A gas-distributing tray (20) and a column for exchange of heat and/or of material between a gas and a liquid containing the tray, and use of the tray, the tray having several protruding chimneys (80) which are substantially parallelepipedal and parallel to one another over a portion (21) of the upper face of the tray for the exclusive passage of the gas (g) through the tray and a zone for collecting the liquid (90) having two diametrically opposite weirs (91, 92) for collecting the liquid (l) on the tray. The chimneys each have an element for distribution of the gas (82) partially overlapping the zone for collecting the liquid.

Disclosed herein is a fouling-resistant system for the manufacture of a compound by distillation, the system including a reactant heating zone; a distillation column in fluid communication with the reactant heating zone wherein the distillation column comprises a plurality of distillation trays for removing by-products from the reactants, and wherein at least 20% of the plurality of distillation trays are baffle trays arranged in a staggered configuration; where each tray contacts an opposing portion of an inner wall of the distillation column from a portion contacted by a tray located above the tray and below the tray; and wherein the baffle trays are disposed in a lower portion of the distillation column.

Disclosed herein is a fouling-resistant system for the manufacture of a compound by distillation, the system including a reactant heating zone; a distillation column in fluid communication with the reactant heating zone wherein the distillation column comprises a plurality of distillation trays for removing by-products from the reactants, and wherein at least 20% of the plurality of distillation trays are baffle trays arranged in a staggered configuration; where each tray contacts an opposing portion of an inner wall of the distillation column from a portion contacted by a tray located above the tray and below the tray; and wherein the baffle trays are disposed in a lower portion of the distillation column.

The present invention relates to a gas-redirecting device presenting an upper plane and a plurality of gas-redirecting tubes comprising an inlet end and an outlet end. For each gas-redirecting tube, the orthogonal projections of the inlet end and the outlet end onto the upper plane have an over-lapping area of at most 50% of the total area of the upper plane covered by the orthogonal projections. Also provided is a liquid-gas contacting column comprising a gas-redirecting device, a floating support comprising a liquid-gas contacting column, at least two packed beds and a method for improving the efficiency of a liquid-gas contacting column which is based on redirecting the gas from a wetted zone of a lower packed bed to a wetted zone of the higher packed bed.

The present invention relates to a gas-redirecting device presenting an upper plane and a plurality of gas-redirecting tubes comprising an inlet end and an outlet end. For each gas-redirecting tube, the orthogonal projections of the inlet end and the outlet end onto the upper plane have an over-lapping area of at most 50% of the total area of the upper plane covered by the orthogonal projections. Also provided is a liquid-gas contacting column comprising a gas-redirecting device, a floating support comprising a liquid-gas contacting column, at least two packed beds and a method for improving the efficiency of a liquid-gas contacting column which is based on redirecting the gas from a wetted zone of a lower packed bed to a wetted zone of the higher packed bed.

The invention relates to a cascade tray suitable for use in a rectifying column and comprising openings in the weir-type cascade edge, to a rectifying column containing at least one cascade tray according to the invention, to a method for operating such a rectifying column, and to the use of a claimed rectifying column in the fractionation of specific substance mixtures.

The invention relates to a cascade tray suitable for use in a rectifying column and comprising openings in the weir-type cascade edge, to a rectifying column containing at least one cascade tray according to the invention, to a method for operating such a rectifying column, and to the use of a claimed rectifying column in the fractionation of specific substance mixtures.

The invention relates to a cascade tray suitable for use in a rectifying column and comprising openings in the weir-type cascade edge, to a rectifying column containing at least one cascade tray according to the invention, to a method for operating such a rectifying column, and to the use of a claimed rectifying column in the fractionation of specific substance mixtures.

The invention relates to a cascade tray suitable for use in a rectifying column and comprising openings in the weir-type cascade edge, to a rectifying column containing at least one cascade tray according to the invention, to a method for operating such a rectifying column, and to the use of a claimed rectifying column in the fractionation of specific substance mixtures.

A fluid contact tray (10) for a fractionation column (1), in particular a vapor-liquid contact tray suitable for the use in an offshore fractionation column, comprises: a tray deck (12) comprising an active mass transfer surface (20) suitable for contacting two fluids (l, g) of different densities, wherein the active mass transfer surface (20) comprises one or more orifices (18) for the passage of a fluid/gas (g), and wherein at least two at least partially radially extending separation walls (22-1, 22-2, 22-3, 22-4) and/or at least one separation weir (42) are arranged on the active mass transfer surface (20), which divides the active mass transfer surface (20) into at least two sections (24-1, 24-2, 24-3, 24-4), an annular channel (26) suitable for collecting fluids/liquids (l), which is arranged at the peripheral area of the active mass transfer surface (20) and at least partially embraces the mass transfer surface (20), a central downcomer (34) for collecting and discharging a fluid/liquid (l) from the annular channel (26), wherein the central downcomer (34) has the form of a hollow body with an opening (36) in the bottom section thereof being suitable for the distribution of liquid vertically downwardly, and wherein the central downcomer (34) is non-rotatably fixed at the fluid contact tray (10), and at least one conducting means (40) for transferring fluid collected in the annular channel (26) from the annular channel (26) to the central downcomer (34). This fluid contact tray (10) is in particular useable for offshore applications, such as for a fractionation column located on a FLNG or FPSO vessel.