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.

A method of separating a feed stream in a distillation tower. Vapor is permitted to rise upwardly from a distillation section of the distillation tower. A feed stream is introduced into a controlled freeze zone section of the distillation tower, the controlled freeze zone section being situated above the distillation section. The feed stream is released above a level of a liquid retained by a melt tray assembly in the controlled freeze zone section. Vapor from the distillation section is directed into the liquid retained by the melt tray assembly. A solid is formed from the feed stream in the controlled freeze zone section.

A cryogenic distillation tower for separating a feed stream. The tower includes a distillation section. A controlled freeze zone section is situated above the distillation section and forms a solid from the feed stream. The controlled freeze zone section includes a spray assembly in an upper section and a melt tray assembly in a lower section. The melt tray assembly includes at least one vapor stream riser that directs the vapor from the distillation section into liquid retained by the melt tray assembly, and one or more draw-off openings positioned to permit a portion of the liquid to exit the controlled freeze zone section. The portion of the liquid indirectly exchanges heat with a heating fluid. One or more return inlets return the portion of the liquid to the melt tray assembly after it has been heated in the heat exchanger.

The present disclosure includes a mixing device for use in a contact tower. The mixing device can include a first tray defining multiple first openings and multiple mixers coupled to the first tray. Each mixer can include a first portion having a first sidewall and a second portion extending from the first portion, the second portion having a second sidewall. The first sidewall can define an inlet in communication with one of the first openings, an outlet, a convergent channel extending between the inlet and the outlet of the first sidewall, and an injection port extending through the first sidewall and positioned between the inlet and outlet of the first sidewall. The second sidewall can define an inlet in communication with the outlet of the first sidewall, an outlet, and a divergent channel extending between the inlet and the outlet of the second sidewall.

A method for condensing a vapor uses a multi-stage bubble-column vapor mixture condenser that includes at least a first stage, a second stage, and a third stage, each with a carrier-gas inlet and outlet as well as a condensing bath and a volume of carrier gas above the condensing bath. The carrier-gas inlet of the second and third stages is in the form of a sieve plate. The first-stage condensing bath is at a temperature of 60 C. to 90 C. Carrier gas flows at a temperature above 60 C. and up to 93 C. into and through the carrier-gas inlet of the first stage, then into and through the condensing bath in the first stage, and then into and through the volume of carrier gas above the condensing bath in the first stage. The carrier gas then similarly flows through the second- and third-stage condensing baths, each of which is at least 5 C. cooler than the temperature of the condensing bath in the preceding stage. Additional carrier gas is injected through an intermediate-exchange inlet into the volume of carrier gas above the condensing bath in at least one of the first and second stages to control the heat and mass profile of the carrier gas flowing through the stages of the multi-stage bubble-column vapor mixture condenser and to thereby maintain the temperature differentials between the condensing baths in the first, second, and third stages.

The present invention relates to a column (1) for thermal treatment of fluid mixtures, having a cylindrical, vertically aligned column body (2) which forms a column cavity (3), having a sequence of vertically spaced-apart dual-flow mass transfer trays (8) which are mounted in the column cavity (3) and which have orifices for passage of liquid and gas in countercurrent, and having at least one gas entry orifice (5) disposed below the lowermost of the sequence of dual-flow mass transfer trays (8). It is a characteristic feature of the column of the invention that a gas distribution tray (9) which is disposed between the lowermost of the sequence of dual-flow mass transfer trays (8) and the gas entry orifice (5) has orifices (32) for vertical passage of gas which can be introduced into the column cavity (3) via the gas entry orifice (5), the orifices (32) being formed so as to bring about equal gas distribution over the column cross section. The invention further relates to a process for thermal treatment of fluid mixtures in such a column (1).

The present invention relates to a column (1) for thermal treatment of fluid mixtures, having a cylindrical, vertically aligned column body (2) which forms a column cavity (3), having a sequence of vertically spaced-apart dual-flow mass transfer trays (8) which are mounted in the column cavity (3) and which have orifices for passage of liquid and gas in countercurrent, and having at least one gas entry orifice (5) disposed below the lowermost of the sequence of dual-flow mass transfer trays (8). It is a characteristic feature of the column of the invention that a gas distribution tray (9) which is disposed between the lowermost of the sequence of dual-flow mass transfer trays (8) and the gas entry orifice (5) has orifices (32) for vertical passage of gas which can be introduced into the column cavity (3) via the gas entry orifice (5), the orifices (32) being formed so as to bring about equal gas distribution over the column cross section. The invention further relates to a process for thermal treatment of fluid mixtures in such a column (1).

The present invention relates to a chimney tray (3) for a column (1) for thermal treatment of fluid mixtures, comprising a collecting tray (4) and at least two chimneys (5-1, 5-2) spaced apart horizontally in the collecting tray (4), where each chimney (5-1, 5-2) forms a vertically aligned chimney body (6-1, 6-2) which forms a passage orifice (7-1, 7-2) through the collecting tray (4), and has a cover unit (8-1, 8-2) arranged spaced apart from the chimney body (6-1, 6-2), and where the cover unit (8-1, 8-2) covers the respective passage orifices (7-1, 7-2) in the vertical direction. The chimney tray (3) of the invention is characterized by a screen (9) which extends around the chimney body (6-1) of a first chimney (5-1), with the lower annular edge (14) of the screen (9) below the upper edge (13) of the chimney body (6-1) of the first chimney (5-1) and the upper annular edge (11) of the screen (9) above the lower outer edge (12) of the cover unit (8-1) of the first chimney (5-1) or adjoining the lower outer edge (12) of the cover unit (8-1) of the first chimney (5-1).

The present invention relates to a chimney tray (3) for a column (1) for thermal treatment of fluid mixtures, comprising a collecting tray (4) and at least two chimneys (5-1, 5-2) spaced apart horizontally in the collecting tray (4), where each chimney (5-1, 5-2) forms a vertically aligned chimney body (6-1, 6-2) which forms a passage orifice (7-1, 7-2) through the collecting tray (4), and has a cover unit (8-1, 8-2) arranged spaced apart from the chimney body (6-1, 6-2), and where the cover unit (8-1, 8-2) covers the respective passage orifices (7-1, 7-2) in the vertical direction. The chimney tray (3) of the invention is characterized by a screen (9) which extends around the chimney body (6-1) of a first chimney (5-1), with the lower annular edge (14) of the screen (9) below the upper edge (13) of the chimney body (6-1) of the first chimney (5-1) and the upper annular edge (11) of the screen (9) above the lower outer edge (12) of the cover unit (8-1) of the first chimney (5-1) or adjoining the lower outer edge (12) of the cover unit (8-1) of the first chimney (5-1).

Systems and methods utilize heated waste flue gas to treat water. The heated waste flue gas, which may come from a steam generator, bubbles through untreated water to vaporize the untreated water and separate out solids and other contaminants before subsequent condensing. The steam generator may receive resulting treated water to produce steam for injection.