High Performance Column Internals for Fouling Applications

Fouling applications are found throughout the refining and chemical processing industries. This causes additional cost to plant operations due to subsequent limitations in capacity and/or efficiency and nearly always reduces the allowable unit run length prior to shutdown for cleaning. From an equipment design standpoint, distillation and absorption columns typically use larger orifices and hydraulic forces to keep fouling materials moving. Unfortunately, such modifications often limit the capacity and efficiency of the associated internals. Sulzer has developed several tray and packing options that are proven to resist fouling while maintaining high performance. This presentation will discuss fouling applications and detail the operating characteristics of these high performance fouling resistant devices and design solutions.