Force Deentrainment

Centrifugal Force Deentrainment These trays use a contact step similar to that in conventional trays, followed by a separation step that disentrains the tray dispersion by using centrifugal force. Separation of entrained liquid before the next tray allows very high gas velocities, as high as 25 percent above the system limit (see System Limit ), to be achieved. The capacity of these trays can be 40 percent above that of conventional trays. The efficiency of these trays can be 10 to 20 percent less than that of conventional trays due to their typical short flow paths (see Efficiency ). 

The only devices capable of debottlenecking a tray system-limit device are those that introduce a new force that helps disentrain the vapor space. Devices that use centrifugal force (see Centrifugal Force Deentrainment ) are beginning to make inroads into commercial distillation and have achieved capacities as high as 25 percent above the system limit. Even the horizontal vapor push (see "Truncated Downcomers/Forward-Push Trays ) can help settle the entrained drops, but to a much lesser extent. It is unknown whether the horizontal push alone can achieve capacities exceeding the system limit. 

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