The difference for Random Packing vs Structured Packing
2022-07-12
The tower packings has excellent acid resistance and heat resistance, and can resist the corrosion of various inorganic acids, organic acids and organic solvents except hydrofluoric acid, and can be used in various high and low occasions. It has a wide range of applications and can be used in drying towers, adsorption towers and regeneration towers in chemical, metallurgical, gas-to-oxygen and other industries. According to the material, it can be divided into three categories: ceramic filler, plastic filler, metal filler.
What is the difference between random packing and structured packing? We list the following introductions:
* Random packing are solids with a certain geometric status and size, which are generally accumulated in the tower in a random manner. They can be divided into annular packing, annular saddle packing, saddle packing, etc. There are mainly several typical random packings: Pall ring, Raschig ring, Intalox saddle ring, Cascade ring and other packing.
* Structured packing is a kind of packing that is arranged according to uniform geometric figures in the tower and stacked as a whole. Consists of many packing units with the same geometry.
|
Description |
Random packing |
Structured packing |
Advantage |
1. Good corrosion resistance
2. Large gas
3. Light weight
4. Easy loading
5. Recycled use
|
1. High efficiency
2. Low pressure drop
3. Large process capacity
4. Small liquid holding capacity
5. The amplification effect is not obvious
6. Great flexibility in operation |
Disadvantage |
After using for a period, the packing is easy to block, especially in the working conditions with poor process environment, the packing is staggered at different angles, and it is easy to deposit sulfur paste and dirt, causing gas-liquid deviation and causing the inside of the tower. The packing is blocked, affecting the stable operation of the system. |
When the tower neck increases, it will cause uneven distribution of gas and liquid, poor contact, etc., resulting in a drop in efficiency; at the same time, structured packing has the disadvantages of heavy weight, high cost, troublesome cleaning and maintenance, and large packing loss. |
One of the domestic customers who is working on a natural gas project and adopts a decarbonation process. The absorption tower they choose is a structured packing: 250Y ceramic structured packing. However, it is also suggested to change the structured packing to a Pall ring or a saddle ring. So how to choose the right tower packing?
First of all, structured packing is not easy to clean. If the material is dirty and blocked, the effect of cleaning without discharging the packing is very poor. However, if the structured packing is unloaded, it will be scrapped in large quantities, so the structured packing is generally not suitable for the occasions where the material is dirty; while the random packing such as Pall ring and saddle ring, when the tower is blocked, the packing can be conveniently packed through the manhole Unload it, clean it and then put it back into the packed tower. Therefore, when the material is dirty, it is recommended to use random packing.
However, the main point is that in most cases, the efficiency of structured packing is higher than that of random packing, especially the resistance drop is lower, and although Pall rings and saddle rings are more efficient packings in random packing, Still no better than 250Y corrugated ceramic packing, and the pressure drop is also higher. Therefore, if it is changed to random packing, the height of the packing layer and the pressure drop of the whole tower should be recalculated.
There is another suggestion, if worried that the tower is easy to block, can use random packing and 250Y corrugated packing together. In the tower section that is easy to block, stack a few meters of random packing, and use 250Y Perforated Plate Corrugated in other tower sections. If it is found that the pressure drop is large and the blockage is blocked, take out the random packing for cleaning, and then return to the packed tower. In this way, the problem of blocking the tower is solved, and the efficiency is also improved, and the energy consumption and construction cost are reduced.
The above point is only from the opinion of OIM Chemical, and does not mean that all absorption towers are used. Specific problems need to be analyzed in detail. Welcome to discuss more with us freely.
Tracy Chen 
