VERTICAL COLUMN APPARATUS FOR MASS EXCHANGE PROCESSES

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vertical column apparatus (1) for mass exchange processes in the chemical, oil or gas industry and in particular, for the production of iodine from formation water of oil and gas fields, comprising: a gas outlet (2) at the top and a liquid outlet (3) at the bottom of the column (1); a packed section (4) between the top and the bottom of the column (1), wherein the column (1) has a liquid inlet (5) above the packed section (4) and a gas inlet (6) below the packed section (4), wherein an upper portion (7) of the column (1) has a larger diameter (d.sub.u) compared to a diameter (d.sub.p) of the packed section (4).

Claims

1. Vertical column apparatus (1) for mass exchange processes in the chemical, oil or gas industry, comprising: a gas outlet (2) at the top and a liquid outlet (3) at the bottom of the column (1); a packed section (4) between the top and the bottom of the column (1), wherein the column (1) has a liquid inlet (5) above the packed section (4) and a gas inlet (6) below the packed section (4), wherein an upper portion (7) of the column (1) has a larger diameter (d.sub.u) compared to a diameter (d.sub.p) of the packed section (4).

2. Vertical column apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the diameter (d.sub.u) of the upper portion (7) of the column (1) is increased by at least 0.1 m, compared to the diameter (d.sub.p) of the packed section (4).

3. Vertical column apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the packed section (4) has a diameter (d.sub.p) of 2-4 m.

4. Vertical column apparatus (1) according to claims 1, wherein the packed section (4) is filled with a layer of packing material, wherein the height of the packing layer is less than 8 m.

5. Vertical column apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein a lower portion (8) is arranged below the packed section (4), the lower portion (8) having a diameter of 2-5 m.

6. Vertical column apparatus (1) according to claim 5, wherein a tapered section (9) is arranged between the lower portion (8) and the packed section (4), tapering from the diameter of the lower portion (8) to the diameter of the packed section (4).

7. Vertical column apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein a widening section (10) is arranged between the packed section (4) and the upper portion (7), widening from the diameter of the packed section (4) to the diameter of the upper portion (7).

8. Vertical column apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate section (11) is arranged directly above the packed section (4), wherein the liquid inlet (5) is arranged at the intermediate section (11).

9. Vertical column apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the total height of the vertical column apparatus (1) is less than 20 m.

10. Vertical column apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the column material comprises titanium and/or fiberglass.

11. Vertical column apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein gridirons (12) each are positioned adjacent to the top of the packed section (4) and to the bottom of the packed section (4).

12. Vertical column apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the column (1) comprises a liquid distributor (13) to distribute the liquid over the surface of the packed section (4), the liquid distributor (13) being connected to the liquid inlet (5).

13. Vertical column apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein a spray deflector (14) is arranged in the upper portion (7)

14. Method of producing iodine from formation water of oil and gas fields, comprising the steps: feeding of iodine-air mixture at a linear speed of 3.5-4.5 m/sec to a gas inlet (6) of an vertical column apparatus (1); passing the iodine-air mixture through a packed section (4) of the vertical column apparatus (1) at a linear speed of 2.0-2.5 m/sec; passing the iodine-air mixture through the top of the column (1) at a linear speed of 1.5-1.9 m/sec, thereby preventing the escape of iodine sorbent with gas vapor from the upper portion (7) of the vertical column apparatus (1).

15. Method according to claim 14, wherein the top of the column (1) has an increased diameter of 0.5 m compared to the packed section (4).

Description

[0028] Further characteristics, advantages and features of the invention are indicated in the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention by means of the accompanying drawing in which show:

[0029] FIG. 1 a side view of an embodiment of the vertical column apparatus according to the invention.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a side view of the vertical column apparatus 1, comprising several segments, from the bottom to the top a lower portion 8, the packed section 4, an intermediate section 11 and an upper portion 7. The apparatus can be formed of pipes of sheet metal, preferably titanium. The segments can also comprise fiberglass. The particular segments of the vertical column can preferably have a circular cross section, whereby different shapes of cross sections are possible. The lower portion 8 can be connected to the packed section 4 via a flange connection. Also the intermediate section 11 can be connected to the packed section 4 via a flange connection. There is a tapered section 9 arranged between the lower portion 8 and the packed section 4 which compensates for the diameter decrease between the lower portion 8 having diameter d.sub.1 and the packed section 4 having diameter d.sub.p. A widening section 10 can is positioned between the intermediate section 11 and the upper portion 7 which compensates for the diameter increase between the packed section 4/intermediate section 11 having the diameter d.sub.p and the upper portion 7 having the diameter d.sub.u. A liquid outlet 3 is arranged at the downside surface of the lower portion 8, where alternatively this outlet 3 could also be arranged aside at circumference at the downside border of the lower portion 8. The gas inlet 6 leads laterally into the lower portion 8 and is in any case located above the liquid outlet 3. In the depicted embodiment, the diameter of the lower portion 8 is d.sub.1=3.5 m.

[0031] In FIG. 1 the total height of the lower portion 8 and the tapered section 9 is between 2.8 m and 2.9 m. The packed section 4 has a height of 4.1 m-4.3 m and a diameter of 3.1 m in the embodiment shown and is filled with a packing material, for example a double thread polyethylene packing. In the edge areas of the packed section 4, gratings 12 are arranged on the top and bottom sides, each of which lies horizontally in the cross-sectional plane. In particular, the gratings 12 can fulfil the function of securing the packing material in the packed section 4 in such a way that it cannot be displaced. Above the packed section 4 an intermediate section 11 is flanged to the packed section 4. The intermediate section 11 has the same diameter as the packed section 4 and also forms a cylindrical hollow cylinder made of titanium sheet. The intermediate section 11 contains an irrigation unit 13 which is connected to a liquid inlet 5 which opens laterally into the intermediate section 11. The irrigation unit 13 distributes the sorbent over the cross-sectional area of the packed section 4. The conically shaped widening section 10 widens the diameter d.sub.p of the intermediate section 11 to the diameter d.sub.u of the upper portion 7, which has a diameter of about 3.9 to 4 m in the depicted embodiment. Due to the enlarged diameter d.sub.u of the upper portion by, for example 0.5 meters, the linear speed of iodine and air mixture in the upper portion 7 of the column is reduced to 1.5-1.9 meters/sec. A gas outlet 2 respectively an exhaust pipe 2 is positioned on the top of the upper portion 7. Alternatively, the exhaust pipe 2 can also be arranged at the circumference of the upper portion 7 and next to the top. The bottom of the lower portion 8 and the top of the upper portion 7 are closed with a lid each, the lids comprising the gas outlet 2 on one hand and the liquid outlet 3 on the other hand. The upper portion can comprise an internal spray deflector 14 which prohibits iodine from escaping the upper portion 7 via the exhaust pipe. The spray deflector 14 can be fixed into position via a grate 12 which can be arranged between the upper portion 7 and the widening section 10. The total height h.sub.A of the vertical column apparatus as shown is about 9.40 m to 9.60 m.

[0032] The iodine/air mixture flows through the gas inlet 6 to the lower portion 8 of the absorber 1 and spreads in the process of its passing through the grate 12 and the packing layer in the packed section 4, then it is directed to the upper portion 7 of the absorption column 1. Against the iodine-air mixturefrom top to the bottomadsorbent flows down (sodium-hydroxide solution) from a sorbent circulation tank, by means of a centrifugal pump to the absorption column irrigator 13. Chemisorption processes take place on the surface of the packing between iodine and sodium hydroxide solutions. As the sorbent flows down, the sorbent is enriched with iodine and iodate (the total iodine content), and the iodine gets extracted from the air as it rises up the column. After iodine has been extracted (captured) from it, the air escapes to the atmosphere through the exhaust pipe 2.

[0033] The features disclosed in the foregoing description, in the claims and the accompanying drawings may, both separately or in any combination, be material for realizing the invention in diverse forms thereof.

REFERENCE LIST

[0034] 1 vertical column apparatus [0035] 2 gas outlet [0036] 3 fluid outlet [0037] 4 packed section [0038] 5 fluid inlet [0039] 6 gas inlet [0040] 7 upper portion [0041] 8 lower portion [0042] 9 tapered section [0043] 10 widening section [0044] 11 intermediate section [0045] 12 gridiron [0046] 13 liquid distributor [0047] 14 spray deflector [0048] d.sub.1 diameter lower portion [0049] d.sub.p diameter packed section [0050] d.sub.u diameter upper portion [0051] h.sub.p height packed section [0052] h.sub.A vertical column apparatus