Ethane side stripper

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATION OF VAPORS FROM LIQUIDS WHICH COMPRISES IN COMBINATION: WALL MEANS DEFINING A CLOSED COLUMN, CONDUIT MEANS PERMITTING FLOW OF HEAT EXCHANGE FLUID CONCENTRICALLY THROUGH SAID COLUMN; MEANS PERMITTING INTRODUCTION OF A VAPOR LIQUID MIXTURE INTO SAID COLUMN; MEANS PERMITTING REMOVAL OF SEPARATED MIXTURE COMPONENTS FROM SAID COLUMN; CONDUIT MEANS PERMITTING REMOVAL OF SEPARATED VAPOR COMPONENTS FROM SAID COLUMN; AND A PLURALITY OF SPACED FRACTIONATING TRAY MEANS EACH HAVING INNER AND OUTER CIRCUMFERENTIAL EDGES SUBSTANTIALLY CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID CONDUIT MEANS AND SAID WALL MEANS RESPECTIVELY SAID TRAY MEANS BEING IN HEAT CONDUCTIVE CONTACT WITH SAID CONDUIT MEANS; EACH OF SAID FRACTIONATING TRAY MEANS COMPRISING A CENTRALLY APERTURED DISK, SAID DISK BEING RADIALLY SPLIT AND HELICALLY TWISTED SO AS TO PROVIDE SPACED RADIAL EDGES THEREON, THE LOWERMOST OF SAID RADIAL EDGES BEING PROVIDED WITH WEIR MEANS EXTENDING ABOVE THE UPPER SURFACE ADJACENT SAID LOWERMOST RADIAL EDGE; AND WITH DOWNCOMER MEANE EXTENDING BELOW THE LOWER SURFACE ADJACENT SAID LOWERMOST RADIAL EDGE; SAID DISK BEING FURTHER PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF PERFORATIONS PERMITTING VAPOR FLOW THERETHROUGH.