Distillations from the Whole

Some Packing stuff...

Finish all welding or other work that produces hot sparks before
installing any packing.

Distribute packing pieces in a random manner and never let them
free fall more than four (4) feet. In cold weather (temperature
below 45 F) particular care must be taken in handling and
installing plastic packing since the ductility of the plastic
resin will be greatly reduced.

Before completing the packing installation, consult the
installation procedures of the bed limiter, liquid distributor, and
other internal components to see if partial installation of these
parts is required before packing installation is completed.

Ceramic packings may be dumped randomly or stacked
depending on the type of packing. Most ceramic packings up to
3" are dumped. Cross partition which can range to 6" diameter
are generally installed with the column filled or partially filled
with water. If possible, a minimum of 4 feet of water should be
maintained above the packing depth during installation. This
volume of water will offer buoyancy that will reduce the impact
of each element and offer maximum randomness of each element
providing the ideal packed bed. It is to be noted that not all
columns or towers are designed to sustain a full hydrostatic
load. It is imperative that you consult with the vessel supplier
before proceeding to place a full hydrostatic load on the vessel.


THE CORRUGATED SHEET METAL THAT IS USED TO FORM MAX-
PAK IS EXTREMELY SHARP AND CAN INFLICT SERIOUS CUTS
AND LACERATIONS. INSTALLERS SHOULD WEAR LEATHER
GLOVES, LONG SLEEVES, LONG PANTS, STEEL TOE SHOES, AND
THICK SOLES AT ALL TIMES.



Distillations from the Whole



The first layer of packing will rest on a grating support and will
be oriented 90 with respect to the main pattern of the grating
support.

The elements that go against the wall of the vessel will be
installed first, and the construction of the layer should progress
from the outside toward the center of the tower.

Contact between the individual elements of one layer should be
maximized, and no visible gaps between elements should be
present once the layer is completed.

The final elements to be installed in a layer will be those toward
the center.

When an element needs to be positioned between two elements
already in place, a slide horn should be used to slide the element
down.

This slide horn will consist of a thin sheet of metal of the
appropriate dimension, and should slide out from between the
elements once the layer is finished.

Always make sure the slide horns are removed from each layer
before proceeding with the next layer.

A check of levelness of the layer should be performed before
proceeding the next layer.

Installers should not walk directly on the packing to avoid
potential injury, and damage to the edges of the corrugated
sheets. Wooden planks that sit on top of the packing elements
should be used to spread the load.



Distillations from the Whole


Some I nt er nal s st uf f
Damage to fiberglass internals typically appears as a lighter
color or "white" spot indicating possible delamination of the
fiberglass structure.

Most internals are custom made and may have slightly different
parts, particularly clips and sealing devices that may be required.
Drawings are submitted with most internals and should be
referred to for specific details of your equipment.

The vane type mist eliminator is sectioned for installation
through manway, or body flange openings. Installation should
begin at each end, working toward center. Care should be taken
to be sure the unit is installed in the proper flow direction. There
are indicators on the sections to establish direction of flow.

Box and trough distributors - is generally used in towers with
high liquid rates or fouling service. The installation will not allow
for men to stand on sections.

The lower box sections with the V-notches are called troughs
and are installed first, starting with the shorter end sections and
working toward the center. The trough should be leveled as it
is installed and secured.

The larger channel is called a parting box. Depending on design,
there could be multiple units. The parting box is installed
perpendicular to the troughs and secured to the troughs. The
feed points from the parting boxes should be aligned properly
with each trough.

The installer must make sure the troughs and parting box are
properly oriented to the feed pipe before it is installed at the end.




Distillations from the Whole


A gas sparger is a device used to enhance the initial distribution
of the gas prior to contact with the packed bed. Gas spargers are
typically composed of a horizontal pipe with slots or holes where
the gas is discharged. The sparger is connected to the gas inlet
nozzle usually with a flanged connection, however, in some
cases it may be seal-welded for permanent installation.

The feed pipe is the initial stage of the distribution system and is
vital to the performance of other components of the distribution
system. The feed pipe is attached to the inlet liquid feed nozzle,
usually with a flanged connection.

Injection Support Plates - Vapor passes through slots in the
arches while liquid passes through the slots on the deck.
Maximum throughput capacity and minimum pressure drop are
maintained by keeping the vapor passages clear of liquid

Lightweight mesh is attached to the bed limiter to prevent
carryover of smaller-sized packing. Also called Packing
Migration.

Bed limiters for ceramic packing rest directly on top of the
packed bed and are used exclusively to hold ceramic or tower
packing in place. The plates inhibit fluidization of the top layer
of packing during tower operation.

In some orifice plate distributors, drip tubes are used in
place of some or all of the plate orifices. When used for fouling
service, solids settle out on the deck and clear liquid flows
through the drip tubes.

Flashing Feed Distributors are used to disengage the
vapor phase from a two-phase feed.

Flash-boxes are always installed at a column feeding
point when the inlet is overheated.


Distillations from the Whole

Liquid distributors are the most important equipment for packed
columns. The high separation performance of structured
packings is only achieved with high-precision liquid distributors

The ladder pipe distributor requires the liquid feed to be under
pressure. If wall height is limited, the ladder pipe distributor
offers an advantage over trough distributors.