Sulzer Chemtech Ag

Philipp Suess

Raymond Charles Pluss

Xaver Stockli

Martin Bar

Raymond C Pluess

Bernhard Brunner

Rainer Stockli

A method of operating a mass exchange column, a heat exchange column, or a static mixer. The method includes providing a packing wherein assembly of the packing includes providing at least one flat, structural element including a plurality of separate adjoining strips of a sheet material. Each strip has first and second spaced-apart longitudinal edges with longitudinal edges of adjoining strips being placed opposite each other. The adjoining strips are in contact with and secure to each other where they contact each other to provide the flat structural element with structural stability. The longitudinal edges of the strips include a plurality of repetitively spaced-apart recesses of a predetermined shape and the recessed in longitudinal edges are opposite to each other to define a multiplicity of repetitively arranged openings distributed over the structural element. At least some of the structural elements are folded along fold lines to give the folded structural elements a zigzag shape in a cross-section transverse to the fold lines. The folded structural elements are assembled in the layers to thereby form the packing. The packing is installed in an apparatus and a trickle film and a gas stream is flowed over the packing.

Method of operating a mass exchange column, a heat exchange column or a

The packing for a counterflow high pressure column contains an ordered array of shaped lamella aligned parallel to the column axis. The packing comprises a bundle of strings extending in the direction of the column axis. Each string consists of a stack of packing elements, with adjacent elements belonging to different strings respectively forming a packing section perpendicular to the column axis. Each packing element is constructed in layers formed by the lamella. The layers are oriented in such a manner that gap-like or channel-like intermediate spaces between the lamella are laterally bounded by transversely lying lamella of adjacent packing elements belonging to the same packing section.

Packing for a counterflow high pressure column

The method for the zigzag-like folding of a strip-like foil includes the following steps in an advantageous embodiment:

Method for the zigzag-like folding of a strip-like foil

A flat structural element has a plurality of openings which are distributed according to a predetermined pattern for use in packings. Every opening is delimited by the edges, which extend at an angle to each other or are curved. The structural element is made from two or more adjacent strips of flat material which are connected to each other with butt or overlapping connections.

Flat structural elements and a packing composed of such structural

The vortex packing for an apparatus designed as a mass exchange column or a static mixer is build up of face-shaped structural elements. These structural elements define a point lattice whose lattice planes, situated in cross-sections of the apparatus, form base grids of quadrilaterals. Each of the quadrilaterals represents an equatorial periphery of an octahedron and the polar vertices of these octahedra are positioned at the points of neighbouring lattice planes. The octahedra have either all open faces or alternately open and closed faces. According to the invention the packing is built of parallel layers (3) of a sheet-like material having substantially triangular elementary areas (8,9). Part of these elementary triangles (9) have on two sides cut edges (30) and are deflected in a flap-like manner about folding edges (15) out of the sheet area. The structural elements of the packing are formed by association or connection of the elementary triangles (8,9) in pairs.

Vortex packing for mass exchange columns and static mixers

The crown element (3) for the packing (2) of a matter-exchange column (1) in the exchange part (2) of which in particular a gas flowing upwards and a liquid flowing in contraflow are brought into contact, serves for the guidance of these flows of matter. An annular gap (12) lying between the packing and the column wall (10) is largely roofed over by parts (30) of the crown element in the form of tabs. In accordance with the invention the crown element (3) is a separate component which exhibits the following features: regions (31) of the crown element which define a surface for making contact with the packing (2); the roofing-over parts (30) are connected with springy elasticity to the regions (31) touching the packing; and the profile of the cross-section of the crown element exhibits a radial dimension which enables fixing of the crown element in the annular gap (12) because of spring and frictional forces. The column may be equipped with collar elements at favorable cost by the invention.

Matter-conductive crown element for the packing of a matter-exchange

The orderly packing for a column for mass transfer between a trickling film (14) and a gas is made of alternately arranged layers (10, 20) of undulating foil material. Some of the layers (10) steer the trickling film towards one vertical edge (13) of the layers while the other layers (20) steer the trickling film away from that edge. Pairs of invention the layers are coupled by redirector elements (3) which form a liquid-conducting bridging-over to transfer edge-seeking liquid (15) on the one layer (10) at least partially to the associated neighboring layer (20).

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Neftenbach, Switzerland

Philipp Suess