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Distillation Equipment: Chemical Engineering PT 2 Mass Transfer Group 2

Distillation equipment uses vertical columns with trays or packed sections to provide multiple contact stages between vapor and liquid flowing counter-currently. Common tray types include sieve trays, which have holes for vapor to pass through, maintaining liquid flow across the tray; valve trays, which have movable disks over perforations that open and close with vapor flow; and bubble cap trays, where vapor passes through chimneys with caps that force bubbles through the liquid on the tray. Proper tray design and operation provides efficient separation in distillation columns.

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52 views22 pages

Distillation Equipment: Chemical Engineering PT 2 Mass Transfer Group 2

Distillation equipment uses vertical columns with trays or packed sections to provide multiple contact stages between vapor and liquid flowing counter-currently. Common tray types include sieve trays, which have holes for vapor to pass through, maintaining liquid flow across the tray; valve trays, which have movable disks over perforations that open and close with vapor flow; and bubble cap trays, where vapor passes through chimneys with caps that force bubbles through the liquid on the tray. Proper tray design and operation provides efficient separation in distillation columns.

Uploaded by

Lorraine
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Distillation equipment

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PT 2
MASS TRANSFER
GROUP 2
INTRODUCTION
• The type of equipment used for distillation
depends upon factors which include the
amount of separation required.
• When a single stage is required to effect the
separation columns which are none packed are
used .
• When multiple stages are required vertical
columns with trays or which are packed are
used .
Tray columns
• They are vertical cylindrical towers .
• The trays or plates provide the surface for
intimate contact between vapour and liquid
flowing counter-current .
Trayed tower
Packed column
Types of distillation equipment
1. Sieve tray
2. Valve tray
3. Bubble cap
4. Packed bed
The Sieve tray
• Consists of a metal plate containing drilled
holes through which the rising vapour can pass
into the liquid flowing across the tray.
• It is designed to bring a rising stream of vapour
into intimate contact with descending stream of
liquid.
• The liquid flows across the plate and passes
over a weir to a downcomer leading to the plate
below
contd
• The flow pattern is crossflow rather than
countercurrent flow of liquid and vapour.
• Crossflow is for analysing the hydraulic behaviour
of the column and predicting the plate efficiency.
• At low velocities the pressure drop is not great
enough to prevent liquid from flowing down
through some of the holes .
• This condition is called weeping and is more likely
to occur if there is a slight gradient in liquid head
across the plate
contd
• WEIR maintains the liquid level on the tray. As
the liquid flows over the weir it enters the
downcomer to improve liquid distribution and
prevent vapour bubbles from entering the
downcomer.
• Downcomers guide the liquid from the upper
to lower tray
• it occupies up to 15% of the column .
Valve Tray
• See the Figure below
• A valve tray is a flat perforated plate, with
each perforation fitted with a movable disk
(the "valve").
Schematic representation of a Valve Tray
The perforations and disks may be circular
or rectangular. The disks (valves) are the
movable component of the tray
see the Figure below
The valves will move up or down in
response to changing vapour flow
rates. At normal flow rate, the valve is
roughly in the middle position
See Figure below
At low vapour rates the disk settles over the perforation and covers
it to avoid liquid weeping. The valves should be heavy enough to
prevent excessive opening at low vapour flowrates.
See figure below
As the vapour rate is increased, the
disk rises vertically. The upward
movement of the disk is restricted
either by retaining legs or a cage.
Weeping may result if excessive valve
opening occurs prematurely. This will
reduce the tray turndown.
Bubble cap tray

• They are one of the types of physical devices which are


used to provide good contact between the up flowing
vapor and the down flowing liquid inside an industrial
fractionating column.
• The efficiency of a tray or plate is typically lower than
that of a theoretical 100% efficient equilibrium stage.
• Hence a fractionating column almost always needs
more actual physical plates than the required number
of theoretical vapour-liquid equilibrium stages.
Section of a fractionating tower showing
detail of a pair of trays with bubble caps
How it works
• It is the most efficient separation device but is the
most costly.
• It consists of a number of Chimneys or Risers (small,
short pipes set into the tray ), through which the
vapour can pass.
• Fitted over the riser is a Cap which causes the rising
vapour to turn through 180°.
• This forces the gas to bubble through the liquid flowing
across the tray.
• The liquid level on the tray is maintained below the top
of the riser to prevent dumping of liquid down the
tower.
contd
• Jus like the other trays ( sieve and valve) it also
has a WEIR that maintains the liquid level on
the tray.
• As the liquid flows over the weir, it enters a
DOWNCOMER ( a short pipe ) that carries the
liquid down to the tray below.
• The downcomer outlet is below the surface of
the liquid on the tray below and is acting as a
seal to prevent gas from bypassing the tray
above
Operation of bubble cap trays
Industrial Applications
• Used in the production of alcohol

• Used in the oil and gas industry


End of
presentatio
n

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