Prospectus

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DSP-16 Efficiency & Operating Limits of Packed Oxygen Strippers Expected Benefit toMembers: The proposed experiments are intended to determine the effects of liquid loading, stripping gas ratio, and a partial bubble column operation on the stripping efficiency of packed oxygen strippers. The results from this FRI experimental work will provide guidance to FRI member companies on optimizing future grassroots and revamp designs of oxygen strippers and other towers with very high liquid/vapor ratios. Present Situation and Proposed Research: Oxygen strippers are used in refineries and chemical plants to remove dissolved oxygen in low boiling range and middle distillate hydrocarbon streams to avoid fouling of process equipment. Some packed oxygen stripper designs have not achieved their expected stripping efficiency performance. These towers typically operate with relatively high liquid loadings and very low vapor loadings of stripping gas because of the very high relative volatility of oxygen to most hydrocarbon liquids. The field efficiency data are less-than-expected in this service. A 20-ft. deep bed of nominal 1” size random packing (preferably IMTP 25 or 1” Pall rings) in a 24” diameter pipe sleeve installed in one of the 4-ft. diameter FRI columns should be used. Perform stripping tests at liquid loadings of 40, 60 and 80 gpm/ft2 of tower cross-sectional area. For each liquid loading, four stripping gas ratios should be used at lambda values of 1.5, 3, 6, and 12 and atmospheric pressure. The experiments described above are then repeated with the liquid level in the column raised to submerge half or more of the packed bed to simulate a partial bubble column. Proposed Internals and Test System: Developmental Research Idea

Estimated Unit Time: One operating week for each internal, total unit time 6 weeks. Estimated Additional Costs (Beyond Unit Time): Unknown

para/ortho xylene system at close to atmospheric conditions; C6/C7 system at close to atmospheric conditions.

Background and Discussion: To help plan the FRI experimental program, smaller scale tests with a simple test system such as stripping oxygen from water with nitrogen should be considered at a contract research facility before proceeding to the FRI column test.

PROSPECTUS

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