Vessel vs. Column - Ratio?

[nur12]

Hi,

I have a simple question - from which length / diameter (or diameter / length) ratio the vertical vessel is considered a tower (column)? I have a Pressure Vessel handbook, but there is no information about this particular question.

Thanks!

 

[jte]

nur12-

Its open to interpretation. You can ask 10 refinery folks and get 10 different definitions. My current paradigm is not so much L based as it is function based. If it has trays or packing, it is a tower (we have no "columns" where I currently work!). If it doesn't have trays or packing it is a drum. For what its worth, my current workplace doesn't distinguish between vertical or horizontal drums.

jt

 

[SnTMan]

Maybe subjective, but it it mounts through a base ring kind or arrangement rather than legs or lugs, I might call it a tower.

 

[svanels]

If there is a lot of hardware inside I call it a tower, but if we talk about a vacuum column and a vacuum tower we mean the same thing. If it is only 2 meters high, i find it difficult to see a tower in it.

Steven van Els
SAvanEls@cq-link.sr

 

[SHG]

nur12
at all the sizing of the any kind of vessel is a process design criteria not mechanical then you should ask a process engineer to calculate it according to the process requirement

 

[bmoorthy]

The question from "nur12" has a potential to be an interview question.

The classification is essentially function based as it has been pointed out. It so happens that most of the towers/colums which does the function for which it is intended, are tall and has skirt and has high L/D ratio.

It is possible to have a horizontal vessel (Although not economically viable)to perform the same functionas a stripper tower/column.

Towers/Column are vertical vessels, where Mass transfer (Physical reaction) takes place. You may have a stripper column, Splitter column.


A vacuum or an atmospheric column is a distillation column. This distillation column may have a combination of Reflux, stripper, splitter etc or there could be separate columns.

These colums/towers typically has trays, packings etc.

When ever there is a chemical reaction we call that equipment (either vertical or horizontal vessel) a reactor.

In a vertical vessel there is neither physical nor chemical reaction. Here the equipment acts as a degasser or a Knock out drum or a scrubber. The separation is provided by an external element such as demister, schontoter (I am not sure about the spelling). Some vessels are used for storage of high pressure fluids or to get condensate or to collect pressurised drain, in such cases you term it as drum.