Abstract: The hydrodynamic performance of GXD float valve tray with double flow guide was studied using a synthetic glass rectangular tower (1 000 mm × 400 mm) device, and compared with DL float valve tray with flow guide and F1 float valve tray at the same opening porosity. Results show that GXD float valve tray displays good hydrodynamic performance, under the same gas velocity as compared with F1 float valve tray, its pressure drop is 25% lower and process capacity is more than 35% higher; its efficiency is about 15% higher than that of DL float valve tray. Even though the minimum operation limit for leakage intensity of GXD float valve tray is a bit higher than the others, distillation tower with GXD float valve tray exhibits not only low pressure drop, but also high operation efficiency and high distilled yield of light fractions．

Key words: float valve tray, flow guide, pressure drop, leakage, entrainment, efficiency