Jun2014 Column Internals

PETRONAS TECHNICAL STANDARDS
Column Internals
PTS 16.52.06
June 2014
2014 PETROLIAM NASIONAL BERHAD (PETRONAS)

All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form
or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the permission of the copyright
owner. PETRONAS Technical Standards are Companys internal standards and meant for authorized users only.
PTS 16.52.06
COLUMN INTERNALS June 2014
Page 2 of 41
FOREWORD
PETRONAS Technical Standards (PTS) has been developed based on the accumulated knowledge,
experience and best practices of the PETRONAS group supplementing National and International
standards where appropriate. The key objective of PTS is to ensure standard technical practice across
the PETRONAS group.
Compliance to PTS is compulsory for PETRONAS-operated facilities and Joint Ventures (JVs) where
PETRONAS has more than fifty percent (50%) shareholding and/or operational control, and includes
all phases of work activities.
Contractors/manufacturers/suppliers who use PTS are solely responsible in ensuring the quality of
work, goods and services meet the required design and engineering standards. In the case where
specific requirements are not covered in the PTS, it is the responsibility of the
Contractors/manufacturers/suppliers to propose other proven or internationally established
standards or practices of the same level of quality and integrity as reflected in the PTS.
In issuing and making the PTS available, PETRONAS is not making any warranty on the accuracy or
completeness of the information contained in PTS. The Contractors/manufacturers/suppliers shall
ensure accuracy and completeness of the PTS used for the intended design and engineering
requirement and shall inform the Owner for any conflicting requirement with other international
codes and technical standards before start of any work.
PETRONAS is the sole copyright holder of PTS. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, recording or
otherwise) or be disclosed by users to any company or person whomsoever, without the prior written
consent of PETRONAS.
The PTS shall be used exclusively for the authorised purpose. The users shall arrange for PTS to be
kept in safe custody and shall ensure its secrecy is maintained and provide satisfactory information to
PETRONAS that this requirement is met.
PTS 16.52.06
Page 3 of 41
ANNOUNCEMENT
Please be informed that the entire PTS inventory is currently undergoing transformation exercise from
2013 - 2015 which includes revision to numbering system, format and content. As part of this change,
the PTS numbering system has been revised to 6-digit numbers and drawings, forms and requisition
to 7-digit numbers. All newly revised PTS will adopt this new numbering system, and where required
make reference to other PTS in its revised numbering to ensure consistency. Users are requested to
refer to PTS 00.01.01 (Index to PTS) for mapping between old and revised PTS numbers for clarity. For
further inquiries, contact PTS administrator at ptshelpdesk@petronas.com.my
PTS 16.52.06
Page 4 of 41
Table of Contents
1.0 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 6
1.1 SCOPE ............................................................................................................................ 6
1.2 GLOSSARY OF TERM ...................................................................................................... 6
1.3 SUMMARY OF CHANGES ............................................................................................... 7
2.0 TRAYS.................................................................................................................... 8
2.1 PROCESS DESIGN REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................... 8
2.2 SELECTION OF TRAYS .................................................................................................... 9
2.3 VALVES TRAY ARRANGEMENTS .................................................................................. 10
2.4 MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS LOADS..................................................................... 11
2.5 MECHANICAL DESIGN DEFLECTION AND LEVELNESS .............................................. 12
2.6 TRAY SUPPORT RINGS ................................................................................................. 12
2.7 TRAY PANEL................................................................................................................. 12
2.8 BEAMS ......................................................................................................................... 12
2.9 DRAINING AND LEAKAGE ............................................................................................ 15
2.10 TRAY INSTALLATION, REMOVAL AND ASSEMBLY ....................................................... 15
2.11 TRAYS ACCESSIBILITY .................................................................................................. 16
2.12 SUPPORT RINGS .......................................................................................................... 16
3.0 DRAW-OFF TRAYS................................................................................................ 17
3.1 GENERAL ..................................................................................................................... 17
3.2 DRAW-OFF TRAYS AND COLLECTORS ......................................................................... 17
3.3 PROCESS REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................... 18
3.4 REBOILER VAPOR AND LIQUID RETURN...................................................................... 19
3.5 LOADS ......................................................................................................................... 19
3.6 MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS DEFLECTIONS AND LEVELNESS ............................... 19
3.7 MECHANICAL REQUIREMENT DRAW OFF TRAY AND DISTRIBUTOR TRAY SUPPORT
.................................................................................................................................... 20
3.8 CONSTRUCTION/FABRICATION................................................................................... 20
3.9 DRAINING AND LEAKAGE ............................................................................................ 21
3.10 INSTALLATION, REMOVAL AND ASSEMBLY ................................................................ 22
3.11 PROVISIONS FOR ACCESS ............................................................................................ 22
3.12 SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................... 22
4.0 RANDOM AND STRUCTURED PACKING ................................................................ 24
4.1 PROCESS REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................... 24
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4.2 MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................... 24

5.0 FEED INLET DEVICES............................................................................................. 28
5.1 GENERAL ..................................................................................................................... 28
5.2 PROCESS REQUIREMENTS FOR LIQUID FEED INLETS DEVICES ................................... 28
5.3 MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS - LOADS FOR LIQUID FEED INLETS............................. 28
5.4 MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS - LEVELNESS FOR LIQUID FEED INLETS ...................... 29
5.5 PROCESS REQUIREMENTS FOR MULTI PHASE FEED INLETS/VAPOR FEED ................. 29
5.6 MECHANICAL REQUIREMENT LOADS FOR VAPOR/ MULTIPHASE FEED UNIT ......... 29
5.7 MECHNICAL REQUIREMENT- DEFLECTIONS AND LEVELNESS FOR VAPOR /MULTI
PHASE FEED INLETS ..................................................................................................... 30
5.8 MECHNICAL REQUIREMENT- DRAINING AND LEAKAGE ............................................. 30
6.0 DEMISTER MAT ................................................................................................... 32
6.1 SPECIFICATIONS .......................................................................................................... 32
6.2 INSTALLATION ............................................................................................................. 32
7.0 GENERAL MECHANICAL DESIGN REQUIREMENT ................................................... 33
7.1 ACCESS TO THE COLUMN FOR INSTALLATION AND REMOVAL .................................. 33
7.2 CONSTRUCTION & COMMISIONING SPARES .............................................................. 34
7.3 WELDING..................................................................................................................... 34
7.4 BOLTS .......................................................................................................................... 34
8.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................... 35
APPENDIX 1: TRAY SUPPORT RINGS ................................................................................ 36
APPENDIX 2: LEAKAGE TEST AND TEST CERTIFICATE ........................................................ 37
APPENDIX 3: LIQUID DISTRIBUTION FLOW TEST .............................................................. 38
APPENDIX 4: AVD-P TRAYS ............................................................................................. 41
PTS 16.52.06
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
This PTS specifies the general process and mechanical design requirements, fabrication and
installation of trays, packing and other column internals in a column. This PTS was developed
to ensure that columns are able to achieve the designed mass transfer performance and
efficiency for grass roots and revamp facilities.
It is the intent that PETRONAS Mass Transfer Suite of column internals be used for all column
internals applications.
1.1 SCOPE
The scope of the PTS covers the design requirement of column internals including trays,
downcomers, structured and random packings, packings support, feed inlet devices, liquid
collector distribution trays and demister
1.2 GLOSSARY OF TERM
General Definition of Terms & Abbreviations
Refer to PTS Requirements, General Definition of Terms, Abbreviations & Reading Guide PTS
00.01.03 for General Definition of Terms & Abbreviations.
Specific Definition of Terms
No Term Definition
Ratio of total area (for vapour passage) to the

1 Net Free Area columns cross sectional area expressed as
percentage.
The ratio of the total holes area (for vapour

2 Open Area passage) to the columns cross-sectional area
expressed as a percentage.
Downcomer backup flooding is caused by high

tray pressure drop, liquid height on tray and
3 Downcomer flooding head loss under downcomer. Downcomer
Choke flooding is caused by excessive friction
loss in the downcomer.
In spray regime operation flooding is brought

about by excessive vapour flow causing
excessive liquid to be entrained in the vapour up
4 Jet flooding
the column. In froth and emulsion flows regimes
operation, excessive froth entrainment in the
vapour up the column causes jet flooding.
Permanent items of tower hardware welded to

5 Tower Attachment
the column including support rings, bolting,
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No Term Definition
clamping bars, beam seats (or foot rest), clips
and brackets.
Ratio of the maximum to the minimum rate at

6 Turndown ratio which satisfactory performance can be
achieved.
Carry-over of liquid droplets in vapour flow from

7 Entrainment
one tray to the tray above.
Liquid weep through the holes to tray below (by-

passing the downcomer) when the pressure
8 Tray weeping
drop is insufficient to support the liquid on the
tray.
Trusses that extend the length of shell are

9 Major Beams considered major beams i.e. lattice and channel
type.
10 Manway panels Removable panel for inspection of trays.

Table 1: Specific Definition of Terms
Specific Abbreviations
No Abbreviation Description
1 TCA Total Corrosion Allowance

Table 2: Specific Abbreviations
1.3 SUMMARY OF CHANGES

This PTS 16.52.06 replaces PTS 31.20.20.31 (October, 2011).
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2.0 TRAYS
2.1 PROCESS DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
Trays shall be designed to handle required design vapour and liquid loads with the following
hydraulics criteria unless stated otherwise in the datasheet.
i. Downcomer Flooding : 82% Max
ii. Jet Flooding : 85% Max
iii. Tray Pressure Drop : Customer Specifies
iv. Dry Tray Pressure Drop : 8% Min, 20% Max
v. Entrainment/Weeping : 0.25 Max / 30 % Max
vi. Dynamic Seal :>0
vii. Velocity Under Downcomer : 1.6 Max
viii. Flow Path Length : 406mm (16 in.) -minimum
The maximum allowable deviation of the open area shall be +/- 0.5 % of the columns cross
section, or +/- 5.0 % of the stated net free area (NFA), whichever is the smaller. Checks on
definition for Open Area and Free Area as it may differ between Mass Transfer internals
Suppliers.
Foaming factor shall be specified based on process fluid conditions:
i. Non-Foaming: 1.00
ii. Foaming: Moderate 0.85
iii. Foaming: Severe 0.70
Multi-pass trays (2 pass or more passes) shall have liquid and vapour rates proportioned to
active tray area. Multi pass trays shall be balanced by having the same effective weir length
and liquid flow rate to each pass. Vapour equalization tunnels shall be considered for
multidowncomer trays.
The number of liquid flow path shall be increased when weir loadings are greater than 70 to
90 m3/h/m (8 to 10 gpm/in).
Tray spacing typically follows:

No Tray Spacing
1 Normal Tray 457 mm- 610 mm
2 Feed Tray Normal Tray +150 mm
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3 Pumparound 762mm-914 mm
Table 3: Typical tray spacing
Additional considerations for tray spacing are accessibility, downcomer backup/flood,

column length and diameter.
Dry Entrainment: Liquid is blown into a fine spray that leaves tray essentially dry. Anti-blowing
baffles and picket fence overflow weirs shall be used for correction.
Wet Entrainment: Vapour entrains excessive liquid to tray above. Amount of liquid entrained
shall be expressed as pounds of liquid entrained per pound of liquid leaving tray. Unless
approved otherwise by OWNER, entrainment shall not exceed 0.1 pounds/pounds.
Weepage and Pulsation: Liquid leaks through tray holes, risers, or valves. If these conditions
occur for desired design range, OWNER shall be advised. Trays shall perform in a satisfactory
manner down to minimum rates or 50% of normal rates, whichever is less.
2.2 SELECTION OF TRAYS
High performance trays shall be considered in optimizing column design and in maximizing
performance and column efficiency. Wherever suitable to improve hydraulics and in particular
for high performance application, it is mandated to use PETRONAS high performance trays
(ADV-P) and downcomer distributor (DD).
The trays have the following features:
Micro Dispersion Valve (MDV) where the valves equipped with canopies on the valve plate
and is able to generate very fine dispersion on the tray which enhances mass transfer.
Inlet Bubble promoter which initiates bubbling right at the tray inlet effectively gaining
active area performance.
Quick-connect Active Joint which enables a uniform and consistent valve pitch across the
entire tray and provide substantial installation time saving.
Downcomer Distributor: The downcomers of the trays include a distributor with the
discharge ports sized so as to control the rate of liquid flow at different positions across the
distributor. The design gives even liquid flow across the surface of the tray immediately
below, avoiding the formation of stagnant regions with no backflow over the tray active area
which enable efficient and effective utilization of the tray area.
De-entraining Device: When operating under the spray regime, the ADV Tray with de-
entraining device can increase approximately 10% additional hydraulic capacity over the
trays without such a device.
Diagonal panel Layout: To overcome the problem of liquid flow blockage by tray support
beams, a diagonal panel layout mechanical design in conjunction with quick-connect
active joints can be applied
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2.3 VALVES TRAY ARRANGEMENTS
Valves tray arrangement as per below:
i. Tray perforations and valves shall be as evenly spaced as practicable.
ii. The perforating pattern should be rectangular or triangular at the internals

Supplier's preferences.
iii. Should have a minimum of two rows of perforations (sieve holes or valves)
between the downcomer clearance the outlet weir.
iv. To minimize liquid bypassing, triangular pattern should be applied where the
base of the triangle is perpendicular to the flow direction.
2.3.2 All harmful burrs or protrusion shall be removed and punched downwards. Unless specified
in the data sheet, protruded holes shall be used.
2.3.3 Conventional and high performance valve trays can be fixed or floating valves. The type and
number of valves, design and the orientation shall comply with tray design criteria as per
above unless specified in requisition datasheet.
2.3.4 The pitch of conventional valves (measured centre to centre of valves) shall be not less than
1.5 times the diameter of the valve cap.
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2.4 MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS LOADS
Trays and supports shall be designed to withstand following loads at the design conditions:
i. Weight of tray and all the fixing assembly.
ii. Weight of liquid (either hot process liquid or water, whichever is the heavier)
equivalent to a liquid weight of two times the weir height with a minimum of
1000 N/m2;
Maximum operating load in an upward direction of 2000 N/ m 2 at maximum working

temperature evenly distributed over the entire tray surface.
Areas under downcomers shall have a design load which is the greater of 314kg/m2 or a head
of water one half the height of downcomer.
Draw off pans shall have a design load which is the greater of 700kg/m2 or a head of water to
the top of the pan.
Total draw-off pans shall be designed with a design load which is the greater of 700 kg/m2 or
a head of water to the top of the vapour riser or weir overflow.
Trays directly above and below a flashing feed should be designed with 700 kg/m2 upward
loads.
The trays shall also be capable of absorbing the loads (1000N downward which is equivalent
to the weight of one man working on the assembly) for installation and maintenance activity.
For sieve, valve, bubble cap and grid trays, the maximum downward and upward deflection
under operating loads for structural components shall be designed for a concentrated live
load of 135 kg at any point based on the allowable stress at 38 C.
The design shall be based on fully corroded thickness of the structural component (i.e.
thickness excluding total corrosion allowance.)
More stringent load criteria shall apply for cases where these loads can easily be exceeded
due to an operational mishap, e.g. liquid-full trays, steam explosions, etc. The following
maximum loads should be used:
i. Downward load : The weight of the hot process liquid if the tray spacing is
completely filled.
ii. Upward load : 6900 Pa (1 psi) maximum for steam explosions only. Tray panels
shall be clamped onto the supports. Special clamps shall be used to minimize
damage to support beams and rings.
iii. As an alternative, the use of one or more explosion doors may be considered.
Typical size is 80 % of the perforated area with a minimum of 5 % of the active
tray area of the column's cross sectional area. Explosion doors are only used in
combination with a high uplift design of 6900 N/m2 .
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Criteria for the design of internals for these heavy-duty conditions shall be indicated on the
requisition data sheets.
Maximum allowance for tensile stress at design temperature shall comply with ASME BPVC,
Section II, Part D.
2.5 MECHANICAL DESIGN DEFLECTION AND LEVELNESS
Maximum allowable deflection (downward and upward) for sieve, valve, bubble cap and grid
trays under operating load shall exceed 1/900 of the internal column diameter.
Maximum allowable tilt for fractionating trays and gravity liquid distributors shall not exceed
0.3 % of the column diameter, or 6 mm, whichever is the smaller. Care shall be exercised to
avoid local depressions and bulges in panels during fabrication and installation. Local
depressions and bulges in panels (if occurs during operation) shall not exceed 6 mm from the
nominal plane. Internal supplier shall take into account several other factors which may
influence levelness of trays. This includes the tolerances of the support rings inside the vessel
and the proper erection of the vessel on site. Refer to PTS 12.20.06 and PTS 12.20.09 for
minimum requirements.
2.6 TRAY SUPPORT RINGS
Trays shall be supported by tray support system such as trusses, beams, bars, rings. These are
considered as column attachments which may comprise of support rings, support lugs and
drip rings.
Support rings shall be welded to the column wall for columns with a nominal diameter of 900
mm and above. For support rings, reference is made to (Appendix I).
The overlap between the support ring and outer diameter (OD) of trays and grids shall be 19
mm minimum.
The depth of supporting members traverse to the direction of flow shall not exceed 20% of
the tray spacing.
The depth of supporting members normal to the direction of flow shall not exceed 25% of the
tray spacing.
2.7 TRAY PANEL
Tray panel weight should not exceed 30kg to allow for easy handling during installation and
removal.
Load bearing trusses for inlet and active panels can be either loose channels or integrally
formed into the panels. Active panels can be connected to each other using tongue and groove
construction with a bolting connection for every 600 mm across the connection joint.
2.8 BEAMS
Minimum beam thickness shall be 3 mm.

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Support beam shall be bolted onto the supports using slotted holes to accommodate thermal
expansion. Slot length shall be specified by internal supplier based on thermal analysis taking
into account the maximum differential temperature and thermal expansion coefficient of
internals and column shell.
Supporting beams shall not restrict liquid and vapor contact on the trays.
For trays with conventional downcomers, the main support beams shall be parallel to the
direction of liquid flow and shall be directly connected to the beam support clips welded to
the shell.
The following condition shall be applied for minor support beams on conventional down
comer trays:
The space occupied by the beam shall not exceed 1/3 of the space between trays as defined
below:
Abeam/ (D x TS) < 1/3 of space between Tray
Where:
Abeam = area of beam, horizontally projected, m2 ;
D = internal diameter of column, m;
TS = tray spacing, m.
i. If a solid beam cannot meet this criteria then alternative beam construction such
as I-beam with holes or open work construction shall be used.
ii. All support beams shall be self draining to avoid trapped liquid. If a C-type beam
with separation segments is used, each segment should be able to be drained
individually. Where draining of the segment is not possible, a drain hole of at
least 12 mm should be drilled in the bottom of the beam.
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Lattice beam construction can be used to support more than one layer of trays (for two
fractionating trays) for column diameters larger than 6.0 m. However, in case of multi layer
support, the lattice beam should allow for 70% open area through lattice construction. In this
case, the height of the support beam is equal to the tray spacing.
Combined beams may also be applied for column diameters smaller than 6.0 m. If a combined
beam is used, it shall occupy not more than 1/3 of the free space. In addition, the height of
the edge/obstruction below the support beam openings ("Hb" in Figure 1) should be less than
the weir height of the tray below; in any case, Hb shall not exceed a height of 35 mm so as not
to hamper the liquid cross-flow on that tray.
Figure 1 : Open structure combined support beam

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2.9 DRAINING AND LEAKAGE
Drain holes are required to permit draining of the liquid hold up especially during
maintenance. Each seal pan shall have at least one drain hole with a diameter of 10 mm
located in the centre of panel. Drain holes in recessed seal pans shall be located towards the
end of the pan to prevent vapour bypassing through the holes to tray above. Inlet weirs shall
have a 13 mm ID drain hole at the base to drain into the tray.
The tightness of conventional downcomers shall not exceed 1.0% of open area in the down
comer bottom. Any gap in a seam shall not be wider than 1.0 mm.
Bubble cap trays should be able to hold liquid up to weir or riser height and therefore should
be capable of passing the leakage test as described in (Appendix II).
2.10 TRAY INSTALLATION, REMOVAL AND ASSEMBLY
Trays shall be made in segmental parts to pass through manholes or the top dome of the
column. For column with diameter larger than 800mm, the largest panel section to pass
through an opening equal to column internal diameter minus 6mm.
Cartridge trays shall be designed to permit installation and removal through the top of
column.
2All trays shall be designed to permit installation from bottom to top and removal from top
to bottom, unless otherwise specified
All parts should have durable markings, in paint stencil or ink, for easy identification during
tray installation at field as shown as the respective part numbers on the drawings.
In order to reduce the number of joints, parts shall be made as large as possible. Sufficient
clearance to facilitate assembly on site shall be allowed. For high performance tray, it is
mandatory to use activated quick connect joints which requires much less bolting along the
active joints to facilitate assembly. Activated quick connect joints is a preferred option for
conventional tray.
Bolted joints may only be used to:
i. attach support beams to cleats
ii. attach downcomer plates in columns with conventional downcomers
iii. attach auxiliary internals
For connections to beams or cleats, bolted connections shall be secured by means of tack
welding the nut to the bolt, or by employing a second nut.
The maximum allowable difference in level between two adjacent panels shall be 2 mm.
Internal distribution pipes shall have flanged connections, refer to Standard Drawing
D12.92.002.
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2.11 TRAYS ACCESSIBILITY
Trays and fittings shall be designed for easy access for cleaning, inspection and maintenance.
Access to fractionating trays not served by column manways shall be provided by means of
bolted manways in the fractionating trays.
Tray manways shall have a minimum opening of 380 mm x 500 mm and to ensure that a man
can pass through the manways of the fractionating trays. The cover plate of the tray shall be
split if no manways possible.
If the clearance between the tray deck and the bottom of the main supporting beams of the
tray above is less than 400 mm, tray manways shall be installed on each side of the beams.
For multiple passes tray, each pass should be equipped with one manway.
If a tray uses a major beam to split active area and the distance between the bottom of the
major beam chord and the tray below is less than 350 mm, the tray should be equipped with
a manway opening on each side of the major beam to allow for man crossing below the beam.
All manways to be vertically align throughout the column, unless specified otherwise.
Bolting and unbolting of tray manways should be possible from both sides of the tray. For
column with tray spacing less than 450 mm, all trays shall be designed for topside installation
and removal. Topside installation and removal require using welded nuts.
2.12 SUPPORT RINGS
The method by which trays are supported is set by the column fabricator during the detailed
design. The number, size, and thickness of the support members is dependent on factors such
as tower diameter, the load to be supported, the need for accessibility for maintenance and
the corrosion allowance.
Trays shall be supported by tray support ring for column with diameters less than 3000mm.
For tower diameters greater than 3000 mm, the load shall be supported by trusses which are
attached to the shell together with the support ring. The support ring shall be a minimum
thickness of 6 to 13 mm.
The required width of support rings shall be between 2 and 3 in. (50 to 75 mm) and increases
with increasing tower diameter. The tray panels and the minor trusses are attached to the
support ring by bolts or clips.
For tower diameters up to about 6000 mm, these trusses usually consist of I-beams or
channels. Built-up lattice type trusses are normally used and two trays are usually supported
from each set of trusses. Enough open area should be built into lattice trusses to insure good
lateral vapour distribution and to provide access to tray sections on both sides of the truss.
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To prevent poor distribution of liquid and vapour on a tray, the major trusses must be parallel
to the direction of liquid flow, unless they are part of the centre (inboard) or off-centre
downcomers on multipass trays. Support beams exceeding 20% of the tray spacing in depth
should not be placed perpendicular to the liquid flow under side (outboard) downcomers.
Support beams should not be placed under drawoff boxes perpendicular to liquid flow as they
may restrict the flow of liquid into the downcomer of the tray below and thus limit the capacity
of that tray.
3.0 DRAW-OFF TRAYS
3.1 GENERAL
The common means for withdrawing liquid are downcomer trapouts and chimney trays
assembled with the following components:
i. Draw-off trays include chimney draw-off tray and downcomer trapouts draw-off
tray.
ii. Liquid collectors include collectors with trough arrangement, rectangular/round

risers, Chevron type liquid collectors.
3.2 DRAW-OFF TRAYS AND COLLECTORS
Intermediate liquid draw-off can either be partial and total draw-off. Partial draw off can be
accomplished for up to 90% of the liquid from the tray. The partial draw-off rate should not
exceed 70% of the total of internal reflux rate and the drawoff rate at the draw off tray
(exclude pumparound rate)
Partial Liquid draw-offs can be achieved by:
i. Downcomer trapouts
ii. Chimney trays

Trapout shall be sealed to prevent vapour from flowing up the downcomer. It is
recommended to install a total draw off tray with a pump-back metered reflux stream to the
next below tray, if more than 75 to 80% of liquid is to be withdrawn.
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Chimney tray shall be used for liquid draw-off when:
i. Large liquid holdup is required, for product surge or water settling
ii. Drawoff box occupy excessive tray area
iii. Leakage from the tray cannot be tolerated for process reason
iv. A partial draw-off rate greater than 75%-80% of the total liquid rate
Chevron vane liquid collectors which are often fitted below packed beds to act as liquid
collector for liquid draw-off shall comprise of a number of inclined vanes. Liquid is collected
in channels at bottom of each vanes and drained into annular sump or into trough(s).
3.3 PROCESS REQUIREMENTS
Chimney tray shall occupy an area of 15-20% of column area.
The liquid outlets (nozzles) in the sump or trough(s) shall be equipped with vortex breakers,
see Standard Drawing D12.92.001.
Nozzle sizing considerations shall consider the following. Recommended design guidelines are
as follows:
No Criteria Design Guideline

1 Draw sump downward velocity < 0.3 m/s
2 Sump Horizontal Velocity < 0.6 m/s
3 Nozzle velocity < 1.0 m/s
4 Nozzle entrance Head loss (m) 0.332 (Q)2 / (D)4
Where
Q = drawoff rate (m3/s),
D = nozzle ID (m)
5 Head loss (m.) < nozzle radius (m) + 0.0762 (m)
Table 4: Nozzle Sizing Design Guideline

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For vertically attached draw nozzle, a crossbar like vortex breaker is required.
The draw nozzle shall incorporate the trap out pan or sump floor.
Circular and square risers may be used with the following considerations:
i. If the tower diameter is greater 2400 mm, chimney riser diameter or width
should be 1450 mm for circular or square chimneys respectively for access
reasons. If access is not critical, smaller chimneys may be used.
ii. Chimney hat width/diameter must be at least equal to chimney width/diameter.
3.4 REBOILER VAPOR AND LIQUID RETURN
Piping layout of reboiler return lines shall be designed to have only vertical and horizontal pipe
runs should be used for mixed phase return without any sloping This piping layout will
minimise slug flow in the vertical portion of piping returning from the reboiler In A smaller
pipe size may be necessary (to prevent slug flow in the line). In such case, the return pipe
should be swaged up to the inlet nozzle size, with a reducing elbow.
Vapour return line from a kettle reboiler is typically sized for pressure drop of 0.07 bar/100m
of equivalent straight pipe.
Piping of the vapour return line from kettle reboiler generally shall be the same size as the
nozzle to the column tower.
3.5 LOADS
Draw-off trays, liquid gravity distributors and their supports shall be designed to withstand:
i. The weight of the full liquid contents; either process liquid or water whichever is
heavier. Weight of hot process liquid is normally considered. If water is used in
the operating cycle of column such as steaming out and water is heavier than the
process liquid, weight of water is taken.
ii. The maximum operating load in an upward direction of 2000 Pa at maximum

working temperature evenly distributed over the entire surface of the internal.
The trough(s) and sump(s) shall be capable of absorbing the loads resulting from installation
and maintenance activity. These loads shall be taken as 1000 N downward, equivalent to the
weight of one man working on the assembly.
Each draw-off tray, liquid collector and gravity distributor shall be a unit capable of
withstanding loads mentioned above. And in some cases, a draw-off tray may also be required
to add extra load to support other internals, for example a packed bed above, or a liquid
distribution spider below.
Collectors and Chimney trays should be designed for head of liquid (water) equal to riser
height plus 50mm.
3.6 MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS DEFLECTIONS AND LEVELNESS

PTS 16.52.06
Page 20 of 41
Maximum deflection for a liquid gravity distributor under operating load shall not be more
than 1/900 of the internal column diameter, with a maximum of 6 mm.
The maximum allowable tilt of gravity liquid distributors shall be 0.3 % of the column
diameter, or 6 mm, whichever is the smaller. Local depressions and bulges in panels shall not
exceed 6 mm from nominal level.
Each parting box (side-channel) of a gravity distributor shall be capable of being leveled
independently of the other parting box.
A pan-type gravity distributor shall have levelling facility.
All channels of draw-off trays, channel arrangements and liquid collector trays shall have a
slope of 1:200 towards the trough or sump they drain into.
3.7 MECHANICAL REQUIREMENT DRAW OFF TRAY AND DISTRIBUTOR TRAY SUPPORT
A draw-off tray, liquid collector or gravity distributor shall be supported on lugs or a

supporting ring attached to the column wall.
Details for supporting of a gravity distributor refer to (3.12.1).
3.8 CONSTRUCTION/FABRICATION
Material thickness of:
i. Riser caps and supports shall be 1.5 mm minimum.
ii. Side channels shall be 2 mm minimum (except for the channels of a vane
collector).
iii. Side sump or transverse trough(s) shall be 4 mm minimum.
iv. Vane collectors shall be 1.5mm.
Side channels/parting boxes and trough(s) shall be interconnected by flanged gasketed with a
material wall thickness of the flanges of minimum 6 mm. The minimum thickness of the gasket
shall be 2 mm.
Side sumps and troughs shall be fully welded.
The distance between the bottom of the drawoff nozzle(s), including bellows, and the
internals below shall be sufficient to avoid interference. Minimum distance is 100 mm.
Metal-to-metal flanged connections should be used. Gasketed joints below normal liquid level
shall be avoided. For side-sumps and troughs, long straight joints below normal liquid level, if
unavoidable, shall be seal or strength welded. Facing or circular joints to pipe connections
shall be machined (stock-finished).
The bolts connecting the parting boxes to the sump or trough shall have a maximum pitch of
100 mm. Bolts shall straddle the bottom corners of the parting boxes.
PTS 16.52.06
Page 21 of 41
The ends of the parting boxes shall be connected so that the gaskets can be readily fitted with
allowance for thermal expansion at transient conditions, i.e during start up and shut down.
The use of bellows on the draw-off nozzle shall also be evaluated. Unless otherwise
specified,the difference between the maximum operating temperature and ambient shall be
used.
All other connections between parts of the draw-off tray, liquid collector or gravity distributor,
(e.g., baffles) shall be bolted or clamped.
Total draw off or partial draw off chimney trays shall be completely seal welded on all metal
to metal connections.
The use of ring channels, welded against the column wall, for draw-off trays and/or liquid
collectors instead of troughs or sumps, is not allowed.
3.9 DRAINING AND LEAKAGE
A minimum of two drain holes with a diameter of 10 mm shall be provided in the base of each
draw-off tray/liquid collector to permit draining. The same requirement applies for a pan-type
(chimney tray) distributor and a channel-type distributor with integrated trough, but the drain
hole size shall be equal to that of the distribution holes.
No extra drain holes are required for a gravity distributor with ground holes. Total draw-off
trays shall be self-draining and therefore do not require drain holes.
The following column internals or parts thereof, are designed to hold liquid for sealing,
distribution or draw-off purposes and, shall pass the leakage test. Refer to Appendix II.
No Column internals Leakage Test Coverage

1 The full height and up to the
Total Draw off Trays
top of the lower channels
2 Trough of vane collectors Trough of vane
3 Full height, up to the
Partial draw-off trays
overflow off boxes;
4 Height of the perforations in
Gravity liquid distributor the drip tube or distributor
wall
Table 5: Column internals and leakage test coverage
PTS 16.52.06
Page 22 of 41
A channel arrangement above a reboiler compartment is normally not designed to be liquid

tight and hence does not require a leak test.
3.10 INSTALLATION, REMOVAL AND ASSEMBLY
Draw-off tray, distributor and collector parts shall be made in segmental parts to pass through
the manholes or the top flange of the column during installation and maintenance work.
All parts should have durable markings, by means of paint or ink, and by means of stamping
relating to the erection plan from which the internals can be unmistakably identified. Paint or
ink shall be chloride free for Stainless Steel parts, see PTS 15.20.12.
Parts shall be made as large as possible in order to reduce the number of joints.
Welding of draw-off tray, liquid collector or gravity distributor parts to each other during site
erection, welding to column supports or column shell shall not be allowed unless strictly
required.
Connections to beams or cleats that are essential to the integrity of the column internal
construction shall be secured. Bolted connections shall be secured by means of tack welding
the nut to the bolt, or by employing a second nut.
Internal distribution pipes shall have flanged connections; refer to Standard Drawing
D12.92.002. Indicated flange thickness should be used as a guideline only and may be
minimised for all nominal pipe sizes based on the mechanical requirements and applied
materials of construction.
3.11 PROVISIONS FOR ACCESS
3.11.1 Access to draw off trays and distributors shall be provided by means of manways in the
column and manways in the tray above. The support beams of the tray above shall be
located so as to allow ready access via the manways to all parts of the draw-off tray, liquid
collector or gravity distributor. If appropriate, e.g., in the case of a draw-off tray close below
a packed bed, the tray should be removable from below.
3.12 SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
Gravity liquid distributors
i. Unless specified otherwise in the data sheet, the following requirements for
gravity liquid distributors should be followed:
a) Shall be self-supporting and fixed to a support ring or support lugs. It shall
not be supported on the hold-down grid of the packing and shall not be
welded onto the support ring.
b) Attachments welded to the column wall (support rings, lugs and brackets)
should not hamper the installation or removal of the packings, especially
for columns with diameter smaller than 800 mm.
c) Slots or holes should be used to divide the liquid over the liquid
distribution points. They should be located in drip-tubes or in the channel
PTS 16.52.06
Page 23 of 41
wall. There should be a rectangular top slot in the drip tubes to handle
the liquid flow if the normal distribution holes are plugged.
d) The diameter of the drip tube should at least be twice as large as the slot
width or distribution hole diameter.
e) Holes in the channel wall should be shielded from the gas flow. The liquid
should be guided to the packing via a pipe or a splash-baffle to protect
the liquid from being entrained by the vapour. The cover may be a splash-
plate or a drip tube.
f) Drip tube connected to the channel wall should have a degassing hole for
breaking the siphon effect.
g) Troughs with weirs over which the liquid is projected sideways to fall onto
the packing, or notched troughs shall not be used.
h) The minimum distance between the packing and a channel or trough
should be half the trough/channel width.
i) Gravity distributors for column diameters above 4 m or for packed
sections containing more than 8 theoretical stages should be subjected to
a hydraulic test in the workshop, refer to Appendix II.
The following minimum hole or slot sizes apply:
Case Size Filters

(mm) needed?
Holes in distributor floor for high liquid loads and low > 12 No
fouling tendency.
Holes/slots in drip tubes or channel wall >8 No
Holes/slots in drip tubes or channel wall in re- >6 Not for
distributor or distributor below partial draw-off clean service
trays
Holes/slots in drip tubes or channel wall for low 4 to 8 Yes
liquid loads
Table 6: Holes/slots size and requirement for filters
For slots/holes with a diameter below 8 mm, a double set of filters should be installed. Holes
smaller than 4 mm shall not be used. Holes in the tray floor shall only be used in services
with a low fouling tendency and high liquid loads, so that 12 mm diameter holes or larger
can be used.
PTS 16.52.06
Page 24 of 41
4.0 RANDOM AND STRUCTURED PACKING
4.1 PROCESS REQUIREMENTS
Packed towers comprise of packing supports, and distributors/re-distributors as they are more
sensitive to liquid and vapour maldistribution than trays. The maximum number of theoretical
stages permitted in one packed section shall be 20, unless otherwise is specified in the
datasheet or purchase order.
Liquid maldistribution may occur for bed heights above 8 m, or with more than 15 stages,
therefore the approval of the Technical Authority is required. For mechanical reasons, the
maximum packed bed height shall be 12 m. Liquid and vapor shall be distributed as required
to avoid low efficiencies due to channeling or mal-distribution of liquid and vapor. Anticipted
HETP (height per theoretical plate) for each service shall be reported. Liquid and vapor shall
normally be redistributed every 20 feet (6.1 metres) or 10 theoretical stages.
A gravity distributor shall not be allowed to rest on the packed bed.
Percent flood and pressure drop shall be calculated for each individual packed bed. Pressure
drop for chimney trays, demisters and other devices within the column that affect pressure
drop through the column shall also be reported.
Individual troughs, parting boxes and distributor pans/ plates shall have easily adjustable
leveling assemblies attached to support ring or major beams.
Metal packing shall have a bed limiter. Bed limiter shall be securely fastened to support ring
to prevent damage/ dislocation of liquid trough/ pan distributor or spray nozzle system.
Connections of major packing support beams to vessel walls shall be designed for full beam
strength and associated moment.
4.2 MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS
Loads
The packing and supports shall be designed to withstand the following operating loads:
i. maximum operating load in upward direction equivalent to 100 mm of hot

process liquid per metre packed height at maximum working temperature
evenly distributed over the entire surface of the packing
ii. maximum load in downward direction equivalent to the weight of the packing,
50% liquid hold-up for a wash-oil bed or 15 % liquid hold up for others, and any
other internals such as bed limiters
iii. The packing and support grid shall be capable of absorbing the loads resulting
from installation and maintenance activity, taken as 1000 N downward,
equivalent to the weight of one man working on the assembly.
PTS 16.52.06
Page 25 of 41
Deflections and levelness
i. For packed beds and their support grids, the maximum downward and upward
deflection under operating load shall not exceed 1/800 of the internal column
diameter, or 6 mm, whichever is the smaller.
ii. The maximum allowable tilt of each layer of a structured packed bed and
support grid shall be 0.3 % of the column diameter, or 6 mm, whichever is the
smaller.
Support
i. Column of diameter larger than 800mm shall have a self supporting structured
packing grid (100 mm to 150 mm high) resting on a ring at the wall
ii. The minimum net free area of the grid is 95 %.
iii. For structured packing support grid, the maximum distance between grid
elements is 100 mm. The grid elements should be bolted or clamped together.
iv. If the diameter of column is greater than 3.5 m, one or more support beams
should be used.
v. Minimum open area of the beam. The beam shall occupy not more than one
third of the space below the support grid of the packed bed and the top of the
internal below:
Abeam/(D x clearance) < 1/3 of space below support grid to the top of internal below
where:
Abeam = area of beam, horizontally projected, m2;
D = internal diameter of column, m;
Clearance = clearance below the support grid to the top of the internal below, m.
If this criterion cannot be met with a solid beam, an open type of beam shall be used, such
as an I-type beam with holes therein or an open work construction.
If a C-type beam is used with separation segments, each segment of the beam should be
provided with a draining facility. Where draining of the segment is not possible, a drain hole
of at least 12 mm should be drilled in the bottom of the beam.
Material thickness
i. Minimum sheet thickness for stainless steel structured packing shall apply:
Specific area, As (m2/ m3) Minimum sheet thickness *, t

(mm)
larger than 200 0.1
equal to or smaller than 200 0.15
PTS 16.52.06
Page 26 of 41
Table 7: Minimum sheet thickness for stainless steel structured packing
ii. Minimum material thicknesses of random packing shall apply:
Packing ring Material thickness

[in] [mm]
0.7 0.2
1 0.3
1.5 / 2 /2.5 0.4
3 0.5
Table 8: Minimum material thickness of random packing
The packed bed and support grid shall be made in sections that can pass through manholes or
the top dome/flange of the column.
Parts for bed supports should have durable markings, by means of paint or ink and stamping,
relating to the erection plan from which the internals can be unmistakably identified.
Unless strictly required in view of manhole dimension constraints, welding of support parts to
each other during site erection shall not be allowed. Welding of support grid parts to column
supports or column shell shall not be allowed.
Guide for installation of structured packing:
i. Each layer must be installed in accordance to the orientation as per internal

suppliers instruction.
ii. Place bundles in such a way that there is no space between them and packing
shall meet the column wall correctly. If wall wiper are provided, it should touch
the column wall.
iii. Maximum allowable gap between the packing and the column wall is given in the
table below:
Column diameter Maximum gap width

(m) (mm)
< 1.0 10
1.0 to 3.0 15
> 3.0 25
Table 4 : Maximum allowable gap between packing and column wall
PTS 16.52.06
Page 27 of 41
iv. Maximum gap in the length direction between the packing elements should be 10
mm.
v. If specified on the data sheet, it is permissible to install 0.1 mm packing, to which

the following additional installation requirement apply:
a) A larger sheet thickness top layer packing shall be installed (0.15mm or
0.2mm).
Guide for Installation of random packing
i. Check with Internal Suppliers for the allowable drop height for random packing,
as it varies with the shape and material from which packing is made.
ii. Random packing should not be dumped directly onto support grid. Initial loading
should be done by lowering the packing onto the support plate until it is 0.3m or
more, or allowed to settle out by filling with usually water or liquid of lower
density than the random packing material.
iii. Different types of random packing should be separated by a bed limiter.
During installation and maintenance, standing directly on the packed bed should be avoided.
Where standing on the packing is necessary for installation purposes, protection requirements
shall be indicated in the installation procedure.
For small diameter columns (D 1.0 m), 8 hand holes should be provided for easy removal
of the random packing.
No manholes shall be allocated for packing or support/hold-down grids.
For inspection of the column shell at the packed section, the complete packed bed should be
removed.
PTS 16.52.06
Page 28 of 41
5.0 FEED INLET DEVICES
5.1 GENERAL
Liquid feed inlet devices includes liquid elbow, spray nozzles and liquid feed pipes and spiders.
Vapour or multi-phase feed inlet devices includes half open pipe, vapour horn or multi-vane
diffuser.
Vapour horn is vapour/ flashing feed inlet devises that are commonly specified for the feed
(often in two phases) inlets of vacuum distillation unit and sometimes crude unit in a refinery.
The feed enters the column either via tangential or straight inlet and vanes within the vapour
horn housing are used to direct and distribute the vapour or flashing feed. Performance of
this feed inlet a device is critical to ensure adequate gas oil quality and yield, maximum column
capacity and proper wash bed performance.
5.2 PROCESS REQUIREMENTS FOR LIQUID FEED INLETS DEVICES
Requirements for liquid spray distributor:
i. Spray nozzles should be designed to relieve the liquid vertically downwards. The
orientation angle of the nozzle should be designed vertically onwards. Orientation
angle of nozzle refers to the angle of nozzle and not the spray angle. For spray-
nozzle distributors, the maximum deviation from the specified orientation angle
shall be not more than 1.
ii. Full cone spray nozzles shall be used.
iii. Distance to the packed bed below shall be determined by spray pattern and
spray angle.
5.3 MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS - LOADS FOR LIQUID FEED INLETS
The feed inlet shall be designed to withstand the following loads:
i. feed pipes, liquid spiders and spray-nozzle distributors shall be designed to

withstand a pressure drop over the liquid outlet of 5 bar.
ii. inlet device must be hold its own weight and the weight of its contents when filled
with water or process liquid, whichever is the heavier.
iii. feed inlets and supports design shall consider thermal expansion during operating
and transient (start up and turndown) conditions.
PTS 16.52.06
Page 29 of 41
5.4 MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS - LEVELNESS FOR LIQUID FEED INLETS
For an elbow serving a 4-pass tray, or a spider with down pipes, the levelness shall be within
6 mm, or 0.3 %, whichever is smaller. For an elbow with one or two outlets above single or
two pass tray, levelness is not critical.
5.5 PROCESS REQUIREMENTS FOR MULTI PHASE FEED INLETS/VAPOR FEED
Requirements for Half-open pipe:
i. Diameter of the half open pipe shall be equal to the feed nozzle diameter.
ii. Pipe Length shall be a minimum of 4 times the diameter of the nozzle.
iii. Exit opening shall face downwards.
iv. Area of the exit opening shall be 4 times the feed nozzle minimum area.
Refer to PTS 16.52.09 for nozzle sizing criteria.
Requirements for multi-vane diffusers:
i. Shall have one vane for each tray panel, in which the vanes points back to the inlet
nozzles.
ii. Distance from bottom of multi-vane diffuser to tray below should be equal to tray
spacing. Minimum distance from top of multi-vane diffuser to tray above is
300mm. The clearance above shall be increased if other restrictions are present
e.g. draw-off tray outlet pipe, draw-off tray trough, etc.
5.6 MECHANICAL REQUIREMENT LOADS FOR VAPOR/ MULTIPHASE FEED UNIT
The feed inlet shall be designed to withstand loads of maximum operating load over the
column nozzle of 15000 Pa and shall hold its own weight plus the weight of the fluids at
process conditions
Feed inlets and supports design shall consider thermal expansion during operating and
transient (start up and turndown) conditions
PTS 16.52.06
Page 30 of 41
5.7 MECHNICAL REQUIREMENT- DEFLECTIONS AND LEVELNESS FOR VAPOR /MULTI PHASE
FEED INLETS
The downward and upward deflection of the half-open pipes under operating load shall not
be more than 1 % of the nozzle diameter, or 15 mm, whichever is larger.
For half-open pipes and multi vane diffuser, tilt shall be not more than 1 % of the column
diameter, or 15 mm, whichever is smaller.
5.8 MECHNICAL REQUIREMENT- DRAINING AND LEAKAGE
For feed inlet devices, drain holes are only required in the main headers of liquid spiders,
which should have at least one drain hole with a diameter of 10 mm to permit draining of the
liquid hold-up.
For liquid spiders and spray-nozzle distributors, the amount of liquid bypassing the
holes/spray-nozzles, e.g., leaking through flanges, etc., should be less than 1 % of the
distributed liquid.
Installation and removal
i. Feed inlet internals shall be made in sections which are able to pass through the
column manholes.
ii. All parts shall have durable markings, by means of chloride-free paint or ink, and
by stamping relating to the erection plan from which the internals can be
unmistakably identified.
iii. Spray nozzles distributor should be tested in situ with water after installation.
Feed inlet device assembly
i. To reduce the number of joints, parts shall be made as large as possible.
ii. Connections to beams or cleats that are essential to the integrity of the column
internal construction shall be secured. Bolted connections shall be secured by tack
welding the nut to the bolt, or by employing a second nut.
iii. If applicable, prefabricated material and gaskets should be used for internal
flanges. For this purpose the use of ladderband, tape or rope sealing is not
allowed.
Direct access to feed inlets via a column manhole should be available for shutdowns i.e.
removal, maintenance and installation.
PTS 16.52.06
Page 31 of 41
PTS 16.52.06
Page 32 of 41
6.0 DEMISTER MAT
6.1 SPECIFICATIONS
Demister mats shall be applied based on design criteria as follows:
i. free volume of at least 97 %)
ii. wire thickness between 0.23 mm and 0.28 mm.
iii. normally stainless steel.
iv. thickness of a horizontal mat in a vertical vessel is normally 0.1 m.
The demister mat (mist mat) shall be made of knitted wire formed to give the correct shape.
It shall not be cut so as to leave raw edges and/or loose pieces of wire which could become
detached.
High Performance mist mats are applied according to the fluids' physical properties and the
separation/coalescing requirements. Combined mist mats and dual mist mat configurations
are possible. The first mist mat has a thickness of typically 250 mm, with total mat height of
500 mm.
6.2 INSTALLATION
The wire mat shall be placed between two grids having a free area of at least 97 %. The mat
shall be fastened so that it cannot be compressed when being fitted.
The support rings should have an open structure as shown in Standard Drawing D12.92.043,
to maximise the mist mat area available for demisting.
Tie wiring of mist mat shall not be used. For standard mist mat applications other fastening
methods may be used if the mechanical integrity is guaranteed.
In a vertical vessel, perforated plates shall not be installed upstream of the demister. This will
deteriorate the demister performance during operation because liquid will accumulate
between the plate and the mat.
PTS 16.52.06
Page 33 of 41
7.0 GENERAL MECHANICAL DESIGN REQUIREMENT
7.1 ACCESS TO THE COLUMN FOR INSTALLATION AND REMOVAL
The column internals shall be installed and removed either through the body flange or
manhole. However, it is preferable that the column internal to be accessed via a manhole
installed at column top most shell ring and as recommended in section 7.1.3.
The provision of the following is recommended for ease in access and handling of internals:
i. For columns 900 mm in internal diameter, provide the top dished head with
body flange.
ii. For columns > 900 mm to 2000 mm internal diameter, provide adequate
number of shell manhole.
iii. For column > 2000 mm internal diameter depending upon economics and ease
in maintenance either adequate shell manhole or smaller shell with top domed
flanged connection of size between 1000 mm (minimum) to 1500 mm
(maximum) may be provided. The height of dome shall be twice the dome
diameter.
Internal diameter of manhole should be at least DN 600mm.
Column manholes should be located as follows to facilitate access to the column internals:
i. One manway should be located 900 mm above the bottom head seam
ii. One man way should be 450 mm above the top tray if there is no top vessel flange
or dome.
iii. For vessel with fewer than 60 trays, manhole spaced every 20 trays.
iv. For vessel with 60 to 120 trays, manhole spaced every 30 trays.
v. For vessel with more than 120 trays, manhole spaced every 40 trays.
vi. For vessel with internal compartments or components obstructing egress from
one section to another should have a manhole in each section.
vii. Near to the multi vane diffuser or half-open pipe or a spray distributor so that safe
access can be gained to the internals
viii. Above a feed tray
ix. Above a gravity liquid distributor
x. Below draw-off trays
xi. In the flash zone

PTS 16.52.06
Page 34 of 41
Internal access to manways shall be taken into consideration. Provisions such as hand grips or
stair cages shall be provided as needed depending on the level of the tray versus the location
of the manway.
If a manhole is installed between two column internals, the clearance between the manhole
and the internal above or below should be at least 150 mm.
7.2 CONSTRUCTION & COMMISIONING SPARES
The following should be considered to cover for contingencies.
The requirement in PTS 12.00.04 shall apply. The Internal Suppliers shall ensure that
sufficient spare parts are available during construction and commissioning. In addition to
spare parts requirement for construction and commissioning, the Internal Suppliers shall
provide the indicated contingencies for the following component parts
Component Parts Quantity
valves, bolts, nuts, clamps, wedges, washers, etc. 5% , but not less than 4 pieces;
Jointing materials, e.g., clamp, packing, etc. 5%, but not less than 1 piece.
Tape or Rope gaskets if required 25%

Table 5 : Component parts and quantity for contingencies
7.3 WELDING
Column internal parts shall be welded by qualified welders in accordance with ASME IX
procedure or the applicable pressure vessel code.
Column Fabricator shall be the responsible for the welding of column internal support rings
and attachments to the wall of a new column.
7.4 BOLTS
i. Alloy steel bolts minimum size is 10 mm diameter.
ii. ISO screw thread in metric unit shall be used unless otherwise specified on the
datasheet/ requisition sheet or Purchase Order.
iii. Length of the bolt should be chosen so that only 2 to 3 threads are exposed
when the nut(s) have been tightened.
iv. Bolt threading may be longer if shims are applied for levelling, to cover the
complete shim range.
PTS 16.52.06
Page 35 of 41
8.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY
In this PTS, reference is made to the following Standards/Publications. Unless specifically

designated by date, the latest edition of each publication shall be used, together with any
supplements/revisions thereto:
PETRONAS STANDARDS
Index to PTS PTS 00.01.01
Requirements, General Definition of Terms, Abbreviations & Reading PTS 00.01.03
Guide
Index to PTS publications and standard specifications PTS 00.01.02
Index to Standard Drawings PTS 00.11.01
Gas/liquid separators - Type selection and design rules PTS 16.52.09
Pressure vessels (amendments/supplements to PD 5500) PTS 12.20.06
Field inspection prior to commissioning of mechanical equipment PTS 12.02.01
Spare parts PTS 12.00.04
Maintenance painting PTS 15.20.12
STANDARD DRAWINGS
Note: The latest issue of standard drawings is identified in PTS 00.00.06
Vortex breakers D 12.92.001

Flanges for non-pressure pipe connections inside vessels D 12.92.002
Typical details of demister attachment D 12.92.043
AMERICAN STANDARDS
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code: ASME IX
Section IX: Qualification standard for welding and brazing procedures,
welders, brazers, and welding and brazing operators
PTS 16.52.06
COLUMN INTERNALS August 2014
Page 36 Of 41
APPENDIX 1: TRAY SUPPORT RINGS

Minimum dimension of tray support rings (except draw-off tray) and downcomer should be
as below:
Column diameter Support Ring Width Minimim corroded ring

thickness
(mm)
(mm)
Less than 900 40 6
901-1800 50 6
1801-3500 65 6
3501-6000 75 6
Above 6001 100 6
Table 6 : Minimum dimension of tray support rings
Carbon steel material is subject to TCA (Total Corrosion Allowance). TCA is normally by
considering:
i. Corrosion allowance anticipated for the material specified
ii. Design life of the internal component. Unless specified otherwise, the design life
for structural component should be equal to that specified for vessel. For non-
structural components and tray accessories and internal piping, the design life
should be equal to 1/3 of value specified for the vessel.
iii. Corrosion allowance occurs on both sides.

APPENDIX 2: LEAKAGE TEST AND TEST CERTIFICATE
1. Test certificates
The Column Fabricator shall certify that the column internals will not exceed the stated
leakage rate based upon an actual leakage test stated below. This certification may be based
on tests of column internals of identical design but not necessarily of the same size.
The column internals shall satisfy this test as installed in the column.
2. Leakage test
Column internals or parts of column internals that are designed to hold liquid and shall be
designed and fabricated to pass leakage test. Leak test all be carried out with all drain holes
plugged and water level at the height indicated in (3.9.4), the drop in level shall not exceed
5cm in 30 min. Leak test should be verified that leakage through joints of bubble cap trays is
uniformly distributed across the tray. All plugs shall be removed after testing.
APPENDIX 3: LIQUID DISTRIBUTION FLOW TEST
Distributor level tolerance for testing shall be 1/8 in (3 mm) high to low, as an unlevelled
liquid distributor can have an adverse effect on performance and HETP (for packing).
A complete test consists of verification of levelness, leakage test and distribution test (range
performance or drip point test):
1. Verification of the levelness of the distributor
The correct levelness is of the utmost importance for the proper functioning of a gravity
distributor.
A calibrated water tube and a vessel/bucket filled with water, standing on a fixed surface
should be used. The vessel and the calibrated tube are connected by a flexible hose. See
figure below.
Flexible hose
Vessel with
water
Calibrated tube
Channels
Drip tubes
Extension rod
Figure 2 : Connection of a flexible hose to vessel and calibrated tube
The diameter of the vessel should be relatively large compared to the diameter of the tube,
so that the liquid level in the tube stays at the same elevation. The elevation of the tray floor
at various points can then be measured relative to the constant liquid level in the tube.
Levelness shall be within 6 mm.
2. Leakage test of the distributor

See Appendix 2
3. Distribution Test:
3.1 Range performance tests
This method is used for shop testing of distributors for which special guarantees are
required. The known limits of maldistribution shall be adhered to for the testing. The
effective outflow is measured with funnels and measuring vessels at a multitude of
locations.
The crucial quality criterion is the equality of distribution compared for areas of
0.1 m2 to 0.2 m2. For smaller areas the packing manages the distribution equalisation. The
local liquid load has been measured over an area of usually 0.1 m2 to 0.2 m2 at several
locations (minimum 6, maximum 20) randomly placed over the distributor cross section. The
measurement is made at the normal and turndown liquid load.
If the distributor is tested in parts, all parts must be tested. More stringent distribution
criteria shall be applied.
The distribution quality is defined as the relative standard deviation. Definitions used are
given in the table below.
Measurement Formula
n
Average volumetric flow rate. V i

Va i 1
V V
n
2
i a
Standard deviation
de i 1
n 1
de
dr 100%
Relative standard deviation Va
Table 7 : Measurement formula
The relative standard deviation is based on measured volumetric flows
3.2 Individual drip point test at the design rate and minimum rates
The distributor, pre distributor and associated piping should be mounted and levelled on the
flow test stand at the vendor shop. The test equipment shall be capable of feeding the
design volumetric liquid flow rate to the distributor. Prior to running the tests, a head survey
of the distributor may be performed at design and turndown rates. This will indicate
whether the pre-distribution is adequate and the distributor is leveled correctly so that it can
pass the tests below.
Measure the flow rates from individual drip points. The maximum number of drip points to
be measured is 100 and these points are to be selected uniformly from the entire cross
section of the distributor. The uniformity of flow is measured by the standard deviation of
liquid flow through the pour points. The relative performance of distributors can be assessed
using the ratio of the standard deviation to the sample mean (relative standard deviation).
Criteria for the acceptance of liquid distribution for large diameter refinery fractionators are
that the relative standard deviation must be smaller than or equal to 6 to 9% and 9 to 12%
for normal and minimum rates respectively.
APPENDIX 4: AVD-P TRAYS
Figure 3 : ADV-P Tray
Figure 4 : Downcomer Distributor

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PETRONAS TECHNICAL STANDARDS

2014 PETROLIAM NASIONAL BERHAD (PETRONAS)

4.2 MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................... 24

1.2 GLOSSARY OF TERM

General Definition of Terms & Abbreviations

Specific Definition of Terms

Ratio of total area (for vapour passage) to the

The ratio of the total holes area (for vapour

Downcomer backup flooding is caused by high

In spray regime operation flooding is brought

Permanent items of tower hardware welded to

Ratio of the maximum to the minimum rate at

Carry-over of liquid droplets in vapour flow from

Liquid weep through the holes to tray below (by-

Trusses that extend the length of shell are

10 Manway panels Removable panel for inspection of trays.

1 TCA Total Corrosion Allowance

1.3 SUMMARY OF CHANGES

2.1 PROCESS DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

i. Downcomer Flooding : 82% Max

ii. Jet Flooding : 85% Max

iii. Tray Pressure Drop : Customer Specifies

iv. Dry Tray Pressure Drop : 8% Min, 20% Max

v. Entrainment/Weeping : 0.25 Max / 30 % Max

vi. Dynamic Seal :>0

vii. Velocity Under Downcomer : 1.6 Max

viii. Flow Path Length : 406mm (16 in.) -minimum

Foaming factor shall be specified based on process fluid conditions:

ii. Foaming: Moderate 0.85

iii. Foaming: Severe 0.70

Tray spacing typically follows:

Additional considerations for tray spacing are accessibility, downcomer backup/flood,

2.2 SELECTION OF TRAYS

The trays have the following features:

2.3 VALVES TRAY ARRANGEMENTS

Valves tray arrangement as per below:

i. Tray perforations and valves shall be as evenly spaced as practicable.

ii. The perforating pattern should be rectangular or triangular at the internals

2.4 MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS LOADS

i. Weight of tray and all the fixing assembly.

Maximum operating load in an upward direction of 2000 N/ m 2 at maximum working

2.5 MECHANICAL DESIGN DEFLECTION AND LEVELNESS

2.6 TRAY SUPPORT RINGS

2.7 TRAY PANEL

Minimum beam thickness shall be 3 mm.

Abeam/ (D x TS) < 1/3 of space between Tray

Figure 1 : Open structure combined support beam

2.9 DRAINING AND LEAKAGE

2.10 TRAY INSTALLATION, REMOVAL AND ASSEMBLY

Bolted joints may only be used to:

i. attach support beams to cleats

ii. attach downcomer plates in columns with conventional downcomers

iii. attach auxiliary internals

2.11 TRAYS ACCESSIBILITY

2.12 SUPPORT RINGS

3.0 DRAW-OFF TRAYS

ii. Liquid collectors include collectors with trough arrangement, rectangular/round

3.2 DRAW-OFF TRAYS AND COLLECTORS

Partial Liquid draw-offs can be achieved by:

ii. Chimney trays

Chimney tray shall be used for liquid draw-off when:

i. Large liquid holdup is required, for product surge or water settling

ii. Drawoff box occupy excessive tray area