Downcomer entrance flood

Downcomer Choke Flooding This is also called downcomer entrance flood or downcomer velocity flood. A downcomer must be sufficiently large to transport all the liquid downflow. Excessive friction losses in the downcomer entrance, and/or excessive flow rate of gas venting from the downcomer in counterflow, will impede liquid downflow, initiating liquid accumulation (termed downcomer choke flooding) on the tray above. The prime design parameter is the downcomer top area. Further down the downcomer, gas disengages from the liquid and the volumes of aerated liquid downflow and vented gas... 

Downcomer choke flooding (Fig. 6.7d). As liquid flow rate increases, so does the velocity of aerated liquid in the downcomer. When this velocity exceeds a certain limit, friction losses in the downcomer and downcomer entrance become excessive, and the frothy mixture cannot be transported to the tray below. This causes liquid accumuletion on the tray above. 

A downcomer must be sufficiently large to transport all of the liquid downflow without choking. If the friction losses in the downcomer and or downcomer entrance are excessive, liquid will back up onto the tray and eventually flood the column. This is termed downcomer choke. The prime design parameter is the downcomer top area, where friction losses are highest- Further down the downcomer, vapor disengages and the aerated liquid downflow is greatly reduced. With sloped downcomers, the downcomer bottom area is normally set at about 1.7 to 2 times less than the area at the top of the downcomer (1,8,9,10,48). This taper is small enough to keep the downcomer top area the prime downcomer choke variable. 

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