Comparison of packing types in a water deaeration column under vertical, tilt and motion conditions

The mass transfer performance of different designs of column packing are compared in water deaeration columns under vertical, tilt and motion conditions using nitrogen as the stripping medium. The results provide important data for optimum sea water deaerator design on offshore oil and gas production platforms. There are marked differences in packing performance in vertical operation, the choice of packing depending upon the quality of initial liquid distribution. A fixed angle of tilt significantly reduces deaerator performance and those packings performing well under vertical conditions suffer most; the effect of tilt is more severe for tall, narrow columns. With cyclic motion about the vertical, deaeration performance can approach that in vertical operation, but the performance reduces with lower frequency motion.