Vortex Tray for Adiabatic and Nonadiabatic Fractionation

The operating parameters of a tray having new vortex contact devices for adiabatic and nonadiabatic fractionation are investigated. In the vortex device, the vapor moves through tangential channels of the vortex tray for adiabatic and nonadiabatic fractionation, acquires swirling motion, and disperses in the fluids, forming thereby a swirling gas-liquid layer where intense heat and mass transfer takes place. Such a tray design ensures a small fluid volume in the stage and intimate mixing of the gas-liquid mixture. The investigations showed high productivity and efficiency of the vortex tray in a wide gas (vapor) load variation range. The parameters of the swirling gas-liquid layer, such as height, gas content, angular velocity, hydraulic resistance, phase contact area, and coefficient of mass transfer are determined, and an equation is proposed for their calculation. The experimental investigations of the vortex tray efficiency for adiabatic and nonadiabatic fractionation demonstrated that mass transfer in the vapor phase is intensified in nonadiabatic conditions.