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A study of gas and liquid distributions in structured packings
Author(s) -
Stikkelman Rob,
Teeuw Hessel,
Wesselingh Hans,
de Graauw Jan,
Olujic Zarko
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
chemical engineering and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-4125
pISSN - 0930-7516
DOI - 10.1002/ceat.270120164
Subject(s) - mixing (physics) , mechanics , flow (mathematics) , orientation (vector space) , volumetric flow rate , chemistry , structured packing , liquid flow , packed bed , thermodynamics , materials science , chromatography , geometry , mass transfer , physics , mathematics , quantum mechanics
Abstract This study describes the gas and liquid distributions in a column with structured packings. The column is 0.5 m in diameter. It is equipped with a total of 1289 detectors in the top and bottom cross‐sections. These detectors provide a detailed picture of the gas and liquid flows through elements of only 25 × 25 mm 2 . The maldistribution in the gas bulk flow is negligible. Only the observed wall can contribute to malperformance. The gas flows in parallel to sheet orientation, thus introducing a radial transport. Together with the change in the orientation of subsequent packing elements, this results in good gas mixing. It was observed that the liquid wall flow rate decreases when the gas velocity exceeds 1.7 m/s. Up to the loading point, the maldistribution of the liquid is constant. Above this point, the equality of the distribution deteriorates rapidly, due to the occurrence of large‐scale liquid segregation.