Flow-guided sieve-valve tray (FGS-VT) – A novel tray with improved efficiency and hydrodynamics

► We designed a new tray combining the advantages of valve and flow-guided sieve trays. ► We tested the hydrodynamic and mass transfer performances of the new tray. ► A reasonable dry-plate pressure drop model of the tray was proposed. ► The new tray has low pressure drop, high operating limit and high tray efficiency. Flow-guided sieve tray (FGST) has been widely used as column internal for mass and energy transfer between gas and liquid, or liquid and liquid, due to its low pressure drop, high efficiency, and high capacity. But as sieve tray, improving the operation flexibility is the urgent task which has to be resolved. Flow-guided sieve-valve tray (FGS-VT) was designed to overcome the shortcoming of FGST by putting some valves onto the FGST, which do not change the original structure before the valves are open. Comparison of the hydrodynamic and mass transfer performances of FGS-VT, FGST, and Glitsch V1 valve tray was done, using air–water–oxygen system in a 0.6m diameter plexiglass column, and the mathematical model of dry-plate pressure drop for FGS-VT was established. The results showed that the FGS-VT has higher operation flexibility and tray efficiency than FGST and Glitsch V1 valve tray.