2. Hydrodynamics of counter-current trays

2.1 General

Countercurrent trays are characterized by the absence of an overflow. The bubbling elements serve both to raise the steam and to lower the liquid.

We'll confine our discussion to trays on which the gas phase bubbles into the liquid phase. Other types of countercurrent trays are baffle trays, used for heat exchange and vacuum stripping, and film trays (Leva film trays by M. Leva [36] ), which operate in a similar way to an ordered packing (article in this treatise).

The main advantages of countercurrent trays are their simplicity, resistance to clogging and low cost.

Their main drawback is their lack of flexibility....