NZ247214A

NZ247214A - Packing element in form of frustum with collars at ends and interconnecting ribs; dimensioned to prevent nesting of packed elements

Info

Publication number: NZ247214A
Application number: NZ24721493A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Malcolm David Hubbert
Original assignee: Malcolm David Hubbert
Priority date: 1993-04-19
Filing date: 1993-04-19
Publication date: 1996-03-26

Description

247 2 14 Provisional Specification No. 247214 Date: 19 April 1993 NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 1953 COMPLETER SPECIFICATION PACKING ELEMENT FOR MASS TRANSFER PROCESSES I, Malcolm David Hubbert, a New Zealand citizen, of 16 George Herring Place, Glen Eden, Auckland, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in statement:- 22 SEP 1995 'jj 247214 Page 1 2472 U This invention relates to a packing element for use in mass transfer processes.

Such processes may include evaporative cooling, distillation, rectification, stripping, scrubbing, fractionating, absorbing, separating, washing, extraction, or other chemical and treatment type processes.

In such processes, streams of fluids, usually liquid and gas or vapour, flow through a suitable chamber filled with three dimensional shaped packing elements, which distribute the flow of the fluid streams, and promote extensive contact, resulting in mass transfer between the fluids.

Some packing elements of the known art are designed to be manufactured from sheet metal. Such packing elements may not be suitable for use with corrosive fluids. Some packing elements are designed to be manufactured by injection moulding of plastic materials. Many such elements are complex in shape and require complex tools to mould the required shape. Thus either or both the tooling and manufacture of the element may be relatively expensive.

It is an object of this invention to provide a packing element for use in mass transfer processes which may be easily manufactured by a moulding process.

In one aspect this invention may broadly to be said to consist of a lattice frame in the form of a frustum.

One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings accompanying the provisional specification, in which Figure 1 is a cross section paraiiei to the axis, and Figure 2 is a view normal to the axis.

For convenience the drawings represent the invention in a round form. The invention may equally have a pol 247214 Page 2

Claims

247 2 The packing element comprises a ring collar (1) at the smaller end of the frustum, upon one axial face of which are attached a plurality of equi-spaced ribs (3). The ribs protrude outward from the ring collar to well defined drip points (4). The ribs extend axially from the ring collar for the full length of the frustum. A second ring collar (2) at the larger end of the frustum attaches to the outer corner of each rib (3). The opposing inner corners of the ribs are shaped with well defined drip points (5). In one form of the invention, the small end ring collar (1) may be supported by a number of radial or diametric spokes (6). Any or all of the parts (1,2,3,6) may be either parallel or tapered in cross section. The proportions are such that the outer diametric dimension of the ring collar (1) is greater that the diameter of the circle describing the inner points (5) of the ribs (3), such that adjacent packing elements of the present invention are substantially prevented from nesting one within another when packed in a tower. A packing element as described above may be easily manufactured by moulding plastic resins or ceramic-type materials or by casting metallic materials. WHAT I CLAIM IS

1. A packing element in the shape of substantially a frustum, comprising in combination a ring or polygonal collar at the smaller or top end of the frustum, concentric with the axis of the packing element, a plurality of ribs attached to and spaced equally around said ring or polygonal collar, "'y>*■;\;f, ~ r n J _;247214 Page 3;247 214;each of said ribs protruding outward from said ring or polygonal collar to form a well defined first drip point,;each of said ribs extending longitudinally from said ring or polygonal collar for the full length of the frustum,;each of said ribs formed with a well defined second drip point at the inner corner of the rib, at the larger end of the frustum, a second ring or polygonal collar attached to the outer corners of the ribs at the larger end of the frustum, and concentric with the axis of the packing element,;outer diametric dimension of said top collar greater than the diameter of the circle or polygon describing the inner points of the ribs at the larger end of the frustum, such that adjacent packing elements of the present invention are substantially prevented from nesting one within another when packed in a tower.;

2. A packing element as in claim 1 in which the element is substantially round.;

3. A packing element as in claim 1 in which the element is substantially polygonal.;

4. An apparatus for enhancing fluid contact in a chamber comprising a plurality of packing elements as in claims 1, 2, or 3 located in said chamber in substantially random orientation.;

5. An apparatus for enhancing fluid contact in a chamber comprising a plurality of packing elements as in claims 1, 2, or 3 located in said chambeMjJf^-^;substantially stacked orientation. V ^ \;./* c> (% Malcolm Hubbert, •"» 4 Applicant. 247214 Page 4