On Distillation Tray Entrainment

Liquid tray-to-tray entrainment is not the sole precursor to tray flooding.  The ability to predict entrainment does not necessarily assure the accurate prediction of flood points.  Similarly, entrainment is not the sole reason for the efficiency deteriorations that sometimes occur at increasing rates and that usually occur near flood points.  Jetting, spraying and contact times also impact those efficiencies detrimentally.  The entrainment variable may have been over-used and over-quoted over the last 50 years.  Recent experiences with closely-spaced trays have led investigators down other paths.