Umted States Patent [191 [11] Patent Number: 4,729,857 Lee e t al. [45] Date o f Patent: Mar. 8 , 1988 [54] DISTRIBUTOR FOR PACKED OTHER PUBLICATIONS [75] Inventors: Adam T. Lee Richardson- Layton Chemical Engineering’ May 7’ 1985’ pp’ 22.’ 23’ 25’ 27’ Kitterman G’ainsevine bath of Tex Boostmg Tower Performance, McGraw-Hill. ’ ’ Chemical Engineering, Mar. 5 , 1984, pp. 40 e t seq., [73] Assignee: Glitsch, Inc., Dallas, Tex. How Packing Stacks Up, McGraw-Hill. [21] App]. No.: 42,759 Primary Examiner-Tim Miles [22] Filed_ Apr 27 1987 Attorney, Agent, o r Firm-Stanley R . Moore . , [51] Int. cu ............................................. . . B01F 3/04 [57] ABSTRACT [52] ............... .. 261/97; 261/110; An improved liquid ?ow istributor for a process 001 261/103; 239/524 umn o f the type wherein the distributor i s positioned [58] Field of Search ....................... .. 261/97, 110, 103; above a packing section for the distribution of liquid 239/524 downwardly therethrough. The improvement com . prises a plurality of troughs formed with a downwardly [56] References cued tapering body section having holes formed therein for U5. PATENT DOCUMENTS spewing liquid outwardly therefrom. Baf?es are dis 2,535,386 12/1950 Brookins ............................. . 261/97 P°sed “twardly ° f 11? 1°Wer taPering PM)’ Swims f 3,080,124 3/1963 Rathmann _ , 239/524 the troughs for ‘receiving the spew of liquid therefrom 3,273,872 9/1966 Ecken .... , _ 261/96 and evenly distributing the liquid ?ow ownwardly. A 3,589,689 6/1971 English .... .. 261/114 plurality of flow equalization pipes interconnect the 3,959,419 5/1976 Kitterman. 261/98 troughs one with the other and are coupled t o the 4,066,472 1/1978 Perry ~ - - - - - - - - 239/524 troughs through a low r sidewall region thereof. In this 45159391 g/ 97? Bmcke“ ‘3131 261g 6 1 1 4 91; manner, flow equalization between troughs i s provided 6x331 gcr’grzgck‘ ‘ ‘ 261/{10 and the ?ow equalization pipes are presented in a con 4,472,325 9/1984 Roblpins . . . . . . 261/97 ?guration allowing debris to b e removed therefrom. In 4:479:909 10/1934 strenber 261/97 one embodiment a series o f screens are secured to the 4,557,377 12/1935 Hofstotter ........................... . . 261/97 bottom regions Of the baffles for further facilitating FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 2945103 5/1981 Fed. Rep. of Germany ..... . . 261/97 3141930 5/1983 Fed. Rep. of Germany ...... . . 261/97 uniformity in flow distribution emanating from the troughs. 2 0 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures I .
