(207b) Tower Scanning As a Quantitative Tool

Tower Scanning as a Quantitative Tool

Lowell Pless  - 
Tracerco   
 &    Izak Nieuwoudt  -  Koch-Glitsch

Tower scanning is
well established in the process industries as a qualitative tool to help
troubleshoot separation towers. In this presentation it will be shown that
through careful and innovative application of gamma scanning and neutron
backscatter techniques, quantitative information about tray performance can be
extracted. This will be illustrated by comparing data taken under very
controlled conditions on a hydrocarbon tower equipped with windows, with the
data obtained from scans of the tray downcomer and active area. Three sets of
trays designed to flood under jet flood, downcomer backup or choke flood
mechanisms were tested and studied. The experimental observations, tray model
predictions, and scan data for each of these sets of trays will be compared.
Based on this information it can be concluded that tower scanning can be used
to generate quantitative information about tray performance.