Sulzer Chemtech Ag

Sulzer Management Ag

Solzer Chemtech Ag

Ilja Ausner

Markus Duss

Florian Kehrer

Marc Bruno Wehrli

Christian Gottlieb Bachmann

Laurent Zuber

Raymond Plüss

Werner Wicki

Yves Torgler

Bernhard Horschitz

Mark Pilling

Raymond Pluss

A structured packing bed for a column is provided. The structured packing bed comprises at least two layers stacked vertically above each other, and at least two of the layers each comprise at least one structured cross-channel packing element having a specific surface area of 60 to 500 m/mand a height of 50 to less than 150 mm. At least 50% of the structured cross-channel packing elements are a block comprising a plurality of sheets with periodic deformations. The sheets are arranged in a longitudinal direction parallel and in touching contact with each other such that an open space is provided between them. Adjacent sheets are oriented such that their deformations intersect in crisscross fashion with each other, and a structured cross-channel packing element of a layer is rotated with regard to a structured cross-channel packing element of an adjacent layer by 70 to 110°.

Structured packing bed for high pressure mass transfer and/or heat exchange applications

A structured cross-channel packing element for a column for at least one of mass transfer and heat exchange between a heavy fluid phase and a light fluid phase. The structured cross-channel packing element comprises at least two adjacent layers made of expanded metal sheets each comprising openings that are surrounded and separated from each other by separating elements. At least two of layers are arranged in a longitudinal direction parallel and in touching contact with each other such that an open space extending from one end to an opposite end of the layers is provided between the layers such that at least one of the heavy fluid phase and the light fluid phase may flow therethrough. A ratio between an average width of at least 50% of the separating elements between adjacent ones of the openings and a sheet material thickness is at least 15.

Structured cross-channel packing element with reduced material requirement

A plant for producing a structured cross-channel packing element. The structured cross-channel packing element comprises at least two adjacent layers made of expanded metal sheets each comprising periodic deformations. The plant comprises a stretching machine configured to cut and stretch a metal sheet to form one of a plurality of first expanded metal sheets, a calibration machine configured to roll the first expanded metal sheets to a desired thickness, a sheet storage unit configured to directly receive each of the first expanded metal sheets rolled in the calibration machine, a forming machine configured to form each of the first expanded metal sheets to form the expanded metal sheets comprising periodic deformations, and a stacking machine configured to stack the expanded metal sheets comprising periodic deformations to form the structured cross-channel packing element. The sheet storage unit is configured to release the first expanded metal sheets directly to the forming machine.

Plant and process for efficiently producing a structured cross-channel packing element

A structured packing element for a column for at least one of mass transfer and heat exchange between a heavy fluid phase and a light fluid phase. The structured packing element comprises at least two layers of a grid comprising openings that are surrounded and separated from each other by separating elements. At least two of the layers are arranged in a longitudinal direction parallel and in touching contact with each other such that an open space extending from one end to an opposite end of the layers is provided between the layers such that at least one of the heavy fluid phase and the light fluid phase may flow therethrough. An average width of at least 50% of the separating elements between adjacent openings is at least 15 times a layer material thickness and is between 70% and 125% of an average hydraulic diameter of the adjacent openings.

Structured packing element with reduced material requirement

Fluid distribution equipment

A packing element () for use in mass and/or heat transfer processes through which at least one liquid may flow, wherein the packing element (): has an outer surface () comprising three or more outer arched rib elements () and two outer connecting edge elements (), optionally has an inner surface () comprising optional inner arched rib elements (), wherein the elementis substantially spherical or substantially ellipsoidal, and wherein the outer connecting edge elements () and the outer arched rib elements () and optional inner arched rib elements () are embodied such that the total projected area () of the packing element () when viewed in any direction (), preferably a radial direction () or optional axial direction (), is partially open due to the presence of an open projected area (), wherein it is open to an extent that ranges from about 15 to about 50, preferably about 17 to about 40, more preferably about 18 to about 35, most preferably about 20 to about 30% of the total projected area (). The invention further relates to a method for producing said element (). The present invention further relates also to a column or reactor comprising a bed of said elements (), a method to prepare said bed, and the use of the element () or column or reactor in a mass transfer and/or heat transfer process and/or in a chemical reaction.

Packing element, method to produce it and a column or reactor comprising said element

A packing layer for a structured packing which has corrugations forming open channels. Each channel includes first and second corrugation peaks bounding a first corrugation valley with each corrugation peak having an apex and the corrugation valley having a valley bottom. A spacer element is mounted on and extends along the apex of at least one corrugation peak. The spacer element has an edge which has a larger normal spacing from the valley bottom than, the spacing of the apex of the corrugation peak from the valley bottom.

Packing layer for a structured packing

A method of mass transfer includes the steps of: supplying a first fluid and a second fluid into a mass transfer apparatus, wherein the mass transfer apparatus includes a vessel which has a head region, a base region and a mass transfer region, wherein the first fluid is brought into contact with the second fluid at least in the mass transfer region, wherein the mass transfer region is arranged between the head region and the base region and the mass transfer region includes a structured packing which includes a plurality of neighboring layers of fabric which includes fiber strands of a non-metallic material. The mass transfer apparatus is operated at a fluid load of at most 3 m/m/h.

Method of mass transfer, structured packing and mass transfer apparatus for a small liquid load

An absorber or desorber contains a layer () for a structured packing which has corrugations, wherein a plurality of open channels () is formed by the corrugations, wherein the channels include a first corrugation valley (), a first corrugation peak () and a second corrugation peak (). The first corrugation peak () and the second corrugation peak () bound the first corrugation valley (), wherein the first and second corrugation peaks have a first apex () and a second apex (). An indentation () extending in the direction of the first apex () is formed on the first apex () of the first corrugation peak (). The first corrugation valley () has a valley bottom (), wherein the normal spacing () of at least one point of the indentation () from the valley bottom () of the corrugation valley () is smaller than the normal spacing () of the first apex () from the valley bottom () of the corrugation valley ().

Mass transfer apparatus having a structured packing

An apparatus for the purification of fluids includes a material exchange apparatus which contains a more volatile fluid and a less volatile fluid. The material exchange apparatus contains a structured packing, with the structured packing containing a first packing layer () and a second packing layer (). The first packing layer () and the second packing layer () have corrugations, with open channels () being formed by the corrugations. The channels () of the first packing layer () cross the channels () of the second packing layer, wherein the channels () can be flowed through by the less volatile fluid so that the channel is wettable by the less volatile fluid, wherein a film of the less volatile fluid is formed on the surface of the channel, so that a purification can be carried out either of the more volatile fluid or of the less volatile fluid by a material exchange between the more volatile fluid and the less volatile fluid. The first packing layer () is in touching contact with the second packing layer () via spacer elements ().

Method and device for purifying fluids

The reflux divider for a separation column has portions for the transfer of material arranged in parallel which are mutually bounded by a vertical dividing wall and which include members for the controlled dividing of a liquid to be treated. A reflux divider feeds part flows to the respective portions employing connection lines that are feed from a common container. A restrictor valve is used in one connection line to control the flow based on signals from a pair of flow meters.

Growing community of inventors

Öhningen, Germany

Ilja Ausner