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2.  Plate contractors

Plate contractors/ towers are vertical cylindrical columns in which a vertical stack of trays or plates are installed across the column height as shown in Figure 7.1. The liquid enters at the top of the column and flows across the tray and then through a downcomer (cross-flow mode) to the next tray below. The gas/vapor from the lower tray flows in the upward direction through the opening/holes in the tray to form a gas-liquid dispersion. In this way, the mass transfer between the phases (gas/vapor-liquid) takes place across the tray and through the column in a stage-wise manner.

 

Figure 7.1. Schematic diagram of a plate contractor ( [1] page 159 ).