Regarding the importance of tower internals:

The internal components of the tower include liquid distribution devices, bed fixing devices or bed pressing devices, packing support devices, liquid collection and redistribution and feeding devices, and gas distribution devices. A large packed tower with good performance, although the high performance of the packing itself is important, it matches the tower's internal components. Especially liquid distributors and gas distributors are also crucial. Otherwise, the high performance of the filler cannot be fully utilized, especially for large diameter, multi lateral, and shallow bed columns, where gas-liquid distribution is often the key to success or failure. Poor liquid distribution may reduce the performance of the filler by 50% -70%.

Compared to plate columns, packed columns are more sensitive to the uneven distribution of liquids. The distribution performance of liquid in the packed tower and the performance of the packing largely depend on the initial distribution of the liquid. Uneven distribution can lead to a decrease in the efficiency of fillers, especially for low pressure drop fillers such as regular fillers. When the tower has a high packing layer height, a high packing ratio to the surface area, and a high packing efficiency, the negative effect of uneven liquid distribution is greater.

Each type of filler has the function of natural liquid flow distribution. When the initial distribution is better than the natural flow distribution, the liquid will gradually become a natural flow distribution as it falls along the packing; When the initial distribution is poor, it will gradually transform into a natural flow distribution.

The design of the liquid distributor in a packed tower directly affects the average distribution of the liquid. A good liquid distributor should have the advantages of evenly distributing liquid, having a large cross-sectional area through which gas passes, low resistance, high operational flexibility, being less prone to clogging, forming less foggy fire zones and foaming, and being easy to manufacture.

At present, there has been relatively more research on the initial and secondary distributors of tower components, especially liquids. It is also relatively tolerant and mature. Nowadays, there are various methods available, including tube arrangement, slot arrangement, disc arrangement, and radial arrangement. The ways in which liquid flows out of the distributor include orifice flow, overflow, spray, etc. Able to make choices based on engineering practice needs.

The study of gas distribution in packed towers is far less thorough than the study of liquid distribution. The activity performance of gases is much greater than that of liquids, and the lateral mixing rate of the gas phase is at least three times that of the liquid phase. The roundabout nature of the gas flow channel within the packing layer and the variability of its appearance have increased the difficulty of research. The distribution and installation of gas entering the tower is not important regarding the small tower, as the gas in the small tower is easily distributed evenly. With the development of high porosity and low-pressure packing materials, as well as the promotion and application of large diameter and shallow bed packing towers, gas distribution issues have become increasingly important. Uneven gas distribution can cause gas-liquid phase separation within the packing layer, resulting in a serious decrease in separation efficiency. For towers with a diameter greater than 3m, gas distribution installation must be considered. Once the gas is evenly distributed within the tower, it can continuously maintain uniform distribution without the need for gas redistributors.

Except for the distribution and installation of gases and liquids. The design of other tower interiors cannot be ignored. If the design device for tightening and installing the packing is improper, it can cause changes in the bed layer and even lead to the loss of packing; Improper installation of packing support will reduce the consumption capacity of the tower; When there are problems with liquid collection, redistribution and feed installation, not only the gas-liquid distribution will be directly affected, but also the concentration distribution will be affected. In short, the internal components of the tower are designed to ensure good gas-liquid contact, in order to maximize the efficiency and consumption potential of the packed tower.