The downcomer from the bottom tray is submerged in a seal pan (see Fig. 8.3), to preserve its downcomer seal. I always set the horizontal dimension between the over-flow lip of the seal pan, (dimension y) the downcomer at four inches, so I never have to worry about restricting liquid flow from the bottom tray. This horizontal dimension should be equal to or greater than the vertical clearance between the downcomer and the seal pan floor (dimension ? which is typically, two to three inches). If a deformation of the downcomer reduces the horizontal clearance between the seal pan overflow lip, and the downcomer, the resulting restriction can cause the bottom tray to flood due to downcomer back-up. If the bottom tray floods, flooding will progress up the column. With time, the entire column will flood due to the small restriction in the seal pan. That’s why a detailed trayby-tray inspection is important.
