High Performance Tray Design Dr. Leon Fan Kenning Engineering, LLC

Dr. Leon Fan Graduate Chinese Academy of Sciences Post Doctoral Work on Gas/Liquid Two Phase Flow, University of Illinois FRI Research Engineer Glitch Inc. Manager, Research Department ACS Separations Technology, Technical Director Six Tray Patents & Numerous Publications July 2001

High Performance Trays High Capacity + High Separation Efficiency Uniform Gas/Liquid Flow Distribution Intimate Gas/Liquid Contact on the Tray Correct Liquid Residence Time on the Tray-Deck and in the Down-Comer July 2001

Structured Packing (1) Advantages Low Pressure Drop High Gas Flow Capacity High Mass Transfer Under Certain Conditions July 2001

Structured Packing (2) Disadvantages Application Unstable Performance at High Liquid Rates High Bed Requires Liquid Re-distribution Cannot be Used in Fouling Systems Application Low to Medium Liquid Rate Distillation July 2001

Isobutane/N-Butane, 300 psia Tested by FRI July 2001

History Begins in Early 1990 Glitch Nye Tray Glitch SuperFrac Tray (Early Version) Nutter MVG Koch MaxFrac Norton Triton Glitch SuperFrac Tray (New Version) July 2001

Development Incentives Production Expansion Without Changing Column Size or Tower Attachments Improved Product Quality Reduction of Reflux Rate and Energy Consumption Improved Anti-Fouling Characteristics July 2001

Common Characteristics Use of Fixed or Moveable Valves, Instead of Sieve Tray Use of Modified Down-Comers July 2001

Gas Liquid Flow Pattern Sieve Tray Valve Tray July 2001

Normal Tray Valve July 2001

New Mini-Valves, Gas Flow Patterns July 2001

“Scallop Edged, Miniature-Valves” SEMV’s Kenning Tray “Scallop Edged, Miniature-Valves” SEMV’s Scalloped Edges Divide Gas Stream to Several Small Streams to Enhance Gas/Liquid Contact Small Gas Streams Reduce Pressure Drop Small Gas Streams Reduce Liquid Entrainment July 2001

Gas-Liquid Flow Pattern on Conventional Tray Low Liquid Flow Efficient Mass Transfer Low Gas Flow July 2001 July 2001

Conventional Bubbling Promoter Downcomer Vessel Wall Liquid Flow Gas Flow July 2001

Kenning Bubbling Promoter July 2001

Triangular Bubbling Promoters Diminish High, Horizontal Liquid Velocity out of Down-comer Strong Gas Streams Blend Clear Liquid into Froth Three Dimensional Velocity of all Gas Streams out of Bubbling Promoter July 2001

Koch MaxFracTM Tray with Truncated Downcomer July 2001

Gas-Liquid Flow Pattern on Kenning Tray Efficient Mass Transfer July 2001

Downcomer Design Create Best Initial Liquid Flow Distribution Minimize Down-comer Bottom to Increase Active Area Maximize Weir Length and Down-comer Exit Length July 2001

Glitch New SuperFrac™ Tray Downcomer Design July 2001

Kenning Tray Isometric July 2001

Kenning Tray Downcomer Design July 2001

Kenning Tray Basic Components Miniature Valves Bubbling Promoters Down-Comers July 2001

Kenning Tray Deck July 2001

View of Tray July 2001

1-Butene Separation System Existing System Two Consecutive Towers 1.3 m & 1.8 m I.D 150 Conventional Trays in Each Tower Existing Trays Japanese Design & Manufacture Goal Increase Feed Rate from 3.2 tons/hr to 5 tons/hr Raise Yield from 89% to more than 90% July 2001

Results Feed Rate Increased to 5 tons/hr Yield Raised to 93.6% Total Pressure Drop of the Columns did not Increase No Tower Attachments Changed No Welding on the Vessels July 2001

Reasons for Capacity Gain SEMV’s allow increased gas flow with lower pressure drop. Downcomer design increases active tray area and improves vapor/liquid flow distribution. Bubbling Promoter aerates liquid more quickly. High separation efficiency reduces reflux rate. July 2001

Modified Arrangement of Side Draw Fig. 10 July 2001

Typical Vapor Horn Gas Flow In Gas Flow Out July 2001

Multi-Stage Vapor Distributor Gas Flow In July 2001

View of Multi-Stage Vapor Distributor July 2001

C4 & Solvent Mixing Section Fig. 5a Fig. 5b July 2001