(4a) Mr. Tak Yanagi – Ahead of His Time

While working for FRI from 1957 to 1989, Mr. Tak Yanagi already answered many of the questions that today’s distillation engineers ask repeatedly.  Initially, the results of most of Tak’s work were only available to FRI members.  Subsequently, however, many of the associated FRI reports were released to the public.

            From 1960 until 1980, 60% of the work performed by Tak and his colleagues at FRI was directly related to tray hydraulics.  He coauthored articles regarding high-pressure downcomer operation, downcomer biphase densities, vacuum operation, RTD, liquid mixing effects on efficiencies and the impacts of sieve deck open areas on efficiencies.  His primer on trays, “Film A”, is still shown to hundreds of engineers and technicians annually.  Around 1980, however, the packing revolution began – and Tak was at the frontier.  He coauthored articles regarding ceramic rings, liquid distributions, liquid maldistributions, distributor fabrication/installation, Marangoni effects, and scale-up.  Roughly speaking, about half of the world’s towers are now packed – and Tak’s work set the stage.

            On a regular basis, FRI staff members contact Tak and ask for his remembrances regarding projects that he worked on many years ago.  His memory is incredible.  He never forgets.  FRI and the global distillation community has not forgotten either.  We have not forgotten Mr. Tak Yanagi’s contributions to today’s distillation world.