Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Frank Jude Riska

Swaminathan Sunder

Mark Robert Pillarella

William Robert Licht

Patrick Alan Houghton

Melvyn Roy Collyer

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 at least one band of first fluting at an angle between 0.degree. and 180.degree. to the longitudinal axis of the corrugations and at least one band of second fluting at an angle between 0.degree. and 180.degree. to the longitudinal axis of the corrugations, the first fluting being at an angle greater than zero to the second fluting. 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. The foregoing structured packing is particularly suited for a cryogenic air separation process comprising contacting vapor and liquid countercurrently in at least one distillation column containing at least one mass transfer zone wherein liquid-vapor contact is established by at least one structured packing element.

Structured packing element with bi-directional surface texture and a

Method and apparatus for moving a conditioning fluid, e.g. defrost gas, through a plate fin type heat exchanger having open-ended passages containing easyway or hardway finning. Each group of open-ended passages is provided with means to introduce the fluid into the passages at a location to achieve maximum contact of the fluid with each open-ended passage. A downflow reboiler according to the invention can be readily conditioned (e.g. defrosted).

Defrost and liquid distribution for plate-fin heat exchangers

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. The foregoing structured packing is particularly suited for a cryogenic air separation process comprising contacting vapor and liquid countercurrently in at least one distillation column containing at least one mass transfer zone wherein liquid-vapor contact is established by at least one structured packing element.

Growing community of inventors

Palmerton, PA, United States of America

Frank Jude Riska