Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a valve tray for use in a chemical process column. The valve tray includes a plurality of apertures formed therein. A plurality of valves are maintained in a spaced relationship relative to individual apertures of the plurality of apertures. An area of the individual apertures is less than an area of individual valves of the plurality of valves.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a valve tray for use in a chemical process column. The valve tray includes a plurality of apertures formed therein. A plurality of valves are maintained in a spaced relationship relative to individual apertures of the plurality of apertures. An area of the individual apertures is less than an area of individual valves of the plurality of valves.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a valve tray for use in a chemical process column. The valve tray includes a plurality of apertures formed therein. A plurality of valves are maintained in a spaced relationship relative to individual apertures of the plurality of apertures. An area of the individual apertures is less than an area of individual valves of the plurality of valves.

Abstract: A chemical-process system includes a chemical-process column and a support disposed on an interior of the chemical-process column. A tray is disposed on a top surface of the support. A bolt is disposed through the tray and a clamp is disposed below the tray. The clamp has a notch formed therein for receiving a head region of the bolt. The clamp engages a bottom surface of the tray and a bottom surface of the support. The bolt is able to angularly displace with respect to at least one of the tray and the clamp.

Abstract: A pressure relief device for preventing damage to a tray in a distillation column arising from sudden pressure surges includes a plate normally closing an opening in the tray, a frame above which the tray can move vertically, and at least one spring assembly connecting the plate to the frame. When there is a pressure surge, the plate moves vertically to open the pressure relief device. When the pressure differential between zones above and below the plate has been relieved, the spring assembly returns the pressure relief device to the closed position in which the plate is coplanar with the fixed tray.

Abstract: A tray assembly is provided for improved gas/liquid contact when used in a large chemical process tower. Each tray has a downcomer wall of which the lower portion is a distributor. The distributor has discharge ports sized to control the rate of liquid flow at different positions across the distributor and flanges aligned individually to direct liquid flow from different discharge ports across different areas of the tray deck immediately below the downcomer. In combination, discharge ports and liquid flow directing flanges effect even liquid flow across the surface of the tray immediately below. Benefits of this invention are trays with better mass transfer efficiency and enhanced capacity compared with prior art trays.

Abstract: A tray assembly is provided for improved gas/liquid contact when used in a large chemical process tower, resulting in better performance. Each tray assembly has two levels of tray decks and associated downcomers. Tray decks provide gas/liquid contact for mass transfer and the downcomers are required to clarify the liquid before entering the tray below. A novel downcomer configuration is provided for use in multipass trays. The shape of downcomer bottom chord is designed to allow for liquid to travel across any part of each tray deck at a similar distance between the inlet and the outlet weir. As a result, liquid on the tray deck travels in plug flow pattern. Benefits include a higher Murphree tray efficiency due to minimum liquid back-mixing, as well as minimum local entrainment due to uniform froth height.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for improved gas/liquid contact in a chemical process tower, resulting in better performance. The apparatus includes a tower having a series of tray decks and downcomers. Tray decks provide gas/liquid contact for mass transfer and the downcomers are required to clarify the liquid before entering the tray below. In this invention, the trays have at least one downcomer and one adjacent active sump. The sump has at least one row of apertures for bubbling vapor through liquid flowing therein, and is separated from the downcomer by a baffle. The clarified liquid at the bottom of the sump is sent to the downcomer. The liquid entering the next tray can be assured to divide evenly for multiple-downcomer applications. Gas/liquid contact is thereby enhanced through the installation of these apertures, and clarification of the liquid from bubbles is thereby improved through the addition of the active sump. Benefits to the tower operation include higher tray capacity and efficiency.

Abstract: A tray assembly is provided for improved gas/liquid contact when used in a large chemical process tower. Each tray has a downcomer wall of which the lower portion is a distributor. The distributor has discharge ports sized to control the rate of liquid flow at different positions across the distributor and flanges aligned individually to direct liquid flow from different discharge ports across different areas of the tray deck immediately below the downcomer. In combination, discharge ports and liquid flow directing flanges effect even liquid flow across the surface of the tray immediately below. Benefits of this invention are trays with better mass transfer efficiency and enhanced capacity compared with prior art trays.

Abstract: The contact between, for example, ascending liquid droplets of lighter liquid, as the dispersed phase, and heavier liquid, as the continuous phase, flowing across perforated trays in a flooded liquid/liquid contacting column, is enhanced by providing upstanding baffles on lower trays, interspersed with depending baffles from the trays above. The baffles cause the heavy liquid to flow along an undulating path. Flow distributing partitions extend along the undulating flow path, between the baffles, to distribute liquid flow across the trays. The roles of the lighter liquid and the heavier liquid may be reversed as phases.

Abstract: A gas-liquid contactor baffle includes a body having a first portion, a second portion and a middle portion, the middle portion being positioned between the first portion and the second portion. The middle portion is a corrugated sheet having a first face and a second face. The corrugated sheet has alternating ridges and open ended channels extending across each of the first face and the second face between the first portion and the second portion. The first portion has a first collection channel adapted to collect liquids from the open ended channels of the middle portion when flow is along the first face in a first direction. The second portion having a second collection channel adapted to collect liquids from the open ended channels of the middle portion when flow is along the second face in a second direction.

Abstract: A tray assembly is provided for improved gas/liquid contact when used in a large chemical process tower, resulting in better performance. Each tray assembly comprises two levels of tray decks and associated downcomers. Tray decks provide gas/liquid contact for mass transfer and the downcomers are required to clarify the liquid before entering the tray below. In this invention, a novel downcomer configuration is provided for use in multipass trays. The shape of downcomer bottom chord is designed to allow for liquid to travel across any part of each tray deck at a similar distance between the inlet and the outlet weir. As a result, liquid on the tray deck travels in plug flow pattern. Benefits of this invention are higher Murphree tray efficiency due to minimum liquid back-mixing, as well as minimum local entrainment due to uniform froth height.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for improved gas/liquid contact in a chemical process tower, resulting in better performance. The apparatus comprises a tower having a series of tray decks and downcomers. Tray decks provide gas/liquid contact for mass transfer and the downcomers are required to clarify the liquid before entering the tray below. In this invention, the trays have at least one downcomer and one adjacent active sump. The sump has at least one row of apertures for bubbling vapor through liquid flowing therein, and is separated from the downcomer by a baffle. The clarified liquid at the bottom of the sump is sent to the downcomer. The liquid entering the next tray can be assured to divide evenly for multiple-downcomer applications. Gas/liquid contact is thereby enhanced through the installation of these apertures, and clarification of the liquid from bubbles is thereby improved through the addition of the active sump. Benefits to the tower operation include higher tray capacity and efficiency.

Abstract: In, for example, a gas-liquid, liquid/liquid exchange column, perforated tray assemblies are provided which have a plurality of adjacent tray sections with slots adjacent rounded leading edges of the sections, and catches extending along trailing edges which interlock in the slots of an adjacent section. This interlocking avoids the use of bolted joints which cause stagnant areas where sediment accumulation occurs, resulting in reduced gas-liquid and liquid/liquid contact, and the need for the tray sections to be frequently cleaned. Perforated domes may be provided on perforations to reduce stagnant areas.

Abstract: The lower, liquid collecting section of a gas/liquid contacting column has an entrained substance depleting duct extending therearound wherein gas, for example, steam is fed by the duct into the lower section, steam depleted by gravity of liquid droplets, is deflected upwardly by deflectors in the duct through duct openings into a central, upper region of the lower section, while steam with the droplets is deflected downwardly by deflectors in the duct through other duct openings towards a liquid pool in the lower section. Any other liquid and/or solids entrained in the gas (steam) are also deflected downwardly in this manner.

Abstract: An apparatus for connecting adjacent tray panel of a fractionation tray within a distillation column tower for the separation between a vapor and liquid is provided. A first interlocking panel has an alignment area with at least one alignment slot toward the center of the panel and at least one alignment aperture located distal from the center of the panel. A second interlocking panel has an alignment tab with a valve perforation on the alignment tab. The alignment tab of the second panel is inserted into the alignment slot of the first panel at an angle. The gravitational force on the panel opposite the alignment tab of the second panel aligns the second panel within the horizontal plane of the first panel such that no bolts are required during assembly. Dispersion valves are inserted into the valve perforation to disperse the vapor and prevent weeping to the tray below and flooding to the tray above.

Abstract: An apparatus for connecting adjacent tray panel of a fractionation tray within a distillation column tower for the separation between a vapor and liquid is provided. A first interlocking panel has an alignment area with at least one alignment slot toward the center of the panel and at least one alignment aperture located distal from the center of the panel. A second interlocking panel has an alignment tab with a valve perforation on the alignment tab. The alignment tab of the second panel is inserted into the alignment slot of the first panel at an angle. The gravitational force on the panel opposite the alignment tab of the second panel aligns the second panel within the horizontal plane of the first panel such that no bolts are required during assembly. Dispersion valves are inserted into the valve perforation to disperse the vapor and prevent weeping to the tray below and flooding to the tray above.

Abstract: Switched video broadband service and narrowband telecommunications service are integrated and provided directly to subscribers. A plurality of video channels are provided to a central office by a video service provider, and said video channels are transmitted to a remote terminal using standard FM video supertrunks. At the remote terminal, video channels selected by a group of subscribers are frequency-division multiplexed with baseband signals of narrowband telecommunications service and are transmitted over a single fiber to an optical network unit adjacent the living units of the group of subscribers. The subscriber selected channels are then demultiplexed and provided to the living units via coaxial drops, along with the narrowband telephone service provided on twisted pairs. Channel requests from the group of subscribers are combined and transmitted upstream in a single narrowband video control channel.

Abstract: A communication system is provided for the distribution of switched video, along with telephony and control information, over fiber from a central office to a subscriber premises. The system can dynamically allocate video channels to subscribers using a pool of switched channel selector units located at the central office, thus permitting increased sharing of video distribution resources and controlling access to all channels. The system can provide a multiplicity of simultaneously available switched channels at each subscriber premises from a selection of over a hundred channels available at the central office. Subscribers are connected to the switched video service through a switched video distribution system rack. Switched channels will travel over single-mode fiber in AM/VSB format compatible with subscriber video equipment.

Abstract: In a telecommunications system providing switched video services, a video line card includes a switch arrangement for selecting a plurality of channels from a greater plurality of available channels and for providing said selected channels in a fixed bandwidth that may be received by a subscriber. A plurality of tuners are used to select the channels and to provide the channels on an intermediate frequency, which frequency is thereafter converted to a distribution channel frequency acceptable by the subscriber.