JP7618966B2 - Gas-liquid contactor - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a gas-liquid contact device.

Conventionally, gas separation and capture systems have been used in chemical plants, thermal power plants, etc., to separate, remove, or capture specific gases from treated gases, such as exhaust gases that contain various types of gases, by utilizing gas-liquid contact. For example, a carbon dioxide separation and capture system absorbs and separates carbon dioxide by contacting a gas containing carbon dioxide with an absorbing liquid, such as an aqueous monoethanolamine solution, and releases the carbon dioxide into the gas phase by heating the absorbing liquid after absorption and bringing it into gas-liquid contact, thereby capturing the carbon dioxide.

In general, gas-liquid contact devices used in gas separation and recovery systems are equipped with a gas-liquid contact section having a packing material for increasing the contact area between the liquid and the gas. When the liquid and the gas come into gas-liquid contact on the surface of the packing material, specific gas components and heat in the gas are absorbed by the liquid. In addition, the gas-liquid contact device further increases the contact area between the gas and the liquid and improves the contact efficiency by arranging multiple such gas-liquid contact sections vertically. In particular, in a gas-liquid contact section using multiple parallel vertical flat plates as packing material, pressure loss due to gas flow resistance is small, so even if multiple gas-liquid contact sections are stacked in multiple stages, the energy consumption in the gas-liquid contact process can be kept low. However, in a multi-stage structure in which multiple gas-liquid contact sections are stacked in the vertical direction, there is a limit to increasing the number of stages and improving the contact efficiency. In addition, in a gas-liquid contact device such as an absorption tower, there is a limit to increasing the volume ratio of the gas-liquid contact section.

In response to this, Patent Document 1 discloses a gas-liquid contactor having a multi-stage structure in which multiple gas-liquid contact sections, each of which is fitted with plate-shaped packing, are arranged horizontally. With such a gas-liquid contactor, when adding more gas-liquid contact sections, the expansion is done in the horizontal direction, making it easier to add more sections compared to gas-liquid contactors in which the number of sections is increased vertically.

In addition, in a gas-liquid contact device in which multiple gas-liquid contact sections are stacked vertically, liquid and gas flow in countercurrents in the gas-liquid contact sections. In contrast, in the gas-liquid contact device disclosed in Patent Document 1, liquid flows vertically and gas flows horizontally in the gas-liquid contact sections, so the so-called flooding phenomenon, in which the device becomes inoperable due to a decrease in pressure, is unlikely to occur. Therefore, in the gas-liquid contact device disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is easier to increase the flow rate of liquid than in a gas-liquid contact device in which multiple gas-liquid contact sections are stacked vertically.

JP 2018-86635 A

The gas-liquid contact device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is more advantageous than a gas-liquid contact device in which multiple gas-liquid contact sections are stacked vertically in the above respects, but there is room for further improvement, for example, to further improve the gas-liquid contact efficiency.

Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide a gas-liquid contact device that is advantageous in improving gas-liquid contact efficiency or reducing manufacturing costs.

A gas-liquid contactor according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a gas-liquid contact section having a plurality of regions that are horizontally connected to each other and each of which is provided with a packing material; a liquid supply system that supplies liquid to the packing material from above in the vertical direction for each region while sequentially circulating the liquid through the plurality of regions along an arrangement of the plurality of regions; and a gas supply system that sequentially circulates gas through the plurality of regions along the arrangement of the plurality of regions to bring the gas into contact with the liquid for each region. The packing material is a first packing member and a second packing member that are alternately stacked on top of each other and are plate-shaped and parallel to the supply direction of the liquid and the supply direction of the gas to the packing material. and two filling members, at least a portion of the first filling member and the second filling member is a corrugated plate, the corrugation direction of the corrugated plate of the first filling member and the corrugation direction of the corrugated plate of the second filling member are inclined in opposite directions to each other with respect to the vertical direction, the pitch of the corrugations in the corrugated plates differs for each of the fillers installed in each of the multiple regions, and the liquid supply system includes a pump for each of the multiple regions that supplies liquid temporarily stored vertically below the filling material to vertically above the filling material, and the capacity of the pump differs for each of the multiple regions in accordance with the difference in the pitch of the corrugated plates.

In the gas-liquid contactor, the first packing member and the second packing member may be entirely corrugated. Each of the first packing member and the second packing member may have a corrugated portion on the upper side in the vertical direction and a flat portion on the lower side in the vertical direction .

The present disclosure provides a gas-liquid contact device that is advantageous in improving gas-liquid contact efficiency or reducing manufacturing costs.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a gas-liquid contactor according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a gas-liquid contactor according to a first embodiment taken along a YZ plane. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a third filler including a partially exploded view in the first embodiment. 10 is a plan view of a third filling material in the first embodiment as viewed from above in the Z direction. FIG. 4A to 4C are schematic side views illustrating alternatives to the filler in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a gas-liquid contactor according to a second embodiment. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a gas-liquid contactor according to a second embodiment taken along the YZ plane. FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a third filler including a partially exploded view in the second embodiment.

Below, several exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, the dimensions, materials, and other specific values shown in the embodiments are merely examples, and do not limit the present disclosure unless otherwise specified. In the drawings, piping systems through which liquids flow are simply shown by solid lines. Furthermore, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are given the same reference numerals to avoid duplicated explanations, and elements that are not directly related to the present disclosure are not illustrated.

First Embodiment
1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a gas-liquid contactor 1 according to a first embodiment. The gas-liquid contactor 1 brings a liquid L into contact with a gas G, thereby causing a specific gas component contained in the gas G to be absorbed into the liquid L as an absorbing liquid.

Gas G may be, for example, exhaust gas or reaction gas generated in facilities such as chemical plants or thermal power plants. In this case, the gas-liquid contact device 1 processes carbon dioxide and acidic gases such as nitrogen oxides or sulfur oxides as specific components.

The liquid L is selected according to the specific component to be removed from the gas G. When recovering and removing carbon dioxide, an aqueous solution of an alkaline agent such as a cyclic amine compound, an alkanol amine, a phenol amine, or an alkali metal salt may be used as the liquid L. When removing sulfur oxides, an aqueous solution of an alkaline agent such as a calcium compound or a magnesium compound may be used as the liquid L. For example, if an aqueous solution of monoethanolamine (MEA) is used as the liquid L when recovering and removing carbon dioxide, carbamates, amine salts (carbamates), carbonates, bicarbonates, etc. will be produced by reaction with carbon dioxide.

The gas-liquid contact device 1 comprises a gas-liquid contact section 2, a liquid supply system 3, a gas supply system 4, and a container 21 that constitutes the gas-liquid contact section 2 inside. In each of the figures from FIG. 1 onwards, the Z direction is defined as the vertical direction as an example, and in the following explanation, the upper side in the Z direction may be simply referred to as "upper", and the lower side in the Z direction may be simply referred to as "lower".

The container 21 has a horizontally elongated shape. In FIG. 1 and the following figures, the X direction is defined as the longitudinal direction of the container 21, for example. The container 21 has, for example, a top plate 21t, a bottom plate 21b, and a pair of side walls 21s aligned along the X direction, and a first end wall 21a and a second end wall 21d at both ends in the X direction. In other words, more specifically, the shape of the container 21 is a substantially square prism whose cross section parallel to the YZ plane perpendicular to the X direction is substantially rectangular.

The gas-liquid contact section 2 has four regions, a first region 2a, a second region 2b, a third region 2c, and a fourth region 2d, which are allocated to be arranged horizontally along the X direction. Each region of the gas-liquid contact section 2 corresponds to a conventional one-stage gas-liquid contact section or gas-liquid contact phase.

Furthermore, the gas-liquid contact section 2 has fillers 22 installed in each region. Hereinafter, the filler 22 installed in the first region 2a will be referred to as the first filler 22a. Similarly, the filler 22 installed in the second region 2b will be referred to as the second filler 22b, the filler 22 installed in the third region 2c will be referred to as the third filler 22c, and the filler 22 installed in the fourth region 2d will be referred to as the fourth filler 22d. The specific shape of the filler 22 will be described in detail below.

The vessel 21 also has an upper partition wall 23 and a lower partition wall 24 that faces the upper partition wall 23 in the Z direction at the boundary between two adjacent regions in the gas-liquid contact section 2.

The upper partition walls 23 each protrude from the top plate 21t toward the bottom plate 21b. Of the upper partition walls 23, the one installed at the boundary between the first region 2a and the second region 2b is the first upper partition wall 23a. Similarly, the one installed at the boundary between the second region 2b and the third region 2c is the second upper partition wall 23b. The one installed at the boundary between the third region 2c and the fourth region 2d is the third upper partition wall 23c.

The multiple lower partition walls 24 each protrude from the bottom plate 21b toward the top plate 21t. Of the multiple lower partition walls 24, the one installed at the boundary between the first region 2a and the second region 2b is the first lower partition wall 24a. Similarly, the one installed at the boundary between the second region 2b and the third region 2c is the second lower partition wall 24b. The one installed at the boundary between the third region 2c and the fourth region 2d is the third lower partition wall 24c.

Between the upper partition wall 23 and the lower partition wall 24 facing the upper partition wall 23 in the Z direction is an opening 25. The first region 2a and the second region 2b communicate in the X direction through a first opening 25a sandwiched between the first upper partition wall 23a and the first lower partition wall 24a. Similarly, the second region 2b and the third region 2c communicate in the X direction through a second opening 25b sandwiched between the second upper partition wall 23b and the second lower partition wall 24b. The third region 2c and the fourth region 2d communicate in the X direction through a third opening 25c sandwiched between the third upper partition wall 23c and the third lower partition wall 24c.

In this embodiment, four regions are assigned to the gas-liquid contact section 2, but the number of regions assigned may be any number equal to or greater than two. In this embodiment, four regions are assigned evenly to the gas-liquid contact section 2, but the lengths of the regions in the X direction may be different, for example.

The liquid supply system 3 supplies liquid L to each of the fillers 22 arranged in the multiple regions of the gas-liquid contact section 2. The liquid supply system 3 has a liquid inlet 31a for introducing the liquid L into the container 21, a liquid outlet 31b for discharging the liquid L from the container 21, and a circulation system 33 provided for each of the multiple regions.

In this embodiment, as mentioned in the description of the gas supply system 4, the container 21 has spatial regions between the gas inlet 41 and the fourth region 2d, and between the gas outlet 42 and the first region 2a. In this case, the liquid inlet 31a may be provided on the bottom plate 21b of the container 21 so as to communicate with the spatial region between the gas outlet 42 and the first region 2a. The liquid outlet 31b may be provided on the bottom plate 21b of the container 21 so as to communicate with the spatial region between the gas inlet 41 and the fourth region 2d.

The container 21 also has a fourth lower partition wall 24d installed at the boundary between the fourth region 2d and the spatial region between the gas inlet 41 and the fourth region 2d as one of the multiple lower partition walls 24.

The circulation system 33 has a liquid recovery port 34 provided on the lower side, a liquid distributor 35 provided on the upper side, and a return pipe 36 connecting the liquid recovery port 34 and the liquid distributor 35 for one region in the gas-liquid contact section 2. Hereinafter, the circulation system 33 for the first region 2a will be referred to as the first circulation system 33a. Similarly, the circulation system 33 for the second region 2b will be referred to as the second circulation system 33b, the circulation system 33 for the third region 2c will be referred to as the third circulation system 33c, and the circulation system 33 for the fourth region 2d will be referred to as the fourth circulation system 33d. In accordance with these notations, the liquid recovery port 34, liquid distributor 35, and return pipe 36 included in the first circulation system 33a will be referred to as the first liquid recovery port 34a, the first liquid distributor 35a, and the first return pipe 36a, respectively. Similarly, the liquid recovery port 34, liquid distributor 35, and return pipe 36 included in the second circulation system 33b are respectively referred to as the second liquid recovery port 34b, the second liquid distributor 35b, and the second return pipe 36b. The liquid recovery port 34, liquid distributor 35, and return pipe 36 included in the third circulation system 33c are respectively referred to as the third liquid recovery port 34c, the third liquid distributor 35c, and the third return pipe 36c. The liquid recovery port 34, liquid distributor 35, and return pipe 36 included in the fourth circulation system 33d are respectively referred to as the fourth liquid recovery port 34d, the fourth liquid distributor 35d, and the fourth return pipe 36d.

Here, the bottom plate 21b of the container 21 is formed in a concave shape, a so-called funnel shape, inclined so that the center is lowest, for each region of the gas-liquid contact section 2. Each of the multiple liquid recovery ports 34 is connected to the bottom of the corresponding concave shape of the bottom plate 21b.

The liquid distributor 35 disperses the liquid L supplied through the reflux pipe 36 downward. As the liquid distributor 35, for example, a so-called shower head type liquid distributor having a drip point density (the number of liquid supply points per area) of about 100 to 3000 points/ ^m2 , more preferably about 500 to 3000 points/ ^m2 , can be used. The shower head type liquid distributor is mainly composed of distribution pipes for guiding and distributing the liquid L to each drip point.

A pump 37 is installed in the return pipe 36 between the liquid recovery port 34 and the liquid distributor 35 as a power source that supplies liquid transport energy. The liquid L collected in the liquid recovery port 34 is supplied to the liquid distributor 35 by driving the pump 37. The flow rate of the liquid L flowing through the return pipe 36 can be adjusted by the operator adjusting the drive of the pump 37. Hereinafter, the pump 37 for the first region 2a will be referred to as the first pump 37a. Similarly, the pump 37 for the second region 2b will be referred to as the second pump 37b, the pump 37 for the third region 2c as the third pump 37c, and the pump 37 for the fourth region 2d as the fourth pump 37d.

In addition, a heat exchanger 38 for adjusting the temperature of the liquid L may be installed in the reflux pipe 36. As will be described in detail below, in this embodiment, the liquid L introduced into the gas-liquid contact section 2 from the liquid inlet 31a moves from the first region 2a to the adjacent regions in sequence. Here, if a temperature change occurs in the liquid L due to gas-liquid contact while moving sequentially between each region, the temperature change of the liquid L can be suppressed by using the heat exchanger 38. Hereinafter, the heat exchanger 38 for the first region 2a will be referred to as the first heat exchanger 38a. Similarly, the heat exchanger 38 for the second region 2b will be referred to as the second heat exchanger 38b, the heat exchanger 38 for the third region 2c will be referred to as the third heat exchanger 38c, and the heat exchanger 38 for the fourth region 2d will be referred to as the fourth heat exchanger 38d.

In the liquid supply system 3, first, the liquid L is introduced from the liquid inlet 31a into the first region 2a in the gas-liquid contact section 2. Since the liquid inlet 31a is connected to the bottom plate 21b of the container 21, the introduced liquid L is directed toward the first liquid recovery port 34a in the first region 2a. Next, when the first pump 37a is driven, the liquid L recovered at the first liquid recovery port 34a is supplied to the first liquid distributor 35a through the first return pipe 36a. Then, the first liquid distributor 35a sprays the supplied liquid L downward. Since the first filler 22a is disposed below the first liquid distributor 35a, the first filler 22a is wetted with the liquid L by the spraying of the liquid L by the first liquid distributor 35a. The liquid L attached to the first filler 22a eventually flows down toward the bottom plate 21b in the first region 2a. The first liquid recovery port 34a is connected to the bottom plate 21b, so that the liquid L circulates within the first region 2a.

On the other hand, a first lower partition wall 24a is installed at the boundary between the first region 2a and the second region 2b on the bottom plate 21b of the container 21. Therefore, even if the liquid L is introduced from the liquid inlet 31a and the liquid L flows down from the first filling material 22a, a certain amount of liquid L is temporarily stored on the bottom plate 21b in the first region 2a. However, as the introduction of liquid L from the liquid inlet 31a progresses, the amount of liquid L stored in the first region 2a gradually increases. Then, when the liquid level of the stored liquid L exceeds the height of the first lower partition wall 24a, the amount of liquid L corresponding to the newly introduced amount will jump over the first lower partition wall 24a and flow into the adjacent second region 2b.

The liquid L that flows into the second region 2b flows toward the second liquid recovery port 34b in the second region 2b. When the second pump 37b is driven, the liquid L recovered at the second liquid recovery port 34b is supplied to the second liquid distributor 35b through the second return pipe 36b and is sprayed downward from the second liquid distributor 35b. The second filler 22b disposed below the second liquid distributor 35b is wetted with the liquid L by the spraying of the liquid L by the second liquid distributor 35b. The liquid L that adheres to the second filler 22b eventually flows down toward the bottom plate 21b in the second region 2b and is again collected at the second liquid recovery port 34b. In other words, the liquid L circulates in the second region 2b. Meanwhile, a second lower partition wall 24b is installed at the boundary between the second region 2b and the third region 2c in the bottom plate 21b. Therefore, like the first region 2a, a certain amount of liquid L is temporarily stored on the bottom plate 21b in the second region 2b. However, when the liquid level of the stored liquid L exceeds the height of the second lower partition wall 24b, the amount of liquid L corresponding to the new inflow from the first region 2a jumps over the second lower partition wall 24b and flows into the adjacent third region 2c.

The liquid L that flows into the third region 2c flows toward the third liquid recovery port 34c in the third region 2c. When the third pump 37c is driven, the liquid L recovered at the third liquid recovery port 34c is supplied to the third liquid distributor 35c through the third return pipe 36c and is sprayed downward from the third liquid distributor 35c. The third filler 22c disposed below the third liquid distributor 35c is wetted with the liquid L by the spraying of the liquid L by the third liquid distributor 35c. The liquid L that adheres to the third filler 22c eventually flows down toward the bottom plate 21b in the third region 2c and is again collected at the third liquid recovery port 34c. In other words, the liquid L circulates in the third region 2c. Meanwhile, a third lower partition wall 24c is installed at the boundary between the third region 2c and the fourth region 2d in the bottom plate 21b. Therefore, like the first region 2a, a certain amount of liquid L is temporarily stored on the bottom plate 21b in the third region 2c. However, when the liquid level of the stored liquid L exceeds the height of the third lower partition wall 24c, the amount of liquid L corresponding to the new inflow from the second region 2b jumps over the third lower partition wall 24c and flows into the adjacent fourth region 2d.

The liquid L that flows into the fourth region 2d flows toward the fourth liquid recovery port 34d in the fourth region 2d. When the fourth pump 37d is driven, the liquid L recovered at the fourth liquid recovery port 34d is supplied to the fourth liquid distributor 35d through the fourth return pipe 36d and is sprayed downward from the fourth liquid distributor 35d. The spraying of the liquid L by the fourth liquid distributor 35d wets the fourth filler 22d arranged below the fourth liquid distributor 35d with the liquid L. The liquid L that adheres to the fourth filler 22d eventually flows down toward the bottom plate 21b in the fourth region 2d and is recovered again at the fourth liquid recovery port 34d. In other words, the liquid L circulates in the fourth region 2d as well. A fourth lower partition wall 24d is installed at the boundary between the fourth region 2d on the bottom plate 21b of the container 21 and the space region between the gas introduction section 41 and the fourth region 2d. Therefore, as in the first region 2a, a certain amount of liquid L is temporarily stored on the bottom plate 21b in the fourth region 2d. However, when the liquid level of the stored liquid L exceeds the height of the fourth lower partition wall 24d, the amount of liquid L corresponding to the new inflow from the third region 2c overcomes the fourth lower partition wall 24d and flows into the spatial region between the gas inlet 41 and the fourth region 2d.

Then, the liquid L that flows into the spatial region between the gas inlet 41 and the fourth region 2d flows toward the liquid outlet 31b and is discharged from inside the container 21 to the outside.

The gas supply system 4 distributes gas G through the gas-liquid contact section 2. The gas supply system 4 has a tubular gas inlet section 41 and a tubular gas outlet section 42. In this embodiment, the gas G is distributed through the fourth region 2d, the third region 2c, the second region 2b, and the first region 2a in that order. In other words, in each region, the direction in which the liquid L is sprayed by the liquid supply system 3 and the direction in which the gas G is supplied by the gas supply system 4 intersect with each other.

The gas inlet 41 is provided at approximately the center of the second end wall 21d of the container 21 so as to communicate with the fourth region 2d, which is the first region to flow through. The gas outlet 42 is provided at approximately the center of the first end wall 21a of the container 21 so as to communicate with the first region 2a, which is the last region to flow through. The container 21 has spatial regions between the gas inlet 41 and the fourth region 2d, and between the gas outlet 42 and the first region 2a.

The gas supply system 4 may also include a demister 43 installed in the spatial region between the gas exhaust section 42 and the first region 2a to prevent microdroplets from being entrained in the gas G exhausted from the gas exhaust section 42. As the demister 43, a mesh or porous member such as a wire mesh or a perforated plate can be used.

In this embodiment, the gas G in the gas supply system 4 is supplied by utilizing the flow pressure of the gas G supplied from the outside, and no power source for the gas supply is shown in the figure. However, if necessary, an air supply means such as a pump or a fan may be used.

In the gas supply system 4, first, the gas G is introduced from the gas introduction section 41 into the fourth region 2d in the gas-liquid contact section 2. Since the fourth filler 22d is arranged in the fourth region 2d, the gas G passes through the internal space of the fourth filler 22d and heads toward the third opening 25c. Next, the gas G is introduced from the fourth region 2d to the third region 2c through the third opening 25c. Since the third filler 22c is arranged in the third region 2c, the gas G passes through the internal space of the third filler 22c and heads toward the second opening 25b. Next, the gas G is introduced from the third region 2c to the second region 2b through the second opening 25b. Since the second filler 22b is arranged in the second region 2b, the gas G passes through the internal space of the second filler 22b and heads toward the first opening 25a. Next, the gas G is introduced from the second region 2b to the first region 2a through the first opening 25a. Since the first filler 22a is disposed in the first region 2a, the gas G passes through the internal space of the first filler 22a and heads toward the gas exhaust section 42. The gas G is then discharged from inside the container 21 to the outside via the gas exhaust section 42.

Here, the height of the multiple upper partition walls 23 on the top plate 21t side is set so that their lower ends contact the filler 22. As a result, the upper partition walls 23 can prevent the gas G from avoiding the internal space of the filler 22 and flowing above it. On the other hand, the height of the multiple lower partition walls 24 on the bottom plate 21b side is set so that it is higher than the lower end of the filler 22 and can maintain the storage of the liquid L at a constant level. In other words, the liquid level of the liquid L stored in each region in the gas-liquid contact section 2 is set to reach the lower end of the filler 22, that is, so that the lower end of the filler 22 contacts the stored liquid L. As a result, the lower partition walls 24 can prevent the gas G from avoiding the internal space of the filler 22 and flowing below it.

Next, the filler 22 used in this embodiment will be described in detail. There are four fillers in the gas-liquid contact section 2, namely, the first filler 22a, the second filler 22b, the third filler 22c, and the fourth filler 22d. In this embodiment, the shapes of these fillers are identical to each other. Therefore, in the following description of the filler 22, the third filler 22c will be taken as a representative example.

Figure 2 corresponds to the II-II cross section set in the third region 2c of the gas-liquid contact section 2 shown in Figure 1, and is a cross-sectional view of the gas-liquid contact device 1 cut along the YZ plane. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the third filler 22c, including a partially exploded view.

The third filling material 22c is formed by combining multiple filling members. Each of the multiple filling members is a corrugated plate. In this embodiment, each filling member is classified into two types of filling members having different corrugation directions, namely, the first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51. In this embodiment, the corrugation pitch and plate thickness of the first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51 are the same. The pitch of the first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51 may be different from each other. The plate thickness of the first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51 may be different from each other.

When the first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51 are regarded as a single flat plate as a whole, the main plane of these flat plates is parallel to the XZ plane. In other words, the first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51 are maintained in a position along the XZ plane in the third filling material 22c. Here, the X direction corresponds to the introduction direction of gas G into the third filling material 22c. The Z direction corresponds to the spray direction of liquid L from the third liquid distributor 35c to the third filling material 22c. In this embodiment, the dimensions of the first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51 in the X, Y, and Z directions are approximately the same as each other.

The first filling member 50 has a plurality of first peaks 50a protruding along the Y direction and a plurality of first valleys 50b protruding on the opposite side to the first peaks 50a. In other words, the waveform of the first filling member 50 is formed by an alternating combination of the first peaks 50a and the first valleys 50b. As shown in FIG. 3, the extension direction of the first peaks 50a and the first valleys 50b is inclined by a first angle θ1 toward the negative side of the X direction with respect to the Z direction. The wavy direction of the first filling member 50 is a direction that intersects at a right angle on the XZ plane with the extension direction of the first peaks 50a and the first valleys 50b.

The second filling member 51 has a plurality of second peaks 51a protruding along the Y direction and a plurality of second valleys 51b protruding on the opposite side to the second peaks 51a. In other words, the waveform of the second filling member 51 is formed by an alternating combination of the second peaks 51a and the second valleys 51b. As shown in FIG. 3, the extension direction of the second peaks 51a and the second valleys 51b is inclined by a second angle θ2 toward the positive side of the X direction with respect to the Z direction. The wavy direction of the second filling member 51 is a direction that intersects at a right angle on the XZ plane with the extension direction of the second peaks 51a and the second valleys 51b.

In this way, the directions in which the first angle θ1 and the second angle θ2 are inclined with respect to the Z direction are opposite to each other in the X direction. In other words, the corrugation direction of the corrugated sheet of the first filling member 50 and the corrugation direction of the corrugated sheet of the second filling member 51 are inclined in opposite directions with respect to the Z direction. In this embodiment, the first angle θ1 and the second angle θ2 are each 45°. In this case, the corrugation direction of the first filling member 50 and the corrugation direction of the second filling member 51 are perpendicular to each other on the XZ plane. Note that the first angle θ1 and the second angle θ2 may be values other than 45°, but are at least within the range of 1° to 89°. The values of the first angle θ1 and the second angle θ2 may be different from each other.

In the third filling material 22c, the first filling members 50 and the second filling members 51 are alternately stacked along the Y direction. In this embodiment, the third filling material 22c includes, as an example, four first filling members 50 and four second filling members 51. In other words, the third filling material 22c is composed of a combination of eight filling members. Since the eight filling members can be regarded as flat plates each having the same general shape, the general shape of the third filling material 22c is a rectangular parallelepiped.

Each part constituting the gas-liquid contact device 1 is manufactured from a material that is resistant to the components of the gas G and the chemicals contained in the liquid L. Examples of such materials include metals such as stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, carbon steel, brass, copper, Monel, silver, tin, and niobium, and resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and PTFE. In addition, the filling members such as the first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51 constituting the filling material 22 are also made of a corrosion-resistant material that does not react (corrode) with the gas G or the liquid L, at least on the surface. The material of the filling member may be one that has been given surface roughness by forming minute irregularities on the surface through surface processing such as filing, sandblasting, ultraviolet ozone treatment, and plasma treatment. Alternatively, the material of the filling member may be one that has been prepared to suit the conditions of use by modifying the surface through coating or the like.

Next, we will explain the operation of the gas-liquid contact device 1.

First, the gas-liquid contact device 1 operates the liquid supply system 3 to supply the liquid L to the gas-liquid contact section 2. As a result, the liquid L is sprayed sequentially onto each of the fillers 22 arranged in each of the first region 2a, second region 2b, third region 2c, and fourth region 2d in the gas-liquid contact section 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the third filler 22c, which is a representative of the multiple fillers 22, viewed from above in the Z direction. In each filler 22, including the third filler 22c, the first filler 50 and the second filler 51 are combined alternately and in contact with each other. Here, the first filler 50 and the second filler 51 are each corrugated plates. Therefore, when the first filler 50 and the second filler 51 are combined, a part of the first valley 50b and a part of the second peak 51a, and a part of the second valley 51b and a part of the first peak 50a are in contact with each other.

In the first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51, the spaces between the walls that form the corrugations are the spaces. On the other hand, the extension direction of the first peak 50a and the first valley 50b in the first filling member 50 is inclined by a first angle θ1 with respect to the Z direction. Similarly, the extension direction of the second peak 51a and the second valley 51b in the second filling member 51 is inclined by a second angle θ2 with respect to the Z direction. Therefore, when the third filling material 22c is viewed from above in the Z direction as shown in FIG. 4, a part of the wall of either the first filling member 50 or the second filling member 51 is visible through the spaces present in the first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51. In other words, when the third filling material 22c is viewed from above in the Z direction, the back side of the third filling material 22c cannot be viewed through the spaces present in the first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51.

Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, the liquid L sprayed from the third liquid distributor 35c toward the third filler 22c in the third region 2c comes into contact with some part of the third filler 22c before reaching the storage portion on the bottom plate 21b below the third filler 22c. The liquid L that reaches the third filler 22c flows along the wall surface inclined at the first angle θ1 of the first filler member 50 or the wall surface inclined at the second angle θ2 of the second filler member 51, forming a liquid film on each wall surface. Finally, the liquid L flows down toward the bottom plate 21b.

On the other hand, the liquid L is initially sprayed from the third liquid distributor 35c along the Z direction toward the third filler 22c. However, after the liquid L reaches the third filler 22c, the direction of travel of the liquid L changes according to the inclination of the waveform of each filler member. If the waveforms of the multiple filler members constituting the filler 22 are biased to be inclined either toward the positive side of the X direction or the negative side of the X direction, the direction in which the liquid L flows down within the filler 22 will be biased. Therefore, in this case, the filler 22 may be largely divided into areas that are easily wetted by the liquid L and areas that are not easily wetted by the liquid L.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the third filling material 22c is formed by alternatingly stacking a first filling member 50 whose waveform is inclined toward the negative side of the X-direction and a second filling member 51 whose waveform is inclined toward the positive side of the X-direction. Therefore, the third filling material 22c is not easily divided into areas that are easily wetted by the liquid L and areas that are not easily wetted by the liquid L. As a result, a liquid film of the liquid L can be formed over as wide an area as possible on the wall surfaces of the first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51.

In the explanation with reference to FIG. 4, the third filler 22c is focused on as a representative of the multiple fillers 22, but the other fillers 22a, 22b, and 22d are also wetted by the liquid L in the same manner. The movement of the liquid L in the gas-liquid contact section 2 is as described above for the liquid supply system 3.

Next, the gas-liquid contact device 1 operates the gas supply system 4 to supply the gas G to the gas-liquid contact section 2. First, the gas G introduced from the gas inlet 41 to the gas-liquid contact section 2 heads toward the fourth filler 22d in the fourth region 2d. The fourth filler 22d is formed by alternately stacking the first filler member 50 and the second filler member 51, similar to the third filler member 22c described above. Therefore, even if the gas G enters either the space of the first filler member 50 or the second filler member 51, it is influenced by the waveforms of both the first filler member 50 and the second filler member 51 facing each other, and is discharged from the fourth filler 22d approximately along the X direction as a whole. Subsequently, the gas G discharged from the fourth filler 22d similarly flows through the third region 2c, the second region 2b, and the first region 2a in that order. As a result, in each region, the liquid film of liquid L formed on each filler 22 comes into contact with gas G supplied from the gas supply system 4, and specific gas components in gas G are absorbed by liquid L. Then, liquid L that has absorbed the specific gas components is eventually discharged to the outside of container 21 from liquid outlet 31b.

In this embodiment, the order in which the liquid L supplied by the liquid supply system 3 flows through each region is opposite to the order in which the gas G supplied by the gas supply system 4 flows through each region, so countercurrent contact is performed throughout the gas-liquid contact section 2. In contrast, the gas-liquid contact device 1 can perform parallel current contact by reversing the installation positions of the gas inlet section 41 and the gas outlet section 42 and supplying the liquid L and gas G to each region in the same order.

The flow resistance of gas G when gas G contacts liquid L affects the energy consumption during operation of the gas-liquid contact device 1. Therefore, the size and number of packing members in one packing material 22, the plate thickness of each packing member, or the pitch dimension that defines the waveform of each packing member are set taking into consideration the wetted area (gas-liquid contact area) per unit volume of the packing material 22, etc.

In the above description, the shapes of the fillers 22 installed in each region of the gas-liquid contact section 2 are the same, but the shapes of the fillers 22 may be different for each region.

Figure 5 is a schematic side view illustrating the first filler 122a, the second filler 122b, the third filler 22c, and the fourth filler 122d, which can be substituted for the first filler 22a, the second filler 22b, the third filler 22c, and the fourth filler 22d in the gas-liquid contact section 2.

The first filler 122a is a filler placed in the first region 2a, replacing the above-mentioned first filler 22a. In FIG. 5, a first filler member 60 made of a corrugated sheet having first peaks 60a is depicted as part of the first filler 122a. The pitch of the corrugation of the first filler member 60, expressed as the distance between the first peaks 60a, is the first pitch P1. Although not shown, the first filler 122a includes a second filler member, similar to the second filler member 51 in the first filler 22a.

The second filler 122b is a filler placed in the second region 2b, replacing the above-mentioned second filler 22b. In FIG. 5, a corrugated first filler member 62 having a first peak 62a is depicted as part of the second filler 122b. The pitch of the corrugation of the first filler member 62, expressed as the distance between the first peaks 62a, is the second pitch P2. Although not shown, the second filler 122b includes a second filler member, similar to the second filler member 51 in the second filler 22b.

The third filler 122c is a filler installed in the third region 2c, replacing the above-mentioned third filler 22c. In FIG. 5, a corrugated first filler member 64 having a first peak 64a is depicted as part of the third filler 122c. The pitch of the corrugation of the first filler member 64, expressed as the distance between the first peaks 64a, is the third pitch P3. Although not shown, the third filler 122c includes a second filler member, similar to the second filler member 51 in the third filler 22c.

The fourth filler 122d is a filler placed in the fourth region 2d, replacing the fourth filler 22d described above. In FIG. 5, a first filler member 66 made of a corrugated sheet having a first peak 66a is depicted as part of the fourth filler 122d. The pitch of the corrugation of the first filler member 66, represented as the distance between the first peaks 66a, is the fourth pitch P4. Although not shown, the fourth filler 122d includes a second filler member, similar to the second filler member 51 in the fourth filler 22d.

When comparing multiple fillers, the smaller the pitch of the corrugations of the filler members and the more sheets of the filler members, the larger the gas-liquid contact area, but the greater the flow resistance of the gas G. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the shapes of the multiple filler members may be set so that the corrugation pitch gradually decreases from the fourth filler member 122d closest to the gas G introduction position to the first filler member 122a farthest from the gas G introduction position. In other words, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the relationship is fourth pitch P4>third pitch P3>second pitch P2>first pitch P1. By setting the shapes of the multiple filler members in each filler 122 in this way, the size of the gas-liquid contact area and the flow resistance of the gas G can be balanced in the entire gas-liquid contact section 2, and the most appropriate gas-liquid contact efficiency can be obtained.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, if the shape of the filling member constituting the filler is changed for each region of the gas-liquid contact section 2, the allowable flow rate of the liquid L or gas G will also differ for each region. Therefore, the capacity required for each pump 37 present in each region as part of the liquid supply system 3 will also differ. Therefore, for example, if the capacity of the pump 37 can be reduced by changing the shape of the filling member in a certain region of the gas-liquid contact section 2, it is not necessary to necessarily adopt a high-capacity pump 37.

Next, we will explain the effects of the gas-liquid contact device 1.

The gas-liquid contact device 1 according to this embodiment includes a gas-liquid contact section 2 having a plurality of regions, for example, a first region 2a, a second region 2b, a third region 2c, and a fourth region 2d, which are connected to each other in the horizontal direction and each of which has a packing material 22 installed. The gas-liquid contact device 1 includes a liquid supply system 3 that supplies liquid L to the packing material 22 from above in the vertical direction for each region while sequentially circulating liquid L through the plurality of regions along the arrangement of the plurality of regions. The gas-liquid contact device 1 also includes a gas supply system 4 that sequentially circulates gas G through the plurality of regions along the arrangement of the plurality of regions to contact the liquid L for each region. The packing material 22 includes a first packing member 50 and a second packing member 51, each of which is plate-shaped and parallel to the supply direction of liquid L and the supply direction of gas to the packing material 22, and which are alternately stacked. At least a portion of the first packing member 50 and the second packing member 51 is a corrugated plate. The corrugation direction of the corrugated sheet of the first filling member 50 and the corrugation direction of the corrugated sheet of the second filling member 51 are inclined in opposite directions relative to the vertical direction.

First, in the gas-liquid contact device 1, in the gas-liquid contact section 2, multiple regions in which the packing material 22 is installed are arranged in the horizontal direction. Therefore, when adding gas-liquid contact sections, the expansion is in the horizontal direction, so it is easier to add more than in a gas-liquid contact device in which the number of stages is increased in the vertical direction. Also, in the gas-liquid contact device 1, in the gas-liquid contact section 2, the liquid L flows approximately vertically and the gas G flows approximately horizontally, so the flooding phenomenon is less likely to occur. Therefore, in the gas-liquid contact device 1, it is easier to increase the flow rate of the liquid L than in a gas-liquid contact device in which multiple gas-liquid contact sections are stacked vertically. However, it is desirable to set the flow velocity of the gas G to 1.0 m/s or less, taking into consideration the need to prevent the liquid L from being blown off the surface of the packing material 22 by the flow of the gas G.

In addition, in the gas-liquid contact device 1, at least a part of each of the first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51 constituting the filler 22 is a corrugated plate. The corrugation direction of the corrugated plate of the first filling member 50 and the corrugation direction of the corrugated plate of the second filling member 51 are inclined in opposite directions to each other with respect to the vertical direction. The first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51 are alternately stacked. In consideration of these conditions, the shape of the filler 22 is such that, as explained using FIG. 4, in each region, the liquid L sprayed from the liquid distributor 35 toward the filler 22 comes into contact with any part of the filler 22 while flowing down the filler 22. Therefore, according to the gas-liquid contact device 1, the gas-liquid contact area in the filler 22 can be made wider, and a liquid film of the liquid L can be more efficiently formed on the wall surface of the filler 22, resulting in improved gas-liquid contact efficiency.

As a comparative example, consider a case where the multiple filling members that make up the packing material are all flat plates spaced apart at regular intervals. In this case, some of the liquid L sprayed from the liquid distributor 35 adheres directly to the flat plates and forms a liquid film on the wall surface, while some falls vertically downward without adhering to the flat plates. In other words, less liquid L is used for gas-liquid contact compared to this embodiment.

Here, it is preferable that the first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51 are entirely corrugated, as illustrated in FIG. 1 and subsequent figures, from the viewpoint of forming a liquid film of the liquid L over a wider area in the filling material 22. However, this is not limited to this in the present embodiment, and if only a certain range of the first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51 is corrugated rather than only partially corrugated, the above-mentioned effect can be achieved compared to when the entire member is flat.

In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a gas-liquid contactor 1 that is advantageous for improving the gas-liquid contact efficiency.

Note that the alternating stacking of the first filling members 50 and the second filling members 51 does not necessarily mean that the first filling members 50 and the second filling members 51 are alternately stacked one by one. For example, a unit in which two first filling members 50 are stacked and a unit in which two second filling members 51 are stacked may be stacked alternately.

In addition, in the gas-liquid contact device 1, the pitch of the corrugations in the corrugated plate may be different for each of the fillers 22 installed in each of the multiple regions.

As explained with reference to Figure 5, with this type of gas-liquid contact device 1, it is possible to obtain the most appropriate gas-liquid contact efficiency by balancing the size of the gas-liquid contact area and the flow resistance of the gas G throughout the entire gas-liquid contact section 2.

In addition, in the gas-liquid contact device 1, the liquid supply system 3 may be provided with a pump 37 for each of the multiple regions that supplies the liquid L temporarily stored vertically below the filler material 22 to the vertically above the filler material 22. In this case, the capacity of the pump 37 may be different for each of the multiple regions in accordance with the difference in the pitch of the corrugated sheet.

As explained with reference to FIG. 5, with this gas-liquid contact device 1, it is not necessary to uniformly match the capacity of each of the multiple pumps 37 installed in each region to the pump 37 that requires the most capacity in a certain region. Therefore, depending on the pump 37 installed in a certain region, a pump with a low capacity can be used, and as a result, the manufacturing cost of the gas-liquid contact device 1 can be reduced.

Second Embodiment
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the gas-liquid contactor 10 according to the second embodiment. In the first embodiment, the packing material 22 arranged in each region of the gas-liquid contact section 2 includes a plurality of packing members whose overall shape is corrugated. In contrast, in this embodiment, the packing material 222 replacing the packing material 22 in the first embodiment includes a plurality of packing members whose partial shape is corrugated. As in the first embodiment, the gas-liquid contact section 2 includes four packing materials, that is, the first packing material 222a, the second packing material 222b, the third packing material 222c, and the fourth packing material 222d. In this embodiment, the shapes of these packing materials are the same as each other. Therefore, in the following description of the packing material 222, the third packing material 222c will be taken up as a representative. In addition, in the gas-liquid contactor 10, the same components as those of the gas-liquid contactor 1 according to the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description will be omitted.

Figure 7 corresponds to the VII-VII cross section set in the third region 2c of the gas-liquid contact section 2 shown in Figure 6, and is a cross-sectional view of the gas-liquid contact device 10 cut along the YZ plane. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the third filler 222c, including a partially exploded view.

The third filler 222c is configured by combining multiple filler members, similar to the third filler 22c in the first embodiment. Specifically, the third filler 222c has multiple first filler members 70 corresponding to the first filler members 50 in the first embodiment, and multiple second filler members 71 corresponding to the second filler members 51 in the first embodiment.

The first filling member 70 includes a first corrugated plate portion 70a on the upper side in the Z direction and a first flat plate portion 70b on the lower side in the Z direction. The first corrugated plate portion 70a and the first flat plate portion 70b are connected at their opposing ends in the Z direction by welding, adhesive, or the like. Therefore, the first filling member 70 as a whole is regarded as a single flat plate body.

The shape of the first corrugated plate portion 70a is defined in the same manner as the shape of the first filling member 50 in the first embodiment. The first corrugated plate portion 70a has a plurality of first peaks 70c protruding along the Y direction and a plurality of first valleys 70d protruding on the opposite side to the first peaks 70c. The extension direction of the first peaks 70c and the first valleys 70d is inclined by a first angle θ1 toward the negative X direction with respect to the Z direction, as shown in FIG. 8. On the other hand, the first flat plate portion 70b is a flat plate whose main plane is parallel to the XZ plane. The first filling member 70 is also maintained in a position along the XZ plane in the third filling material 222c, so the plate thickness of the first flat plate portion 70b is set to a degree that has sufficient strength to maintain the position.

The second filling member 71 includes a second corrugated plate portion 71a on the upper side in the Z direction and a second flat plate portion 71b on the lower side in the Z direction. The second corrugated plate portion 71a and the second flat plate portion 71b are connected at their opposing ends in the Z direction by welding, adhesive, or the like. Therefore, the second filling member 71, like the first filling member 70, is considered as a single flat plate body as a whole.

The shape of the second corrugated plate portion 71a is defined in the same manner as the shape of the second filling member 51 in the first embodiment. The second corrugated plate portion 71a has a plurality of second peaks 71c protruding along the Y direction and a plurality of second valleys 71d protruding on the opposite side to the second peaks 71c. The extension direction of the second peaks 71c and the second valleys 71d is inclined by a second angle θ2 toward the positive side of the X direction with respect to the Z direction, as shown in FIG. 8. On the other hand, the second flat plate portion 71b is a flat plate whose main plane is parallel to the XZ plane. Since the second filling member 71 is also maintained in a position along the XZ plane in the third filling material 222c, the plate thickness of the second flat plate portion 71b is set to a degree that has sufficient strength to maintain the position.

In this embodiment, the overall dimensions of the first corrugated plate portion 70a and the second corrugated plate portion 71a are the same. In FIG. 7, the Z-direction dimension of the first corrugated plate portion 70a and the second corrugated plate portion 71a is indicated as a first height H1. Also, the overall dimensions of the first flat plate portion 70b and the second flat plate portion 71b are the same. In FIG. 7, the Z-direction dimension of the first flat plate portion 70b and the second flat plate portion 71b is indicated as a second height H2. In this case, the sum of the first height H2 and the second height H2 is the Z-direction dimension of each of the first filling member 70 and the second filling member 71.

In the third filling material 222c, the first filling members 70 and the second filling members 71 are alternately stacked along the Y direction. However, in this embodiment, the first corrugated plate portion 70a of the first filling member 70 and the second corrugated plate portion 71a of the second filling member 71 are directly stacked. At this time, the first flat plate portion 70b and the second flat plate portion 71b are maintained parallel to each other at a fixed interval, as shown in FIG. 7. In this embodiment, the third filling material 222c includes, as an example, four first filling members 70 and four second filling members 71, and the general shape of the third filling material 22c is a rectangular parallelepiped.

Here, in the first embodiment, a liquid distributor 35 that sprays liquid L toward the filler 22 is provided for each liquid supply system 3. In contrast, the liquid supply system 3 in this embodiment does not employ a liquid distributor 35. In this embodiment, the combination of the first corrugated plate portion 70a and the second corrugated plate portion 71a included in each filler 222 serves as a substitute for the liquid distributor 35.

In this case, the liquid supply system 3 in this embodiment has a discharge pipe 135 that drips the liquid L toward the filler 222 above the filler 222 in the Z direction. Hereinafter, the discharge pipe 135 for the first region 2a will be referred to as the first discharge pipe 135a. Similarly, the discharge pipe 135 for the second region 2b will be referred to as the second discharge pipe 135b, the discharge pipe 135 for the third region 2c will be referred to as the third discharge pipe 135c, and the discharge pipe 135 for the fourth region 2d will be referred to as the fourth discharge pipe 135d. In each liquid supply system 3, the discharge pipe 135 is connected to one end of the return pipe 36. Although not shown, the discharge pipe 135 has a plurality of discharge holes formed therein that enable the liquid L to be discharged.

Next, the operation of the gas-liquid contact device 10 will be explained.

In the gas-liquid contact device 10, the basic operation of the liquid supply system 3 and the gas supply system 4 is similar to that of the gas-liquid contact device 1 according to the first embodiment, but the action of each filler 222 differs from that of each filler 22 in the gas-liquid contact device 1.

First, in each region of the gas-liquid contact section 2, the liquid L is dripped from the discharge pipe 135 toward each filler 222. The discharge pipe 135 is, for example, a simple single pipe with multiple discharge holes, so the dripped liquid L is not evenly distributed to each filler 222. However, the combination of the first corrugated plate portion 70a and the second corrugated plate portion 71a, which are located above each filler 222 in the Z direction and to which the liquid L dripped from the discharge pipe 135 directly reaches, has the same shape as the first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51 described in detail in the first embodiment. Therefore, the liquid L dripped from the discharge pipe 135 contacts either the first corrugated plate portion 70a or the second corrugated plate portion 71a before reaching the storage portion on the bottom plate 21b below the filler 222. Therefore, the liquid L that passes through the combined portion of the first corrugated plate portion 70a and the second corrugated plate portion 71a is dispersed over a wide area toward the first flat plate portion 70b and the second flat plate portion 71b below, in the same manner as it was dispersed by the liquid distributor 35 in the first embodiment. The liquid L dispersed toward the first flat plate portion 70b or the second flat plate portion 71b flows along the wall surface of the first flat plate portion 70b or the second flat plate portion 71b, forming a liquid film on each wall surface. Finally, the liquid L flows down toward the bottom plate 21b.

In this case, in the filler 222, gas-liquid contact between the gas G and the liquid L occurs mainly in the first flat plate portion 70b or the second flat plate portion 71b. Meanwhile, in the filler 222, the combined portion of the first corrugated plate portion 70a and the second corrugated plate portion 71a acts as a substitute for the liquid distributor 35 in the first embodiment. Therefore, the first height H1 of the first corrugated plate portion 70a and the second corrugated plate portion 71a may be shorter than the second height H2 of the first flat plate portion 70b and the second flat plate portion 71b.

The combined portion of the first corrugated plate portion 70a and the second corrugated plate portion 71a in the filling material 222 does not necessarily act as a substitute for the liquid distributor 35, but may also act as a portion that brings the gas G and the liquid L into gas-liquid contact, as in the first embodiment. In addition, in this embodiment, since the liquid distributor 35 is not used, more space can be secured in the gas-liquid contact portion 2. Therefore, the Z-direction dimensions of the first filling member 70 and the second filling member 71, which are expressed by the sum of the first height H2 and the second height H2, may be longer than the Z-direction dimensions of the first filling member 50 and the second filling member 51 in the first embodiment.

In this way, in the gas-liquid contact device 10, the first filling member 70 and the second filling member 71 may each have a first corrugated plate portion 70a, which is a corrugated plate, on the upper side in the Z direction, and a first flat plate portion 70b, etc., on the lower side in the Z direction.

With this type of gas-liquid contact device 10, the combined portion of the first corrugated plate portion 70a and the second corrugated plate portion 71a acts as a substitute for the liquid distributor 35 employed in the first embodiment, so there may be cases where the liquid distributor 35 does not need to be provided. Therefore, the manufacturing costs of the gas-liquid contact device 10 can be reduced compared to when the liquid distributor 35 is used.

The specific shapes of the container 21 shown in the gas-liquid contact device 1 and the like according to each of the above embodiments, and the circulation structure of the liquid L in the liquid supply system 3, are merely examples, and can be modified in various ways, provided that the basic structure of the gas-liquid contact section 2 is maintained.

The gas-liquid contact device 1 and the like according to each of the above embodiments are not limited to devices for absorbing, separating, and removing specific components, and can also be applied to devices used in cooling, heating, and dissipation, etc., included in the processes of various chemical plants (cooling towers, heating towers, dissipation towers (regeneration towers), etc.).

Although several embodiments have been described, the embodiments can be modified or varied based on the above disclosure. All components of each of the above embodiments and all features described in the claims may be individually extracted and combined, unless they are mutually inconsistent.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Gas-liquid contact device 2 Gas-liquid contact section 2a First region 2b Second region 2c Third region 2d Fourth region 3 Liquid supply system 4 Gas supply system 22a First filler 22b Second filler 22c Third filler 22d Fourth filler 37a First pump 37b Second pump 37c Third pump 37d Fourth pump 50 First filler member 51 Second filler member 70 First filler member 70a First corrugated plate portion 70b First flat plate portion 71 Second filler member 71a Second corrugated plate portion 71b Second flat plate portion 122a First filler member 122b Second filler member 122c Third filler member 122d Fourth filler member 222a First filler member 222b Second filler member 222c Third filler member 222d Fourth filler member G Gas L Liquid

Claims (3)

a gas-liquid contact section having a plurality of regions which are horizontally connected to each other and each of which is provided with a packing material;
a liquid supply system that supplies the liquid to the filler from above in a vertical direction for each of the regions while sequentially circulating the liquid through the plurality of regions along an arrangement of the plurality of regions;
a gas supply system that sequentially circulates gas through the plurality of regions along the arrangement of the plurality of regions to bring the gas into contact with the liquid for each of the regions;
the filler includes first and second filler members each having a plate shape parallel to a supply direction of the liquid and a supply direction of the gas to the filler, the first and second filler members being alternately stacked on top of each other,
At least a portion of the first filling member and the second filling member is a corrugated plate,
The corrugation direction of the corrugated sheet of the first filling member and the corrugation direction of the corrugated sheet of the second filling member are inclined in opposite directions to each other with respect to the vertical direction,
The pitch of the corrugation in the corrugated sheet is different for each of the fillers installed in each of the plurality of regions,
the liquid supply system includes a pump for supplying the liquid temporarily stored below the filler in a vertical direction to an upper portion of the filler in each of the plurality of regions;
A gas-liquid contactor, wherein the pump capacity differs for each of the plurality of regions in accordance with the difference in the pitch of the corrugated plate. The gas-liquid contactor according to claim 1, wherein the first filling member and the second filling member are entirely made of the corrugated plate. 2. The gas-liquid contactor according to claim 1, wherein each of the first packing member and the second packing member has a corrugated plate portion that is the corrugated plate on an upper side in the vertical direction and a flat plate portion on a lower side in the vertical direction .

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