Engineers rarely use modern tray efficiency models due to the high effort required implementing them and due to their lack of accuracy. The more rigorous traditional models require many input parameters; newer mechanistic models increase the complexity even further. In sharp contrast, O'Connell's empirical but simple correlation is widely applied despite its shortcomings. We will present a simplified model based on the traditional approach that allows a process engineer to estimate the tray efficiency during the hydraulic design phase, when an equilibrium stage simulation is available. Despite the simplifications, the new model achieves improved accuracy at predicting the section efficiencies when compared to both the O'Connell method and to more rigorous (and complicated) modem methods. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Institution of Chemical Engineers.