(156c) Why NOT Structured Packings in High-Pressure Distillation Applications?

In the chemical processing industries (CPI), structured packings are widely used for distillation and absorption columns. However, the HETP ‘hump’, or deterioration of the mass transfer performance at about 65-90% of flood, made the structured packing not suitable for high-pressure distillation applications. It is very crucial to understand why the structured packing is not trusted in the high-pressure distillation applications. In this paper, the hump phenomenon and observations are described. The previous studies on the HETP hump are reviewed. The possible explanations of the hump mechanisms are discussed. Based on this study, the likely reasons that may cause the HETP hump are proposed, and a guideline about the structured packing application is provided. Future studies on HETP hump are discussed to further under the hump phenomenon.