Heat and Mass Transfer Characteristics of an Annular Sieve Tray

An internally heat integrated distillation column, HIDiC, offers the maximum energy saving potential for difficult and energy intensive separations, such as propylenepropane and the like, which are carried out in tray columns. A novel type of HIDiC was developed by TUDelft, namely a concentric distillation column in which a low pressure annular stripping section is configured around a high pressure rectifying section. Due to a large heat transfer duty requirement per tray, heat transfer panels are placed on the active area of the distillation tray. Experimental results are presented for both the overall heat transfer coefficient between stripping and rectifying section and the separation efficiency of an annular stripping section sieve tray equipped with heat transfer panels.