Lehrstuhl für FluidverfahrenstechnikTechnische Universität München

Resistance of different Column

Internals against

Crystallization Fouling

Resistance of different Column

Internals against

Crystallization Fouling

AIChE 2003 Annual Meeting

D. Großerichter and J. Stichlmair

© 2003 FVT

3Introduction / Motivation

cases of tower malfunctions0 20 40 60 80 100 120

chemical explosions

reboilers

misleading measurements

intermediate draws

packing liquid distributors

assembly misshaps

abnormal operation incidents

tower internals damage

tower base and reboiler return

plugging, coking

from:

Henry Z. Kister: What caused tower malfunctions in the last 50 years?, Presentation at theInternational Conference on Distillation & Absorption 2002, 9/30 - 10/2/2002, Baden-Baden,Germany

© 2003 FVT

5Pilot plant

© 2003 FVT

17Fouled random packing: Q-Pac

© 2003 FVT

18Approximation

length of edges / packing volume

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

max

imum

oper

atio

ntim

et' m

ax

0

5

10

15

20

103m/m3

h

liquid load B = 12.1 m3/(m2h)gas load F = 0.75 Pa0.5

Saddle 35mm PP

Superring #1 V2A

Pallring 25mm V2A Hiflow 15-7 PP

Rafluxring 25-8 PP

IMTP 25mm V2A

Hiflowring 25-7 PP

Saddle 25mm PP

Q-Pac 90mm PP

© 2003 FVT

19Conclusions / Comparison

maximum operation time t'max

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18h

valve tray Glitsch V1 (F = 0.5 Pa0.5)

saddle 1.5'' PP

gas load F = 0.75 Pa0.5

liquid load B = 12.1 m3/(m2h)

Super Ring #1 steel

Hiflow-Ring 25-7 PP

Raflux-Ring 25-8 PP

Pall Ring 1" steel

rand

ompa

ckin

gstr

ays

Q-Pac 90 mm PP

valve tray Glitsch A3 (F = 0.5 Pa0.5)

dual flow tray dh = 30 mm

valve tray Glitsch A3

sieve tray dh = 12 mm

fixed valve tray Sulzer MVG

sieve tray dh = 6 mm

bubble cap tray Bayer

Hiflow-Ring 15-7 PP

∞∞