Title of Invention

A FLUID INLET DEVICE

Abstract

A fluid inlet device (1) for an apparatus (10), the device having an inflow stub (2) at a wall (11) of the apparatus for the supply of a single phase or multi-phase fluid (2a), having a distribution chamber (3) adjoining downstream and guide lamellae (4) arranged at at least one open side of this chamber by means of which the fluid can be distributed, guided on curved tracks, over a surface of the apparatus, with wall panels (5, 6) of closed sides of the distribution chamber forming a construction of stable shape characterised in that each guide lamella is connected at side edges to the wall panels via plug connections providing a form fitted connection; and in that the stability of the construction is established by fixing at individual plug connections or all plug connections and fixing at least at a minimum number of attachment points.

Full Text

The present invention relates to a fluid inlet device. The invention relates to a fluid inlet device for an apparatus, in particular for a column, in accordance with the preamble of claim 1. It also relates to a column having the fluid inlet device in accordance with the invention and to a use of the fluid inlet device. A fluid inlet device, namely an inlet and distribution device for a liquid/vapour mixture, is known from DE-A- 1 519 711 with which such a fluid can be fed into a column, with the liquid carried along in the fluid simultaneously being able to be separated. The inflowing fluid is branched off into partial flows by a plurality of curved guide lamellae or guide vanes and every partial flow is deflected such that the denser phase can be at least partly separated while using centrifugal forces. The vapour is distributed over the column cross-section, whereas the liquid is separated. The speed of the inflowing fluid is so high as a rule that forces act on the device which make a stable construction necessary. The known fluid inlet device can naturally also be used for the feeding in of a single phase fluid (liquid or gas). A stable construction which particularly maintains its shape is advantageously made from sheet metal panels. The guide lamellae are welded at their side edges to wall panels along contact lines between the lamellae and the plates. Strains arise in the construction by the welding which must be reduced by means of a heat treatment. When feeding in a hot fluid, for example, vaporised crude oil, which can have a temperature up to 500°C, the fluid inlet device would deform strongly without the heat treatment, whereby the fluid would only be able to be distributed insufficiently in the apparatus. Further disadvantages moreover exist: relatively complex work processes are required for the welding. The dimensions of the assembly which are possible for the fluid inlet device are also limited, because accessibility must be ensured in order to apply weld seams between the guide lamellae and the wall plates. It is the object of the invention to provide a fluid inlet device which forms a construction of stable shape at increased temperature. This construction should be able to be manufactured with a low work effort and in particular without a heat treatment. This object is satisfied by the apparatus defined in claim 1. The fluid inlet device is provided for an apparatus, in particular for a column. An inflow stub at a wall of the apparatus serves for the supply of a fluid which can be single phase or multi-phase. A distribution chamber adjoins downstream of the inflow stub. Guide lamellae are arranged at at least one open side of this chamber by means of which a fluid to be fed into the apparatus can be distributed, guided on curved paths, over a surface of the apparatus. In the case of a two-phase fluid, a dispersed phase of higher density can be at least partly separated at the same time as the distribution using centrifugal forces. Wall panels of closed sides of the distribution chamber, in particular a base panel and a top panel together with guide lamellae secured to them result in a construction of stable shape. Every guide lamella is connected to the wall panels at side edges via plug connections providing a form fitted connection. The stability of the construction is established by fixing to individual plug connections or all plug connections by means of additional connection means. Dependent claims 2 to 7 relate to advantageous embodiments of the fluid inlet device in accordance with the invention. A column having the fluid inlet device in accordance with the invention is the subject of claims 8 and 9. Claim 10 relates to a use of the fluid inlet device. The invention will be explained in the following with reference to the drawings. There are shown: Figs. 1, 2 known fluid inlet devices; Fig. 3 a lower part of a column in which the fluid inlet device in accordance with the invention can be used; Fig. 4 an apparatus for the separation of two phases from a liquid/vapour mixture; Fig. 5 sections of a guide lamella and of a base panel of a fluid inlet device in accordance with the invention having separate plug connections; Fig. 6 a weld of a plug connection; Fig. 7 a further fixing of the plug connection; Fig. 8 a construction variant to the upper edge of the guide lamella; Fig. 9 a plug connection with snap-in locking; Fig. 10 a bolt with a screw thread mounted to the upper edge of the guide lamella; Fig. 11 a plug connection between the guide lamella and the top panel or the base panel with a screw connection; and Fig. 12 a wedge-secured plug connection. The fluid inlet devices 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 are provided for apparatuses 10, in particular for columns 10', such as are shown as examples in Figures 3 and 4. The fluid inlet device 1 includes an inflow stub 2 at a wall 11 of the apparatus 10, a distribution chamber 3 adjoining downstream and guide lamellae 4 arranged at open sides of this chamber 3. A fluid to be fed into the apparatus 10 can be distributed, guided on curved tracks, over a surface of the apparatus 10, in particular over a cross-sectional surface of the column 10', by means of the guide lamellae 4. A phase of higher density dispersed in the fluid can be at least partly separated simultaneously using centrifugal forces. Wall panels, namely a base panel 5 and a top panel 6, form closed sides of the distribution chamber 3. These wall panels 5 and 6 result - together with the guide lamellae secured to them - in a construction of stable shape. In accordance with the invention, every guide lamella 4 is connected to the wall panels 5 and 6 at side edges via plug connections providing a form fitted connection. Such plug connections will be described in the following with reference to Figures 5 to 12. The stability of the construction is established by fixing to individual plug connections or all plug connections by means of additional connection means. In Fig. 1, the fluid inlet device 1 has a distribution chamber 3 with two open sides. In the plan view, the distribution chamber 3 substantially has the shape of an isosceles triangle. The guide lamellae 4 line the two limbs of this triangle. In Fig. 2, the distribution chamber 3 has only one open side. It forms a passage which extends at the inner side of a cylindrical apparatus wall (not shown) in the form of a part ring. The guide lamellae 4 line the discharge region at the centre side between the passage base 5 and the passage top 6. The cross-sectional surface of the passage becomes smaller in the flow direction in correspondence with a reducing flow rate. In Fig. 3, a lower part of a column 10' is shown whose fluid inlet device 1 is advantageously made in accordance with the invention. A liquid/vapour mixture 2a which is made up of a returned liquid 12a and partly vaporised crude oil 2b is fed in through the stub 2. The returned liquid 12a is a loaded washing liquid which is applied to a pack 13 using a distributor 14 and which is collected in a collector 12 after running through the pack and after being loaded with substances from a vapour flow. Liquid is at least partly separated from the vapour in the fluid inlet device 1. The liquid enters into a pack 15 arranged beneath the fluid inlet device 1; volatile components are there absorbed from the liquid by a stripping agent, in particular by steam, and are conveyed into the upper part of the column 10'. The liquid discharged from the pack 15 is removed via the outlet 16 in the sump. Fig. 4 shows an apparatus 10 for the separation of the two phases of a liquid/vapour mixture 2a. This apparatus 10 is known from EP-A- 0 195 464. Fine liquid droplets move with a vapour flow from the fluid inlet device 1 into a device 18 in which coalescence into larger drops takes place. These drops are transported with the vapour flow into a further device 19 and are separated there using centrifugal forces. The liquid separated in this manner is collected in the sump 16' together with a first liquid fraction from the fluid inlet device 1 and removed via the outlet 16. The vapour flow liberated from the liquid is removed via a stub 17 at the head of the apparatus 10. The plug connections of the guide lamellae 4, which connect under shape matching, can be realised in different manners. Fig. 5 shows a first example in which sections of the guide lamella 4 and of the base panel 5 of a fluid inlet device 1 in accordance with the invention - with separate plug connections - are shown. Projections 45 in the form of tabs or tongues form the one elements of the plug connections at the lower side edges of the guide lamella 4. The other elements are slit-like openings 54 in the base panel 5 which are arranged corresponding to the tongues 45 and into which the tongues 45 are inserted. The dimensions of the openings 54 are constructed to match so that a connection is formed by shape matching. Tongues 46 are provided in the same manner at the upper edge of the guide lamella 4 and plug connections to the top panel 6 can be established by means of them: cf. Figures 6 and 7 (plug connections with openings 64). Individual plug connections or all plug connections are fixed in accordance with the invention using additional connection means. There is a minimum number of fixing points for which the stability of the construction is ensured. A specific distribution pattern - or also more than one - is associated with this minimum number and the positions of the fixing points must be arranged in accordance with it. For increased security or for improved stability, a larger number of fixing points can naturally also be provided than is required for the said distribution pattern. The fixing of the plug connections can be established by mechanical bonding, in particular by welding. Fig. 6 shows a welding of the plug connection. With this fixing, the projecting flanks of the tongue 46 are secured to the wall panel, the top panel 6, with a contiguous welding seam 47. Instead of such a full mechanical bonding, a partial mechanical bonding is also possible in which, for example, a welding seam is only attached to one flank of the tongue 46. A further example for a partial mechanical bonding is shown in Fig. 7: here, the projection 460 does not protrude beyond the opening 64. Only two spot welds 48 are carried out at the two ends of the projection 460. However, there is also the possibility of filling the recess which has remained open in the opening 64 between the two spot welds 48 with welded material. Since, in contrast to the known fluid inlet device, weld positions only occur at spots with the device 1 in accordance with the invention, no strains result which impair the shape stability. In the example of Fig. 8, a plug connection element is formed by a platelet 461 pushed onto the side edge of the lamella 4, with the platelet 461 being fixed by shape matching or by welding. Since this element 461 stands transversely to the flow direction of the fluid flowing along the guide lamella 4 on the use of the fluid inlet device 1, a small disturbance results which, however, does not have any substantial influence on the distribution quality and separation quality of the fluid inlet device 1 in accordance with the invention. Fig. 9 shows a plug connection with a snap-in lock in which the projecting plug connection element consists of two hook-shaped limbs which can be resiliently deflected toward one another. This plug connection represents a releasable fixing. The fixing can be established at at least individual fixing points in each case by means of a releasable connection means, for example by a screw connection or a wedge. Fig. 10 shows for this purpose a bolt 463 which is mounted on the upper edge of the guide lamella 4 and which has a screw thread 463 a at the head end. This plug connection element is inserted into a bore of the top panel 6 (not shown) and is secured by a nut. Individual bolts 463 without screw heads are inserted into corresponding bores as non-fixed plug connections. A variant screw connection is shown in Fig. 11. A bolt 464 with a screw head 464a is secured to a bent-over tab 46'. An opening 46" has been created at the upper side edge of the guide lamella 4 by the bending over of the tab 46' and is closed by an L-shaped sheet metal element 40. (The sheet metal element 40, which has a bore, is mounted on the bolt 464.) The bolt is fixed to the top panel 6 by a screw connection 464b. Finally, Fig. 12 shows a wedge-secured plug connection which includes a tab 465 with an opening 465 a and a wedge 465b inserted in it. The fluid inlet device 1 in accordance with the invention can be used to feed a fluid, which can be multi-phase or single phase, into an apparatus (for example a column) and to distribute it in it. A gas flow 2a supplied to the apparatus can be loaded with a denser phase, for example with liquid droplets, which are separated during feeding. The fluid can consist of only one material or of a single phase material mixture. We Claim: 1. A fluid inlet device (1) for an apparatus (10), in particular a column (10'), having an inflow stub (2) which can be attached to a wall (11) of the apparatus for the supply of a fluid (2a), which can be single phase or multi-phase, having a distribution chamber (3) adjoining downstream and guide lamellae (4) arranged at at least one open side of this chamber by means of which the fluid guided on curved tracks can be distributed over a surface of the apparatus and simultaneously - in the case of a two-phase fluid - a dispersed phase of higher density can be at least partly separated using centrifugal forces, with wall panels (5, 6) of closed sides of the distribution chamber, in particular a base panel and a top panel with guide lamellae secured to them, together forming a construction of stable shape, characterised in that each guide lamella is connected at side edges to the wall panels via plug connections providing a form fitted connection; and in that the stability of the construction is established by fixing by means of additional connection means at individual plug connections or all plug connections, with the fixing taking place, at least at a minimum number of attachment points for which the stability of the construction is ensured. 2. A fluid inlet device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixing is established by material connection, in particular by welding (47, 48), with the fixed plug connections each being able to have a partial material connection. 3. A fluid inlet device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the fixing is established by welding at projecting flanks of tabs (45, 46) which form projections at the side edges of guide lamellae (4), with these tabs being inserted into slit-shaped openings (54, 64) of the wall panels (5, 6). 4. A fluid inlet device as claimed in claims 1 to 3, wherein the fixing is established at least at individual fixing positions by means of a respective releasable connection means, for example by means of a snap connection (462), a screw connection (464b) or a wedge (465b). 5. A fluid inlet device as claimed in claims 1 to 4, wherein the selected number of fixing positions is equal to or larger than the minimum number. 6. A fluid inlet device as claimed in claims 1 to 5, wherein the distribution chamber (3) substantially has the shape of an isosceles triangle in plan view and the guide lamellae (4) line the two limbs of this triangle. 7. A fluid inlet device as claimed in claims 1 to 5, wherein the distribution chamber (3) forms a passage which extends in the form of a part ring at the inner side of a cylindrical apparatus wall; and in that the guide lamellae (4) line a discharge region at the centre side outlet region between the passage base and the passage top (5, 6), with the cross-sectional surface of the passage in particular becoming smaller in the flow direction in correspondence with a reducing flow rate. 8. A fluid inlet device (1) for an apparatus (10), in particular a column (10'), as claimed in claim 1, wherein liquid collectors or devices (15) for a treatment of separated liquid are arranged beneath the fluid inlet device (1).

Documents:

627-del-2005-Abstract-(27-04-2011).pdf

627-del-2005-abstract.pdf

627-DEL-2005-Claims-(19-08-2011).pdf

627-del-2005-Claims-(27-04-2011).pdf

627-del-2005-claims.pdf

627-DEL-2005-Correspondence Others-(19-08-2011).pdf

627-del-2005-Correspondence-Others-(27-04-2011).pdf

627-del-2005-correspondence-others.pdf

627-del-2005-Description (Complete)-(27-04-2011).pdf

627-del-2005-description (complete).pdf

627-del-2005-drawings.pdf

627-del-2005-Form-1-(27-04-2011).pdf

627-del-2005-form-1.pdf

627-del-2005-form-18.pdf

627-del-2005-Form-2-(27-04-2011).pdf

627-del-2005-form-2.pdf

627-del-2005-Form-3-(27-04-2011).pdf

627-del-2005-form-3.pdf

627-del-2005-form-5.pdf

627-del-2005-GPA-(27-04-2011).pdf

627-del-2005-gpa.pdf

627-del-2005-Petition 137-(27-04-2011).pdf

627-DEL-2005-Petition-137-(19-08-2011).pdf

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