How to Surpass Conventional and High Capacity Structured Packings with Raschig Super-Pak

Abstract

Raschig Super-Pak is a novel development in structured packing product technology that is fundamentally different to the well known corrugated perforated or non-perforated, textured sheet metal structured packings. It comprises of a systematic sequence of smooth sinusoidal waves above and below the plain of the metal sheet. Tests at the Ruhr University of Bochum showed that the new open structure resulted in very high capacities low pressure drops and excellent mass transfer efficiencies. Encouraged by these early successes, total reflux distillation tests with Raschig Super-Pak 300 were conducted at the Separations Research Program, University of Texas at Austin. Results in terms of useful capacity, mass transfer efficiency, pressure drop and pressure drop per theoretical stage are presented. Comparisons with the Montz standard B1-250 and high capacity B1-250M structured packings tested under identical conditions will be shown. In addition results are compared against F.R.I. tested Mellapak M250Y and MellapakPlus M252Y structured packings for the same test fluid at 0.34 and 1.65 bar system pressures. Overall Raschig Super-Pak 300 exhibits higher useful capacities and lower pressure drops compared not only with standard 45° corrugation angle 250 m 2 m −3 surface area structured packings but also with the high capacity counterpart types as well. Remarkably these gains were achieved without any adverse effects on mass transfer efficiency. This observation is reflected in the lower pressure drop per theoretical stage of Raschig Super-Pak 300 compared to the 250 m 2 m −3 surface area structured packings. These highly encouraging results provide industry with an alternative choice for smaller column diameter and/or higher capacity: the Raschig Super-Pak.