Analysis of Failed Tower Design Cases

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Liquid flooding in downcomers: Liquid flooding in a tower is often caused by the downcomers, so the design of these downcomers is particularly important. A tower at a petrochemical plant in Nanjing was not operating properly; several companies specializing in tower equipment were consulted for repairs, but none were able to solve the problem. In a desperate attempt, they cut off a portion of the lower end of the liquid dropping plate, and as a result, there were no more issues when the tower was put back into operation. In fact, this phenomenon was caused by an improper setting of the clearance at the bottom of the liquid dropping pipe, which led to liquid flooding in that area. Of course, in addition to the bottom gap, liquid flooding in the downcomer is also related to factors such as the area of the downcomer, the design of the liquid receiving tray, the plate spacing, the porosity, and the foaming coefficient of the working fluid; these factors need to be considered comprehensively. . .