Abstract: A process is proposed for the distillation or reactive distillation of a mixture that comprises at least one toxic component, the process being carried out in a column containing a structured packing, having at least one packing layer (1) having a lower end (2) and an upper end (3), the packing layer having an internal geometry varying over its height, in such a manner that in the distillation or reactive distillation, in a first, lower region (6) of the packing layer (1) a bubbling layer having a predominantly disperse gas phase can be established and simultaneously in a second, upper region (7) of the packing layer (1) a film flow having a predominantly continuous gas phase can be established.

Abstract: A structured packing element comprises a plurality of corrugated sheets and one planar member positioned adjacent to each of the corrugated sheets. The planar member has a top edge and a bottom edge that are at least proximally aligned with the top and bottom edges respectively of the corrugated sheets. The planar member is further characterized by a middle portion having an open area percent that is higher than the open area percents of the top and bottom portions of the planar member. The structured packing element can be used to form structured packings for distillation applications.

Abstract: The device is arranged in a process engineering column (10) and serves in particular for the guiding of liquid. This device includes at least two parts (1, 2) made of sheet metal and releasably connected to one another. A recess (12) is arranged in the one part, the sheet metal part (1) of a first kind, and an elevation (21) fitting into the recess is arranged in the other part, the sheet metal part (2) of a second kind. The two sheet metal parts are held in a secured position by a hook connection between the recess and the elevation. The recess and the elevation form a single pair or one pair among several and the sheet metal parts have planar regions lying on top of one another in the neighbourhood (120, 210) of the pair or of each pair respectively.

Abstract: A structured packing having a surface area density in the range of about 500 m2/m3 to about 675 m2/m3 includes a plurality of corrugated plates disposed in vertically parallel relation. Each plate has at least one aperture and a plurality of regularly spaced and substantially parallel corrugations disposed in crisscrossing relation to the corrugations of an adjacent plate. The apertures have an equivalent diameter of less than about 4 millimeters but greater than about 2 millimeters. The corrugations have a corrugation angle (&agr;) relative to horizontal in the range of about 40° to about 60°. Each corrugation, when approximated to be substantially a triangular cross-section, has an included angle (&bgr;) defined by two sides of the corrugation in the range of about 90° to about 100°. The structured packing is used in exchange columns for exchanging heat and/or mass between a first phase and a second phase in processes such as cryogenic air separation.

Abstract: A corrugated structured packing for forming into modules for use in a rectification column, having a crimp pattern which is asymmetrical about a line drawn perpendicular to the centerline of the structured packing sheet and whose axial distance along the centerline from trough to adjacent peak is not evenly divided on either side of the centerline, serving to reduce pressure losses that are not efficient in promoting mass transfer and thus reducing the requisite column height.

Abstract: A mass and heat transfer device uses a substantially vertical surface to separating a first fluid space from a second fluid space with the first fluid space containing a downward flowing liquid in at least a partially flooded state and an upward flowing gas contained at least partially within the downward flowing liquid. A fluid distribution surface with one or more apertures is provided within the first fluid space with the apertures controlling the downward passage and distribution of the downward flowing liquid and the upward passage and distribution of the upward flowing gas. A heat transfer fluid is used in the second fluid space for heat transfer with fluids in the first fluid space. The fluid distribution surface can be used in a horizontal, vertical or angled position and in annular, cylindrical, and hexahedral forms.

Abstract: A method for operating a cryogenic rectification column for the separation of the components of air by cryogenic rectification, whereby the column may be operated above its design capacity without encountering flooding, by passing vapor upward through the column at a flowrate which generates a pressure drop within the column of at least 0.7 inches of water per foot of packing height through a height of defined structured packing sheets having a structure in their bottom portion which differs from the structure in their middle portion and is the same as the structure in their top portion.

Abstract: A distillation method and column in which a gaseous mixture is introduced into a bottom region of a packed column having a plurality packed beds using structured packing. The gaseous mixture comprises higher and lower volatility components. The packed column is operated so that the higher and lower volatility components have a relative volatility within the column in a range of between 1.05 and 1.8. In order to alleviate the effect of liquid maldistribution in the lowermost bed of such a column, the lowermost bed is sized to be between about 50% and about 80% of the height of the next overlying bed, with 80% being preferred and the total height of the packing within the column is at least about six meters.

Abstract: Horizontal structured packing utilizing horizontal panels or horizontal corrugated foils arranged in a crisscrossing pattern are disclosed together with methods for manufacturing and assembling the horizontal structured packing in an exchange column. In one embodiment, the structured packing comprises at least one first layer in a generally horizontal first plane and at least one second layer in a generally horizontal second plane below the first layer, each layer having at least one generally horizontal panel in the shape of a polygon having a center. Each panel is substantially uniform in size and of a shape that nests with horizontally adjacent panels, and there are a plurality of vanes disposed inside each panel. At least one of the vanes is at an angle to the horizontal and has a passage between the vane and an adjacent vane. The center of at least one panel in the second layer is horizontally offset from the center of a vertically adjacent panel in the first layer.

Abstract: An air separation plant having prefabricated heat exchanger and distillation column sections. The heat exchanger can be used in air expansion, waste expansion and product expansion plants by simply connecting the appropriate piping to the heat exchanger. The air separation unit is built up of standardized sections preferably utilizing structured packing. Simplified liquid distributors and supports are used in order to distribute liquid to the packing and to support the packing within the column, respectfully.

Abstract: In a rectifying apparatus of vapor/liquid contact type, the rectifier 5 is disposed above a regenerator 4 and has two stages, a lower recovery stage and an upper condensation stage. The two stages are filled with filler elements 7a, 7b and 7c, 7d, respectively. Each filler elements 7a and 7c has a conical bottom for biasing the falling liquid towards its center and the rising refrigerant vapor towards its outer edge. The rising speed of the refrigerant vapor is made more uniform and the falling liquid has less tendency to drip down along the side wall. As the contact between the vapor and the liquid is increased, the efficiency of rectification is enhanced.

Abstract: Packing elements with a low pressure drop for mass transfer column internals of the internal diameter of the column and of a height of from 40 to 300 mm made of dimensionally stable layers, which have an ordered structure and are in mutual contact, of cloth material or cloth-like material with a specific surface area of from 100 to 2000 m.sup.2 /m.sup.3, whereina) the shaped layers of cloth material or cloth-like material, preferably made of metal cloth, which are in mutual contact are arranged so that they form a multiplicity of narrow flow channels, preferably virtually triangular, virtually rectangular or else virtually equilateral hexagonal flow channels, in which the angle of inclination of the serration of the individual cloth layers of the packing to the column axis is only 0 to 25.degree., preferably 3 to 14.degree.

Abstract: A cryogenic air separation system wherein separation inefficiencies resulting from feed air flow disturbances due to discontinuous prepurifier operation are reduced or eliminated by inhibiting column liquid drainage during such disturbances using mesh packing having interspacial regions which hold up the liquid during the disturbances using surface tension.

Abstract: A method for operating a cryogenic rectification column for the separation of the components of air by cryogenic rectification, whereby the column may be operated above its design capacity without encountering flooding, by passing vapor upward through the column at a flowrate which generates a pressure drop within the column of at least 0.7 inches of water per foot of packing height through a height of defined structured packing sheets having a different structure in their upper and lower portions.

Abstract: A structured packing is disclosed. The structured packing has a plurality of packing elements stacked together as "building blocks" to provide the packing for an exchange column. Each packing element comprises a polyhedron (e.g., a cube) having a plurality of edges formed by elongated rods. At least one transfer sheet is disposed within the polyhedron (e.g., a cube), wherein the first end of each transfer sheet connects to a different edge of the polyhedron and the second end of each transfer sheet connects to another edge of the polyhedron. In one embodiment, the intersection of the transfer sheets forms two pyramids within the cube-shaped packing element, the bases of the pyramids being opposite sides of the cube and the apices of the pyramids intersecting substantially at the center of the cube. In the preferred embodiment, at least one side of each pyramid is open and the other sides of the pyramids formed by the intersecting transfer sheets provide flow surfaces within the packing element.

Abstract: A system for achieving a low level of nitrogen in a lower pressure column in the feed to the argon column in a cryogenic air separation system by use of two beds of structured packing of about equal height in the lower pressure column, with mixing and redistribution of liquid between them. The packed beds are located between the feed from the argon column top condenser and the point where the argon column feed is withdrawn.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a structured packing element, the element being corrugated with corrugations which form alternating peaks and troughs across the element, the corrugations having a longitudinal axis, the element having plural portions of first fluting at an angle between 0.degree. and 180.degree. to the longitudinal axis of the corrugations and plural portions of second fluting at an angle between 0.degree. and 180.degree. to the longitudinal axis of the corrugations, the fluting of the first portions being at an angle greater than zero to the fluting of the second portions, the respective first and second portions alternating both laterally and longitudinally of the element with respect to each other. The element preferably has a plurality of holes through the element. The foregoing structured packing is suited for use in processes requiring a contact device for accomplishing mass and/or heat transfer.

Abstract: A packing material capable of improving the uniformity of liquid distribution and of achieving a preferable gas-liquid contact reaction, even in the case where the specific surface area of the packing material is small, includes a plurality of projections provided on the surface of a thin plate, and a plurality of holes provided respectively between the projections. In one embodiment, the transfer extension of each projection is larger than a longitudinal extension thereof, so that descending liquid flows downward while being transversely dispersed by the projection. The holes are provided between the projections so that they do not obstruct the transfer dispersion of liquid at the projection. Moreover, the holes accelerate the transverse dispersion of liquid, or the dispersion of liquid between front and rear surfaces of the thin plate, by the surface tension of the liquid. As a result, excellent uniformity of liquid distribution can be obtained on the surface of the thin plate.

Abstract: The present invention is a process for the cryogenic separation of air to recover at least one of its constituent components, which is carried out in an air separation unit having at least one distillation column; wherein the distillation column has at least two mass transfer sections, wherein, in each mass transfer section, a flow of vapor and a flow of liquid are counter-currently contacted to accomplish mass transfer and the flow of vapor or liquid or vapor and liquid is different in one section as compared to the other section; wherein contact of the flows of vapor and liquid in each mass transfer section is accomplished using a structured packing; wherein the structured packing comprises elements which are corrugated with substantially parallel corrugations, wherein the parallel corrugations have a longitudinal axis at an angle .beta. relative to horizontal and wherein each corrugation when approximated to be a triangular cross-section has a crimp angle .alpha.

Abstract: A system for the recovery of volatile compounds comprising a direct contact condenser and an indirect heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is driven by cryogenic fluid, and a heat exchange fluid, having the same composition as the volatile compound, recirculates between the condenser and the heat exchanger.

Abstract: A method and device is disclosed for removing residual oil and other contaminants from the refrigerant stream flowing to low-temperature stages of a cryogenic refrigerator. A stream of vapor and liquid refrigerant coming from an air-cooled condenser is injected into a cyclone chamber [32] through the inlet tube [34]. While the liquid drains down a conical section [36] and out through a liquid line [38], the vapor phase moves up into a packing of metal platelets [42] which is cooled by a returning stream of cold vapor passing through a tube [48] wrapped around the column. A portion of the vapor condenses on the platelets and is maintained in equilibrium with the vapor. Since high-molecular-weight contaminants are more soluble in the liquid phase, they are carried down the column with the drops of condensate and are swept out with the liquid fraction through the liquid line [38].

Abstract: In the process for the low temperature separation of air, purified and cooled air is fed into a distillation system comprising at least one rectification column and there is rectified by a counter-current material exchange between a vapor and a liquid phase. The material exchange in at least one section in at least one rectification column is brought about by a packing having a specific surface area of at least 1000 m.sup.2 /m.sup.3.

Abstract: In recovering pure argon product, air is separated in a rectification system, comprising at least one air separating column (9), a crude argon column (17) and a pure argon column (25). A crude argon fraction (24) is withdrawn from the crude argon column (17) and introduced at an intermediate locality into the pure argon column (25). The head of the pure argon column (25) is cooled by indirect heat exchange (29). From the pure argon column (25) a residual fraction (31) containing essentially nitrogen is withdrawn overhead and from the bottom a pure argon fraction (26) is withdrawn. The mass transfer in the pure argon column (25) is brought about at least in part by a packing (33, 34).