ES302967A1 - A process and apparatus for contacting fluid material with a material of greater density - Google Patents

Abstract

In a process for contacting a first continuous fluid phase with a second phase of greater density in particulate solid or liquid form there is continuously produced within at least one annular contacting zone an inwardly circulating stream of the first phase and the second is continuously introduced into the circulating stream and suspended therein, the suspension being subjected to centrifugal forces such that only the first phase can continue its inward path 'to leave the contacting zone in a region near the axis thereof. The process may be applied to contacting gases or vapour with liquid, liquids with liquids and gases with particulate solids. The apparatus shown in Fig. 2 is described as a fractionating column which may be used also for desalinating sea water and comprises a cylindrical vessel closed at its lower end by a base plate having an inlet for rising vapour and an outlet for descending liquid and at its upper end by a top plate with an outlet 37 for overhead and through which passes a shaft 25 carrying a rotor 30 and rotatable at high speed. The cylindrical vessel is divided internally into a series of contact zones 35a. .35n defined between pairs of plates such as 26a and 28a, the plate 26a being secured to the inner wall of the casing and serving to support a plate such as 28a. Plates such as 28a terminate closely to the rotor at their inner peripheries but are slotted as at 29a adjacent the inner wall of the cylindrical vessel, plates such as 26a leave annular gaps around the rotor so that rising vapour passes outwardly after leaving a contact zone and passes inwardly in a contact zone. Each plate such as 28a has an annular liquid collecting dam and the plate is apertured immediately below pipes such as 33a whereby vapour rising through an aperture jets liquid from a dam through a pipe such as 33a. Liquid is introduced into zone 35a by a pipe 40 and thereafter descents from zone to zone through pipes such as 36a. The rotor 30 carries for each zone a set of fan blades such as 24a and between each zone blades such as 22a, the latter serving to impel vapour leaving a zone through the apertures in the plates such as 28a and the peripheral slots such as 29a to atomise liquid in the zone being entered, while fan blades such as 24a impart a centrifugal force to the droplets of liquid suspended in the vapour so that only vapour leaves a zone through the annular gap adjacent the rotor. In a modified apparatus Fig. 9 (not shown) plates such as 59a corresponding to the plates such 28a of Fig. 2 are mounted on the rotor and rotated therewith and have a pair of radially spaced liquid collecting dams, descending liquid being fed to the inner dam. The fan blades of Fig. 2 are omitted and impeller blades corresponding to the blades such as 22a of Fig. 2 are carried in the under surfaces of the rotating plates such as 59a. This modified apparatus may be further modified when used for contacting gases or vapours with particulate solids by the provision of upstanding members on the revolving plates between the radially spaced dams.