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Gas phase axial mixing at extremely high irrigation rates in a large packed absorption tower
Author(s) -
Woodburn Edward T.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.690200523
Subject(s) - péclet number , reynolds number , dispersion (optics) , sherwood number , absorption (acoustics) , tower , mechanics , mixing (physics) , volumetric flow rate , chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , thermodynamics , materials science , chromatography , optics , turbulence , physics , composite material , quantum mechanics , nusselt number , engineering , civil engineering
Extensive gas phase dispersion data are reported for extremely high liquid‐gas ratios in a cylindrical packed absorption tower operated at atmospheric pressure under counterflow conditions. The dispersion data report gas Peclet numbers in terms of superficial liquid and gas Reynolds numbers over the range\documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$$ \begin{array}{*{20}c} 0 & < & {N{\mathop{\rm Re}\nolimits} _{\rm L} } & < & {1500} \\ {15.0} & < & {N{\mathop{\rm Re}\nolimits} _{\rm S} } & < & {500} \\ \end{array} $$\end{document}An increase in Peclet number with increasing gas rate is observed at subloading conditions. Reverse gas flow was observed in the gas phase when the liquid Reynolds number exceeded 650. Dispersion in the gas phase at liquid rates for which NRe L < 650 is consistent with previously recorded correlations but becomes independent of further increases of liquid rate when NRe L is > 650. The dispersion coefficients obtained by dynamic testing under reverse gas flow conditions were consistent with those obtained from steady state absorption profiles and provide a quantitative explanation for the anomalies in plug‐flow K La at high water rates recorded by Sherwood and Holloway (1940).