Are packed tower internals less expensive than trays?
For towers large enough to install standard trays, packing internals are about two or three times as expensive as trays. For example: a 16′-0″ MEA absorber with 2-pass trays was to be revamped for high capacity. Process design dictated the use of either 4-pass trays or 3.5″ Ballast rings in SS304. Cost calculations showed loose packing to cost 2.5 times as much as trays. Efficiencies are comparable. Note: the example illustrates the expense of packed tower internals, but does not include the difference in cost of installation.
