Tray Absorbers
The staff of D. R. Technology has extensive experience in tray contactor design both having worked in the petrochemical industry and for a major tray supplier.
Trays typically contact gas and liquid to transfer material or energy between the phases.
Tray contactors are most often vertical cylindrical vessel columns containing one or many tray levels of numerous design. The typical tray contact introduces liquid at the very top tray such that it flows horizontally across the tray surface. Gas enters at the bottom tray and flows upward. The tray surface contains holes, perforations or structures which allow the rising gas to pass through to contact the horizontally flowing liquid.
Each tray has a weir at either the very end of the liquid flow or also at the point of liquid entry which acts as a dam so a liquid level is maintained on the tray to provide gas/liquid contact. The liquid finishing its flow across th tray flows over the weir nto a vertical well known technically as a “downcomer.” The rising gas passes up to the next tray or out of the column.
The downflowing liquid passes to the tray below and flow in the reverse direction as the one above. The downcomer is geometrically sealed so that gas cannot sneak up it avoiding the contact.
Using this concept exceedingly high transfers can occur in very difficult circumstances.
Tray do similar functions as packed columns but are more pluggage resistance and more compact for very sophisticated separations. They do take up more gas side pressure drop.
D. R. Technology works with sieve designs valve tray designs and baffle contactors where plugging is a serious consideration.
