Provided is a packed column capable of achieving sufficiently high distillation performance even with the height of its gas-liquid contactors reduced. The packed column is a packed column which includes a gas-liquid contactor 17, 18 inside a tubular body 16 and a liquid distributor 19 in the upper most portion and causes descending liquid and ascending gas to contact each other in the gas-liquid contactor. The operation pressure is in the range of 200 to 1500 kPaG. The relative volatility is in the range of 1.9 to 3.1. The gas-liquid contactor is vertically divided into at least two parts. A gas disperser 20 is provided at at least one position between a lower one of the gas-liquid contactors and an upper one of the gas-liquid contactors, the gas disperser uniformly dispersing the composition of the ascending gas rising from the lower gas-liquid contactor toward the upper gas-liquid contactor.

Plant for the production of argon by cryogenic distillation, comprising an argon separation column, means for sending a gas containing argon and oxygen to the argon separation column, means for extracting a fluid enriched in argon at the top of the argon separation column, means for extracting a liquid enriched in oxygen at the bottom of the argon separation column and at least two storage tanks, positioned one above the other, each storage tank being connected to two different intermediate levels of the argon separation column by two pipes, the two storage tanks being contiguous.

Plate-fin heat exchanger with mitered distributor design for improved fluid flow distribution through the plate-fin heat exchanger resulting in improved heat exchanger efficiency. Sections of the distributor have different fin types that provide improved distribution of the fluid through the heat exchanger. The fin types for the different sections of the distributor are selected based on a friction factor parameter ratio and a j-factor parameter ratio for the different fin types.

The invention relates to a fluid collection device (8), in particular a support collector unit for collecting fluid flowing through a packing (4) of a material exchange column (1), wherein the fluid collection device (8) comprises a support ring (11), a plurality of support profiles (12-16) secured to the support ring (11) for supporting the at least one packing (4), and a plurality of collection channels (19-21) secured to the support ring (11) for collecting the fluid, wherein the collection channels (19-21) are positioned in parallel to the support profiles (12-16) and wherein the support profiles (12-16) are arranged in such a way that they are each arranged in a no-flow area (40, 41) of one of the collection channels (19-21).

An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.

An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.

An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.

An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall and radially spaced therefrom to define an annulus column region as the space between the first annular column wall and the second annular column wall. An interior core column region is also defined by the interior space of the second annular column wall. The present annular divided wall column further includes a plurality of packing elements, plurality of trays or a heat exchange device disposed within the interior core column region; and a plurality of packing elements disposed within the annulus column region.

An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall and radially spaced therefrom to define an annulus column region as the space between the first annular column wall and the second annular column wall. An interior core column region is also defined by the interior space of the second annular column wall. The present annular divided wall column further includes a plurality of packing elements, plurality of trays or a heat exchange device disposed within the interior core column region; and a plurality of packing elements disposed within the annulus column region.

Provided is a packed column capable of achieving sufficiently high distillation performance even with the height of its gas-liquid contactors reduced. The packed column is a packed column which includes a gas-liquid contactor 17, 18 inside a tubular body 16 and a liquid distributor 19 in the upper most portion and causes descending liquid and ascending gas to contact each other in the gas-liquid contactor. The operation pressure is in the range of 200 to 1500 kPaG. The relative volatility is in the range of 1.9 to 3.1. The gas-liquid contactor is vertically divided into at least two parts. A gas disperser 20 is provided at at least one position between a lower one of the gas-liquid contactors and an upper one of the gas-liquid contactors, the gas disperser uniformly dispersing the composition of the ascending gas rising from the lower gas-liquid contactor toward the upper gas-liquid contactor.