase or -- 72 to 120 in. Consists of H-shaped or straight-through

Flashing Feed (1800-3000 mm) perforated inlet pipe discharging onto
Distributor chimney tray for vapor/liquid disengaging.
Liquid then flows to a standard orifice pan or
narrow channel distributor.

Bed Limiter Supported Minimal Required for all metal and plastic packings.
Beams should minimize interference with
liquid distribution, i.e., keep width of minor
beam members below 2 in. (50 mm).

Unsupported Minimal Required for all ceramic and breakable

packings. Supported by resting on packed bed.

Figure 19

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TOWER HEIGHT
DEVICE TYPE REQUIRED ** COMMENTS

Chimney Tray -- 24 to 36 in. (600-900 mm) Required for product, pumparound, and
some reboiler drawoffs. Additional
height may be needed for large liquid
holdup or for accessibility. Limit circular
chimney diameter to 15 in. (375 mm) and
rectangular chimney width to 14 in. (350
mm).

Vapor -- Provide 12 in. (300 mm) H-shaped perforated pipe distributor

Distributor between top of distributor pipe preferred. Use T or straight-through
and bottom of packed bed. perforated pipe for tower diameter ² 4 feet
Provide 24 in. (600 mm) (1200 mm).
between bottom of pipe and high
liquid level.

De- -- 6 in. (150 mm) thickness plus the Specify at the top of the tower (if needed)
entrainment distance from top of screen to to eliminate overhead entrainment.
Screen vapor outlet nozzle.

Liquid Feed -- -- Required if fouling material or solid

Strainers corrosion products expected in the feed.
Also required if holes in the liquid
distributor ² 3/8 in. (9 mm) in diameter.
Design to remove particles 1/4 the size of
minimum openings in the distributor.

Not required for spray nozzle distributors

if the nozzle size is greater than 1.5 in.
(38 mm) unless corrosion products are
expected.

* Also see Figure 1.

** Includes allowance for open space as needed both above and below device.

Figure 19, Cont’d

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DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS AND EVALUATION OF PACKED TOWERS

This section provides information and recommendations that can be used to prepare packed
bed specifications, to evaluate a design proposed by a vendor, and to analyze the performance
of an existing tower.

Packing Type and Size

• New Towers. Dumped packing of nominal 2-in. size generally provides the most
economical tradeoff between capacity and efficiency. The final selection is contingent
on vendor bids.

• Revamps. The selection of packing size will favor the larger sizes 2 in. or larger, for
increasing capacity. For increasing efficiency, the smaller sizes 2 in. or smaller, are
usually considered. Packing sizes less than 1 in. are usually not recommended in
commercial towers. If none of the dumped packings achieve revamp objectives, then
structured packing should be tried.

• Maximum Packing Size. Generally the packing size should not be greater than 1/12 of
the tower diameter.

Materials Selection

Stainless Steel Packing

Most applications use stainless steel packing. Since packing is normally fabricated from very
thin plate, even a little corrosion is a problem as it may thin out the packing and cause the bed
to collapse. Corrosion products from carbon steel packing can foul a packed bed and
downstream heat exchange equipment. Corrosion product buildup in the bed causes capacity
and efficiency problems. Stainless steel is more expensive than carbon steel; however,
because of its higher strength the stainless steel thickness can be reduced, improving costs and
performance.

Plastic Pall Rings or Other Equivalent Plastic Packings

Plastic packings should be considered for aqueous systems when corrosion is a problem,
because they have good corrosion resistance, high capacity, and high efficiency. The use of
polypropylene, the standard plastic material, is limited to temperatures below 260oF (125oC)
and to services where condensed hydrocarbons are not present.

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Ceramic Packings

Ceramic packings such as Intalox saddles are sometimes economically attractive in corrosive
services. Although their expected life is not as long as that of plastic, successful operation for
up to 10 years or more may be obtained if the tower is run properly. Tower upsets from vapor
surges or severe temperature changes may cause breakage and plugging and require packing
replacement. Also, some attrition may occur after startup with new packing, thereby
producing fine ceramic particles. Ceramic packings are generally resistant to acids, alkalis,
and solvents, with the exception of hot caustic and hydrofluoric acid.

Tower Diameter

The tower diameter should be chosen to minimize total investment while ensuring satisfactory
hydraulic operation. Generally, packed towers should not exceed 80-85% of flood (ADP C-
001, 4.2.1). Tight designs run the risk of having excessive liquid entrainment or even
flooding. On the other hand, operation at very small percentages of flood is unwise, both
economically and because of reduced efficiency due to insufficient vapor/liquid contacting.
Frequently, maximum pressure drop requirements set the tower diameter and correspond to
moderate percentages of flood.

The packed tower diameter should be based on the stage with the highest loadings. If the
loadings change significantly, the designer may consider splitting the bed into two or more
sections, for example, by using different packing sizes. Loading changes of this magnitude
are most likely to occur in strippers or pumparounds of heavy hydrocarbon towers. If the
loading change is large, the designer should determine whether changing the tower diameter
is justified.

Packed Bed Height

Mechanical considerations limit the height of a packed bed. Since metal packings come in
several thicknesses, it is possible to increase a bed height by specifying heavier gage material
for the lower part of the bed. Packing strength and height limitations should be obtained from
the vendor.

An additional consideration that often limits the maximum desirable bed height is related to
the quality of liquid distribution along the height of a bed. Distribution quality and as a result,
efficiency, deteriorate after 20-30 feet of packing. The effect of poor distribution is greater for
packed beds with a lot of theoretical stages. To prevent efficiency loss, several vendors and
engineering companies recommend that a packed bed should not be designed for more than
12 theoretical stages. If a section of a tower has more that 12 stages, it should be divided into
several beds and the liquid between the beds should be redistributed.

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Evaluating and Specifying Towers

Following are recommendations for specifying packed beds, evaluating vendor proposals, and
assessing the capabilities of existing units.

Pressure Drop

Use the Norton discussed described earlier or use PRO/IlTM. Pressure drops for new designs
typically do not exceed 0.5 in. water/ft. Low pressure drops are desired for vacuum units.

Capacity

To obtain the flood point use the Norton or the Eckert correlations discussed earlier. For new
designs, the percent of flood should not exceed 80-85% (SADP C-001, 4.2.1.). The Norton
and Eckert correlations provide relatively accurate information. More accurate information
can be obtained by the vendor of a specific packing.

Packing Efficiency

HETP and the number of theoretical stages should be obtained from the vendor. The HETP
information in the SADP is for Berl saddles and Raschig rings. It should not be used for
modern high efficiency packings.

Packed Bed Height

The height of each bed should not exceed the height limitations arising from: a) Bed strength
considerations -- 30 to 40 ft. maximum. b) Distribution quality considerations - about 12
theoretical stages maximum, 20 to 30 ft. maximum.

Distribution Quality

The quality of distribution is one of the most important factors for obtaining high efficiencies.
The effect of the quality of distribution is discussed in the tower internals section. It is
recommended that packed bed distributors are water-tested at the vendor's testing facilities.
Good distribution at full capacity and at turndown are important. Strainers should be specified
for the feed to the distributors.

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Tower Internals

To minimize the possibility of errors, it is recommended that the tower internals are designed
and provided by the packing vendor.

The introduction of a feed to a tower is important as it may affect the quality of vapor and
liquid distribution. Two-phase (flashing) feeds are particularly difficult to handle and they are
the cause of difficulties in many towers. Introducing a flashing feed above a chimney tray is a
safer approach than using space/cost-saving internals that many vendors promote.

Revamps

Modifying a trayed tower to a packed tower for capacity or efficiency improvements is common.
Preparations of the vessel for the introduction of the packing should include:

• Removal of all tray internals including the support rings.

• Plugging of all manways to prevent vapor and liquid bypassing. The plug should
conform to the shape of the vessel wall and can be made removable from the outside.
• Removal of all scale from the vessel wall in the packed section and immediately above
it.

Packed Tower Calculations with PRO/IITM

PRO/IITM can perform design and rating calculations for packed columns. As with tray
design, the properties and loadings must be developed by the Rigorous Distillation unit
operation and cannot be provided by the user; in other words, a column simulation has to be
set up. The main features of the program are:

• Pressure drop for random packing is calculated by the Norton (default) or the Tsai
methods. Packing factors for most common types of packing are built in, others can be
provided by the user.
• Flooding calculations for random packing are performed using the Eckert correlation.
Please note that if, in an approach to flood the ratio of actual to flood loads is not
specified, the program will use the default, 50%, which may result in oversized towers.
• The program contains data (packing factors) for several types and sizes of random
packing, such as the Norton IMTP and the generic Pall Rings. To evaluate a packing
that is not included in the program, the user must provide the corresponding packing
factor.
• PRO/IITM can perform pressure drop and capacity calculations for structured packing.
The program contains data for several types of Sulzer packing.

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• Data required for packed column calculations include: densities (calculated by the
program; must be supplied for all non-library, user-supplied components); viscosities (a
method must be selected or the viscosity effect will be omitted); surface tension (for the
Norton and HETP calculations).
• HETP calculations are performed using the packing size provided or calculated with a
rule-of-thumb correlation based on various sizes of Raschig rings and Berl saddles.
HETP can be supplied by the user.

Figure 20 is a printout of the packed column results of a simulation of the Ras Tanura Plant
10 Depropanizer. The X and Y are the coordinates of the pressure drop correlation (Figure
8).

The printout also provides pressure drop, tower diameter based on the limiting state, HETP,
actual and flood loads, and the approach to flood, in this run specified at 80% for the limiting
stage.

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Packing Calculation Printout

Figure 20

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SUMMARY

• The main packing applications include:

- Low pressure drop services, such as vacuum distillation.

- Revamps, especially where downcomers would require a large area.
- Corrosive but nonfouling services.

• There are two types of packing, random and structured. Structured packing offers very
high efficiencies per unit volume or per unit pressure drop; however, its cost is two to
four times that of random packing.

• Correlations for preliminary pressure drop, flooding, and HETP calculation are
provided. PRO/IITM has similar calculation options.

• A table outlines spacing and other requirements for packed tower internals.

• Recommendations for specifying and evaluating packed towers are outlined.

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GLOSSARY

bed limiter Same as hold-down grid. A grid placed on top of each packed
bed to prevent it from expanding upwards, especially during
upsets.

blank tray Tray used to collect liquid from higher trays or packing. Blank
trays do not provide vapor-liquid contact. A synonymous term
is chimney tray.

chimney tray Tray used to collect liquid from higher trays or packing.
Chimney trays do not provide vapor-liquid contact. A
synonymous term is blank tray.

column A vertical vessel containing contacting devices such as tray or

packing, used to perform separations such as distillation or
extraction. A synonymous term is tower.

demisting Elimination of entrained liquid droplets at the top of a packed

bed or a trayed tower.

distributor Device that distributes the liquid or vapor across the packed
bed. The objective is to achieve uniform distribution.

flooding Overloading of the packing interspace with liquid.

fraction void volume See Void Volume.

HETP Height Equivalent to a Theoretical Plate. The packing height

for a separation requiring one theoretical plate.

hold-down grid Same as bed limiter. A grid placed on top of each packaged
bed to prevent it from expanding upwards, especially during
upsets.

loadings Tray vapor and liquid rates.

packing Devices that provide counter-current vapor-liquid contact in

distillation columns.

packing factor A constant, particular to each type of packing and size, used in
pressure drop calculations.

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pall rings A proprietary type of slotted random packing by Norton.

Similar slotted packings are available from other vendors.

plates Contact points of all the vapor and liquid in a column, such as
it occurs on column trays. The term “theoretical plates” is used
to indicate that equilibrium is reached at the contact point
between all the vapor and all the liquid. The actual plates
reflect the obtained tray efficiency. A synonymous term is
“stages.”

Raschig rings The first type of packing used in fractionation.

redistributor A distributor that collects and distributes the liquid between

packed beds.

stages Contact points of all the vapor and liquid in a column, such as
it occurs on column trays. The term “theoretical stages” is
used to indicate that equilibrium is reached at the contact point.
The term "actual stages" indicates that equilibrium may not
have been reached, and it reflects the obtained tray efficiency.
A synonymous term is “plates.”

superficial velocity Velocity based on the tower diameter rather than the cross-
sectional area available for flow.

support grid The grid that supports the packing.

tower See Column.

turndown The range of loadings over which acceptable performance is

achieved.

void volume Part of the volume of a packed bed is occupied by the material
of construction of the packing. The remainder is void (empty)
volume available for the flow of vapor and liquid. The void
volume is often expressed as a fraction of the total volume
occupied by the packing.

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