Structured Packing tower is in the air separation equipment. Crude argon column and distillation has been widely used, so that the energy consumption of air separation equipment, oxygen and argon extraction yield. Device start-up time and variable working technology has improved obviously. Structured tower packing generally has the following advantages:

(1) Structured packing pressure drop is very small. Because of the Structured packing of gas - liquid two phases model are in contact, different from two phase sieve plate tower bubbling contact,, so the voltage drop across the tower packing is only 1/4-1/6 even smaller. Each theory of sieve plate tower resistance about 35 mm H2O, and structured packing can make each theory of sieve plate tower resistance about 35 mm H2O, if still use a sieve plate tower, tower under general operation resistance also did not change, and change the use of structured packing towers, the corresponding fell under the operating pressure of the tower, generally 4.0-4.8 KG/CM2, so can reduce the power consumption of the air compressor.

(2) Structured packing high separation efficiency, distillation extraction rate of air separation equipment, oxygen, nitrogen extraction rate of complete sets of equipment, the extraction rate and the extraction rate of distillation, because of the extraction rate of complete sets of equipment and air separation plant capacity. Liquid product yield and other factors, it is difficult to measure the separation efficiency of structured packing characteristics of high extraction rate of distillation, especially the extraction rate of argon is more representative of the level of air separation equipment design level, measured, has been put into use new air separation plant. Oxygen extraction distillation column which has reached more than 99%; argon extraction rate has reached 79%.

(3) Structured packing hold less liquid. Structured tower packing liquid hold up volume is only 1% -6%, while the sieve tower for liquid hold up volume of 8% -10%.Hold less liquid, meaning short residence time of the liquid in the tower, the operating pressure drop is conducive to change operating conditions.Structured tower packing range of 40% to 40%.

(4) Structured packing have large free volume, which free volume up 95%. In the area of the sieve plate tower tower section 80%. The opening rate is 8% -12%. Are less than the porosity of the packing layer. For the same load, the packed tower tower diameter smaller than the sieve column; under normal circumstances the cross-sectional area is only about 70% of the sieve tower, which for large air separation equipment, column diameter smaller is conducive to transport

(5) Equipment start-up time greatly shortened. after using structured packing tower, when the normal distillation of the liquid drop dramatically, after the start of air separation equipment to product output time drastically reduced

(6) Argon fraction in the oxygen content is about 90%. For using cryogenic distillation method directly reduce to 1 or 2 x10-6 PPM, distillation column’s theoretical plates is about 180 pieces, sieve plate tower is about 300 pieces, high resistance is about 100kpa, distillation is cannot be excluded outside the tower, and if use structured packing, tower height is about 45m. Resistance is only 14-16kpa, so make the realization of the full rectify and produce argon without argon is possible.