High performance trays – enhanced

deck and downcomer technology

Sulzer Chemtech – Separation Technology
Your partner in separation and mixing technology

The highest level of Fast and reliable Comprehensive engineering

application know-how turnaround services and technology services
Our team provides expert knowledge We don’t shut-down, when you We provide a full scope of associated
for more than 500 applications in 100 shut-down. You can rely on Sulzer engineering and technology services
processes, enabling us to optimize the professionals, expertise and to optimize or trouble-shoot your
performance and your installation. procedures to get you back and installation.
running in the shortest possible time.

Naphtha

Kero

Diesel

A broad range of innovative and high-performing products

More than 200 of our products cover a wide range of needs in the field of separation and mixing technology.

They have proven their performance in more than 100’000 columns, 50’000 gas/liquid or liquid/liquid
separators and 100’000 static mixers in operations worldwide.

MellapakPlus™ UFMPlus™ trays NeXRing™ SMV™ static mixer Dusec Plus™

Packing Coalescer
One of the best The next High mixing efficiency
Often copied, big thing in High performance
high performance trays combined with large
never equaled random packing liquid/liquid
ever tested at FRI turn-down processing
coalescer
capabilities

2
High performance trays

UFMPlus™ and VGPlus™ 6

Anti-fouling trays 9

Shell HiFi™ trays 10

Shell ConSep™ trays 12

Mechanical features 14

Services 15

We understand the ever increasing requirement for both decks and enhanced downcomer technology as well as
reliability and performance of your process equipment. the newest trays, UFMPlus™ with UFM™ valves. The
To meet these challenges, you can rely on our innovative, UFM valve is an industrially proven, advanced movable
industry-leading products and expertise. Our extensive mini valve providing the highest efficiency and capacity.
tray portfolio ranges from single pass to multi-downcomer For fouling applications, Sulzer has developed a new high
as well as conventional to high-performance, including the performance anti-fouling valve UFM™ AF, which provides
latest technology in ultra-system limit trays. All designs are high capacity in addition to its superior fouling resistance.
tailored to meet the exact requirements of your specific This portfolio has been greatly enriched since 2000 by our
application. technology alliance with Shell Global Solutions, and also
includes Shell high performance trays such as the Shell
For your most demanding applications, our high HiFi™ trays, ideal for high liquid load applications, and Shell
performance trays include VGPlus™ trays with MVG™ ConSep™ trays with proven ultra-system capabilities.

Tray portfolio

Sulzer technology Sulzer-Shell alliance

Chordal downcomer Multi downcomer

Conventional trays
High performance trays High performance trays

Floating valves Other orifices Enhanced deck Enhanced deck Shell HiFi™ Plus
and downcomer
Shell HiFi™

BDH™ / BDP™ Bubble Cap Floating valves VGPlus™ Shell Calming Section™ Plus

Round valves Sieve UFM™ UFMPlus™ Shell Calming Section™ (CS)

Counter
Fixed valves Fixed valves Dual flow high performance trays
flow trays

XVG™ Dual Flow MVG™ Shell CS Grid™

SVG™ Baffle MMVG™ Ultra-system limit high performance trays

SVG-H™ Shower Deck UFM™ AF Shell ConSep™

LVG™ Disc and Donut

Slit Trays™

Legend
High performance trays featured in this brochure

3
Leading tray technology

In the 1820s, an early version of bubblecaps trays were In the 1950s, valve trays were developed, providing higher
introduced for continous distillation towers. capacity and better efficiency over a wider operating range.
The modern valve tray, a rectangular float valve tray, was first
installed by I.E. Nutter in 1951. By 1956, different variations
of round valves had surfaced.

Bubblecaps in Sulzer's tray portfolio Round valve Caged valve

1800 1900

BDH™ Rectangular
float valve

V-Grid Fixed valves

from left to right:
SVG™, MVG™ and
Modern 1-pass Sieve tray MMVG™ Fixed valves

In the 1830s, sieve trays were developed, offering In 1998, Sulzer acquired Nutter Engineering, incorporating
higher capacity despite design simplicity. the well-acclaimed BDH™ rectangular float valve and V-Grid
fixed valves into Sulzer’s tray product portfolio.

4
In 2000, Sulzer formed a technology alliance with Shell In 2014, Sulzer launched UFMPlus, a high performance
Global Solutions providing a full range tray product portfolio tray with a UFM deck and enhanced downcomers.
from one source. These include Shell Calming Section™
(Plus) trays, Shell HiFi (Plus) trays and ultra-high capacity In 2017, Sulzer also developed a high capacity anti-fouling
Shell ConSep trays. valve UFM AF for fouling applications. Enhanced decks
with UFM AF valves are part of UFMPlus tray family.
In 2012, Sulzer launched a new valve product – UFM,
a movable valve which provides higher capacity and
a wider operating range than conventional valves.

Shell HiFi™ tray Shell ConSep™ tray UFM™ and UFMPLUS™ Tray
high performance trays

2000 2010

VGPLUS™ and VGAF™ high performance trays 6-pass high performance trays

In 2000, Sulzer introduced high Sulzer has also introduced high Sulzer’s 6-pass VGPlus high performance
performance VGPlus trays which performance VG AF™ anti- trays were successfully installed in several
provide higher capacity with the fouling trays, part of VGPlus C3 Splitters and are performing beyond
combination of enhanced tray family, featuring large fixed expectations.
downcomers and optimized and push valves, and fouling
tray layout. resistant outlet weirs. 6-pass trays are a natural progression after
4-pass trays for large diameter columns
(typically > 6 m) with high liquid loads.

5
UFMPlus™ and VGPlus™
UFMPlus and VGPlus, are Sulzer’s high performance chordal downcomer trays.
They offer industry proven and validated advanced tray technology for today’s market.

Enhanced downcomers Enhanced decks

A main feature of Sulzer UFMPlus and VGPlus trays is the Sulzer high capacity trays can be equipped with high
use of high performance downcomers such as highly sloped, capacity fixed valves or float valves. UFMPlus trays use high
Truncated, StepArc (stepped), ModArc and our latest Prism capacity UFM float valves while VGPlus trays are equipped
downcomers. These downcomer designs maximize the with high capacity fixed valves such as MVG or MMVG™.
tray deck area by optimizing the downcomer bottom area,
thereby increasing vapor handling capacity and reducing Redirecting and froth promoting devices such as push valves
pressure drop and backup. and baffle bars, enhance the vapor/ liquid interaction on the
tray deck.

Liquid flow study of conventional trays

2-pass UFMPlus tray equipped with Liquid flow study of VGPlus with baffle bars
Prism downcomers, UFM™ and push valves.

Truncated downcomer StepArc™ downcomer ModArc™ downcomer

6
UFMPlus™ trays VGPlus™ trays
UFMPlus trays are enhanced downcomer trays with high VGPlus trays are enhanced downcomer trays with high
capacity UFM float valves and innovative periphery valves capacity MVG or MMVG fixed valves.
which further boost the performance of the trays.
MVG valves provide higher capacity compared to standard
UFM valves are an advanced type of movable mini-valve sieve or conventional valves, while providing higher efficiency
which maximize the hydraulic capacity, the separation and lower pressure drop per theoretical stage. The MVG tray
efficiency, and the operating range of fractionation trays. deck offers better turndown capability than a sieve tray, i.e.
up to 3:1.
The “Umbrella” shape of UFM valves reduces the jetting
momentum of the released vapor which maximizes the MMVG valves are used where extremely high vapor capacity
contact area of vapor and liquid on the tray deck and or a very low pressure drop is required. The smaller size
promotes uniform mixing and minimizes entrainment. opening compared to MVG results in up to 7% additional
capacity.
The UFM tray deck offers better turndown capability than
a fixed valve tray, i.e. up to 5:1.

FRI VALIDATION FRI VALIDATION

Sulzer UFM valves have been tested at FRI, in the cyclo- Sulzer VGPlus trays have been tested at FRI, in the iso-butane/
hexane/n-hexane system at 1.6 bar and in the ortho-xylene/ n-butane system at 7 and 11 bar. The VGPlus tray
para-xylene system at 1.0 bar. The UFM valves showed a 30% is one of the best performing trays ever tested, delivering
increase in efficient capacity when compared to conventional up to 10% higher capacity than some other tested competitor's
valves, making the UFM tray one of the highest capacity trays high performance trays.
ever tested at FRI, at these conditions.

KEY AREAS OF APPLICATION

• Refinery: Main Fractionators and Gas Plants

• Olefins: Deethanizers, Depropanizers, Debutanizers, Deisobutanizers, SuperFractionators: C2 and C3 Splitters
• Aromatics: Xylene Splitters, Xylene Rerun, Raffinate Columns

7
Sulzer “Plus” Technology

Case study - Revamp of deisobutanizer with VGPlus™ trays

A refinery deisobutanizer column, upstream of an HF PC Fuel Gas

Feed-3
alkylation unit, was identified to be the bottleneck of the
capacity expansion. Feed-2
1
FC
LC

FC
Feed-1 10 Iso-C4
TC
This deisobutanizer column of ID 2.96 m was originally LC
equipped with 56 2-pass conventional round valve trays.
A process study highlighted that the throughput could FC 28
New VGPlus
be almost doubled by retrofitting the tower with high 29
HPTrays
performance trays.
From
Revamp objective: Iso-Stripper

• Maximize the production of iC4 56

• Minimize nC4 in top product: <3 wt% FC

LC
• Maximize iC4 recovery: >94 wt% Reboiling FC
n-C4

Fluid

Revamp solution:
Sulzer VGPlus high performance trays with Before
• MVG fixed valves Test run
revamp
• ModArc side downcomers
• Froth enhancers: push valves Feed flow rate 100% 143%

Top iC4 flow rate 100% 157%

Test run was performed at 143% of the pre-revamp capacity
due to shortage of feedstock. To further load the tower, the Reflux ratio NA 17.5
reflux ratio was increased till maximum reboiler duty: the
Tray efficiency NA > 93%
production of iC4 increased by 57%, with a nC4 impurity as
low as 0.9 wt% and iC4 recovery over 98 wt% leading to a nC4 impurity > 3 wt% < 0.9 wt%
tray efficiency over 93% even at flooding close to 90%.
iC4 recovery < 94 wt% > 98 wt%
Flooding NA 89%

Sulzer's experience - 6-pass VGPlus™ trays for new C3 splitters

Three new C3 Splitters, each designed with 195 6-pass

VGPlus high performance trays.

For columns with large diameters, 6-pass trays provide

extensive weir length to handle the high liquid loads. The
multiple pass design also avoids excessively long flow path
lengths to mitigate undesirable liquid flow gradients on the
tray decks. Enhanced downcomers are utilized to maximize
the bubbling area for mass transfer.

Sulzer design:
Sulzer VGPlus high performance trays with
• MVG fixed valves
• ModArc side downcomers
• Froth enhancers: push valves

8
Anti-Fouling Trays
UFM™ AF VG AF™
UFM AF is the latest addition to our fixed valve portfolio. This VG AF (anti-fouling) trays are part of the VGPlus tray family
enhanced valve is part of the UFMPlus tray family, developed and especially designed for fouling services.
for fouling service.
Tray decks of VG AF will either be with SVG, our standard-
UFM AF is a large size valve which provides excellent fouling fouling valve, or XVG, our extra large V-Grid developed
resistance, especially when designed with the following anti- especially for severe fouling services. Other anti-fouling tray
fouling features on the tray: design features like enhanced outlet weirs and push valves
Modified outlet weirs: stepped or sloped will also be applied.
Push valves

UFM AF is a premium anti-fouling valve with very high

efficient capacity. Enhanced downcomers can be applied to
UFM AF trays for even higher capacity, if required.

2-pass VG AF trays with V-Grid, sloped outlet weir and

push valves.

KEY AREAS OF APPLICATION

• Primary fractionators in ethylene plant

• Stripping section of CDU and VDU
• Coker main fractionators
• Heads and dry columns of acrylonitrile plant
• PVC slurry strippers
UFM™ AF • Beer columns

Case study - Revamp of acrylonitrile heads and dry column to VG AF™

BRINE
Acrylonitrile (ACN) heads and dry column was revamped from
round valves trays to Sulzer VG AF anti-fouling trays for higher HCN Tower
performance and longer run length. From Dec.
Recovery
Column

This ACN column was originally equipped with 62 1-pass

conventional round valve trays.

Revamp objective:
CW
• Increase capacity by 25%
• Maximize acrylonitrile recovery: > 91 wt%
• Maximize run length: > 6 months Quench
Tower

Revamp solution:
Sulzer VG AF anti-fouling trays with Product Tower

• SVG fixed valves

• Stepped outlet weirs
• Froth enhancers: push valves Before After
revamp revamp
As a result of the revamp with VG AF trays, the column Feed 100% 125%
capacity increased by 25%. The ACN recovery improved to
95% and the run length increased to more than 11 months. ACN production 100% 130%
ACN recovery 91 wt% 95 wt%
Tray efficiency 70% 74%
Run length [months] 4 >11

9
Shell High Performance Trays
Shell HiFi™ Plus trays
Shell HiFi trays are fractionation trays equipped with
multiple envelope downcomers, oriented offset to the
tray’s center line.

They are supported on a 360° support ring and central major

beams, without the need of the downcomer
bolting bars.

For a given column diameter, they allow for:

• Highest number of passes
• Large downcomer area
• Long weir length
• High hydraulic capacity
• Low tray spacing
• High NTS per column height
HiFi™ Plus tray with MVG™ valves

The HiFi Plus trays are an enhanced version featuring

advanced valves (i.e. MVG, MMVG, UFM) to further boost the
tray deck performance, and/or the Crown Inlet Device CID™
to maximize the downcomer capacity as well.

FRI VALIDATION KEY AREAS OF APPLICATION

Shell HiFi trays, with tray spacings of 305 mm and • Refinery: Main fractionators' PA and stripping sections
610 mm, have been tested at FRI, in the iso-butane/ • Olefins: Deethanizers, Depropanizers, Debutanizers,
n-butane system at 11, 21 and 28 bar. As compared to Deisobutanizers, SuperFractionators: C2 and C3 Splitters
1-pass round valve trays with truncated downcomers, • Aromatics: Xylene Splitters, Xylene Rerun,
Shell HiFi trays of same tray spacing, exhibit up to Raffinate Columns
40% higher capacity. • Gas Sweetening: absorbers, regenerators

Sulzer's experience - New Shell HiFi™ trays for crude distillation

Revamp of top 3 pumparound trays of a crude distillation

column from conventional trays to Shell HiFi trays which
offer longer weir length to handle the higher liquid loads.
Due to large column diameter of 9.6 m, two beams were
required for each tray.

Revamp design:
Shell HiFi trays with 2 beams design
• 21 HiFi downcomer boxes
• Long weir length > 110 m

10
Case study - Revamp of C2 Splitter to Shell HiFi™ Plus trays

A C2 Splitter (3.96 m I.D.), was revamped from 153

competitor's Multi-Downcomer trays to 123 Shell HiFi trays
for improved C2 Splitter performance – higher capacity and
stringent product purity.

Revamp objective:
• Increase capacity by 25%
• Ethylene purity: 99.96 wt%

Revamp solution:
Shell HiFi Plus trays with
• MMVG fixed valves
• HiFi downcomer boxes Full assembly during trial layout at workshop
• Long weir length > 23 m
Design Test run
During the performance test run when the column was
artificially loaded up for the highest throughput, steady Ethylene purity 99.96% 99.98%
operation was observed with a useful capacity around 95%,
and a measured ethylene purity of 99.98%. A tray efficiency Tray efficiency 80% 79%
of 79% was achieved.

Case study - New xylene rerun column with Shell HiFi™ Plus trays

A new xylene rerun column, of ID 8.3 m and 8.6 m, was Sulzer design:
designed with 117 Shell Plus Trays. The design included Shell HiFi Plus trays with
1 lattice beam for every 2 trays. • MVG fixed valves
• 10 and 12 HiFi downcomer boxes
• Long weir length > 60 m

Although actual production was less than maximum loads,

the reflux ratio was higher than design due to higher amount
of impurities in feed. The Shell HiFi Plus trays performed
well, providing high capacity while meeting the process
requirements.

This column was compared with a similar column in client's

plant, equipped with competitor's multi-downcomer trays,
and proved to be better in terms of relative energy
consumption and product recovery.

Actual
Design
operation
C9+ impurity in distillate <300 ppm 200 ppm

Process requirements: o-xylene recovery in distillate 99.0% 99.5%

• C9+ impurity in distillate: <300 ppmwt Tray efficiency 73% 74%
• o-xylene recovery in distillate: >99.0 wt%

11
Shell Ultra-System Limit
High Performance Trays
Shell ConSep™ trays
The Shell ConSep trays are one of the highest capacity
fractionation trays available on the market, offering up to
80% additional capacity over conventional trays without
any major impact on separation efficiency.

They utilize the principle of de-entrainment by centrifugal

force to overcome the gravitational limitation of jet flooding,
and the system limit of the vessel.

Every set of ConSep tray consists of a primary tray (with

chordal or HiFi downcomer layout) and a secondary tray
with Swirl tubes.

Shell HiFi™ Sieve trays with ConSep™ decks

Competitor HPT VGPlus ConSep Tray

FRI VALIDATION
Cs (m/sec)
Shell ConSep trays have been tested at FRI, in the
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12
iso-butane/n-butane system at 11bar. At least 50% 120
higher capacity was observed over some other high 100
performance trays, with a separation efficiency as
Efficiency (%)

80
high as 90% and capacity substantially exceeding 54 %
60
the system limit of the column.
40
20
0
0 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30 0.35 0.40 0.45
Cs (ft/s)

Cs: = Capacity factor based on superficial area

Experience list of Shell ConSep trays:

KEY AREAS OF APPLICATION
Service Industry No. of columns
• Refinery: Main fractionators
Debutanizer Refinery 8
• Olefins: Deethanizers, Depropanizers, Debutanizers,
Superfractionators C2 and C3 Splitters Depropanizer Refinery 5
Main fractionator Refinery 3
Naphtha splitter Refinery 2
Diesel HDT stripper Refinery 2
H2S stripper Refinery 1
C2 splitter Olefins 1
PO drying column Chemicals 1
C6 dryer Chemicals 1
Reformate Splitter Refinery 1
C2 Green Oil Scrubber Refinery 1

As of December 2020

12
Case study - Revamp of FCC debutanizer to Shell HiFi™ Plus and ConSep™ trays

A debutanizer was revamped from 2-pass chordal

downcomer trays to high performance Shell trays.

Improved feed quality, increased throughput and conversion

at FCC unit led to increased feed rate and more LPG content
to the Debutanizer.

Revamp objective:
Increase capacity by 15%
• C5 content in top stream < 0.6 vol%
• RVP of bottom LCN < 85 kPa

Revamp solution:
• 15 HiFi Plus trays in rectifying section
• 15 ConSep trays in stripping section

The column proven capacity after the revamp increased by

21%, exceeding the objective by 6%, with lower C5 content
in the top (0.3 vol % versus 0.6 vol%) and lower RVP in LCN
(77 kPa versus 85 kPa).

Overall tray efficiency achieved was more than 86%,

well above the tray efficiency of the first generation high
performance trays used before revamp which was 69%.

Case study - Debottlenecking of HGO pumparound with Shell ConSep™ trays

Shell ultra high capacity ConSep trays were applied in the

capacity constrained HGO pump-around section of a crude
distillation unit in a refinery. This was the first application of
ConSep trays in a CDU. The post revamp test run established
the realization of the expected performance.

Revamp objective:
• Increase capacity by 53%
• Maintain product specifications for Naphtha, Kero, LGO
and HGO

Main modifications:
• 3 Shell ConSep trays in HGO PA section
• 7 Shell HiFi trays in stripping section
• 1.3 m Sulzer MellapakPlus™ 252.Y in wash section
• 16 Shell CS™ trays in other sections

13
Mechanical features

Non-welded tray support system Trays for heavy duty services

In several revamp projects aimed to increase the separation In some applications, particularly those subjected to
stages of an existing column, the number of actual trays had operating upsets leading to panel dislodgment, the trays
to increase (e.g. 3-for-2, 4-for-3, or 5-for-4). must withstand higher than normal mechanical loadings,
i.e. 7000 N / m2 (1 psi) or even 14000 N / m2 (2 psi).
To accomplish this, a mechanical design is required to avoid
impact on the schedule of the plant’s turn-around, and In such cases, special features may be employed in the
minimize cost as well. mechanical design:
• Through-bolting panel connection
Sulzer has developed a mechanical solution enabling • Shear clips
installation of the trays by reusing the existing tower • Downcomer spreaders
attachments, without any direct welding to the tower wall, • Explosion doors
thus avoiding any post-welding heat treatment and/or
hydraulic testing of the vessel. This technique consistently
reduce the turnaround time by using this technique.

The following devices show in the illustration below

are used:
• Expansion rings
• Expansion joints
• Vertical struts
• Downcomer adaptors
• Solid or lattice beams

The system can be also used for other purposes: modify the 2 psi uplift BDH™ tray equipped with through-bolting
geometry of existing downcomers, modify the number of assembly, shear clips and explosion doors.
passes; change the tray orientation; replace packing beds
with trays.

Lip-Slot™ panel connection

Expansion ring Vertical strut The Lip-Slot is an enhanced type of tray panel connection
which allows for:
• safe and easy installation
• up to 30% less installation time
• less maintenance costs as it does not use any
bolted connection
• same mechanical reliability as conventional connections

The Lip-Slot is combined with universal clamps for the

fixation around the tray periphery.

Existing Lattice Expansion

support ring beam joint

14
Services

Computer-aided engineering (CAE): Natural frequency analysis for

3D models tray vibration phenomena
Upfront engineering and design play a crucial role in cost In some critical applications and under specific operating
optimization. Sulzer has integrated all major mass transfer conditions, vibration phenomena may be induced to the
products into an in-house design tool, creating a global trays. Based on plant feed-back data and in-house know-
standard. how, Sulzer has developed a design tool to check for the
following two main parameters:
Customers profit directly from the use of our internal • Natural frequency of the tray panels, as a function of the
CAE tool. Layout drawings supplied in the course of the geometry, the supports, and the material of construction.
engineering phase will show a 3D sketch of the equipment • Vibration factor, as a function of the flow rates and
being designed, for an easy and fast checking by the physical properties of the streams being processed.
customer.

Natural frequency analysis of a full tray

Finite elements method (FEM) and Turn around and tower field services
computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
Sulzer’s global manufacturing capabilities ensure fast delivery
Sulzer also employs other advanced design tools, for of any tray hardware and replacement tray parts, regardless
example verification of mechanical integrity and functionality of original supplier. These can be manufactured from existing
using finite element and CFD analysis. drawings or damaged parts and supplied on site quickly to
meet your turnaround schedules. Replacement hardware
can be supplied on consignment in lockers or trailers for
convenience.

15
[Link]

E10504 en 4.2021, Copyright © Sulzer Ltd 2021

This brochure is a general presentation. It does not provide
any warranty or guarantee of any kind. Please, contact us
for a description of the warranties and guarantees offered
with our products. Directions for use and safety will be
given separately. All information herein is subject to change
without notice.