Three-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Two-phase Flow in a Structured Packing Column

Characterizing the complex two-phase hydrodynamics in structured packed columns requires a power- ful modeling tool. The traditional two-dimensional model exhibits limitations when one attempts to model the de- tailed two-phase flow inside the columns. The present paper presents a three-dimensional computational fluid dy- namics （CFD） model to simulate the two-phase flow in a representative unit of the column. The unit consists of an CFD calculations on column packed with Flexipak 1Y were implemented within the volume of fluid （VOF） mathe- matical framework. The CFD model was validated by comparing the calculated thickness of liquid film with the available experimental data. Special attention was given to quantitative analysis of the effects of gravity on the hy- drodynamics. Fluctuations in the liquid mass flow rate and the calculated pressure drop loss were found to be quali- tatively in agreement with the experimental observations.

Pressure drop of structured packing in pilot column and comparison to common correlations

Packed columns are widely used in the chemical industry such as absorption,stripping,distillation,and extraction in the production of e.g.organic chemicals,and pharmaceuticals.Pressure loss and pressure drop correlations are of special interest when it comes to the hydrodynamic properties of a column.The pressure loss across the column is of interest in the design phase when the size of the blower to drive the gas stream through the column has to be decided.The loading point and flooding point are also influenced by the pressure loss and the area of operation is determined from these points.This work examines four different correlations on pressure drop.The correlations are(i)Ergun’s equation(1952),(ii)an improved version of Ergun’s equation by Stichlmair,Bravo,and Fair(1989),(iii)an equation developed by Billet and Schultes(1999),and(iv)an equation by Rocha,Bravo,and Fair(1993).The complexity of the correlations is increasing in the mentioned order,Ergun’s equation being the simplest one.This study investigates if the more complicated correlations give better predictions to pressure drop in packed columns.This is determined by comparing the correlations to experimental data for pressure drop in a packed column with 8.2 m of structured packing using water as the liquid and atmospheric air as the gas.Seven experiments were carried out for determining the pressure drop in the column with liquid flows varying from 0 to 500 kg·h^(-1).At constant liquid flow,the gas flow was varied from approximately 10 to 70 kg·h^(-1).The pressure drop across the non-wetted column was best described by the correlation by Rocha et al.while the pressure drop for liquid flows from 100 to 500 kg·h^(-1)was,in general,best described by Stichlmair’s equation.For an irrigated column,the highest deviation was a predicted pressure drop 69.6%lower than measured.The best prediction was 0.1%higher than the measured.This study shows,surprisingly,that for a system of water and atmospheric air,complicated correlations on pressure drop determination do not provide better estimates than simple equations.

Extraction of Caprolactam from Aqueous Ammonium Sulfate Solution in Pulsed Packed Column Using 250Y Mellapak Packings

Liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) data of water-caprolactam-benzene-(NH4)2SO4 system at 303 K were measured for extraction of caprolactam from aqueous ammonium sulfate solution. The influence of fluid flow rate, pulsation intensity on flooding velocity and mass transfer was studied for extraction of caprolactam from ammonium sulfate solution in a laboratory pulsed packed column. The flooding velocities and overall apparent height of a transfer unit were given under various operation conditions. An industrial column developed based on above study is operated well. The scale-up effect is discussed.

A New Model for the Simulation of Distillation Column

A new computational mass transfer model is proposed for simulating the distillation process by solving the fluctuating mass flux u^＇ic^＇ for the closure of turbulent mass transfer equation in order to obtain the concentration profile and the separation efficiency of distillation column. The feather of the proposed model is to abandon the conventional way of introducing the turbulent mass transfer diffusivity （dispersion coefficient） to the turbulent mass transfer equation. To verify the validity of the proposed model, a commercial scale packed column and a sieve tray column were simulated and compared with published experimental data. The simulated results were satisfactorily confirmed in both concentration distribution and senaration efficiency.

Removal of high concentration CO_2 from natural gas at elevated pressure via absorption process in packed column

Carbon dioxide （CO2） removal is an essential step in natural gas （NG） processing to provide high quality gas stream products and minimize operational difficulties. This preliminary study alms to investigate the removal of CO2 at high concentration level from the mixture of CO2-NG gas stream at elevated pressure via absorption process. This is to explore the possibility of exploring high CO2 content natural gas reserves by treatment at offshore platform. A mixed amine solvent, Stonvent-II, was used for the absorption of approximately 75 vol% CO2 in CO2-NG stream at a pressure of 10 barg. The initial solvent temperature was varied in order to study the impact of initial temperature on the absorption performance. Preliminary study at temperatures of 35 ℃ and 45 ℃ indicates that Stonvent-II was able to perform almost 100% removal of CO2 under both conditions. However, the CO2 absorption effect took place faster when the initial liquid temperature was lower. This is because when the initial liquid temperature is high, the temperature increase in the packing bed caused by the reaction heat is high which impacts the efficiency of absorption negatively.

CFD Analysis of Gas Distributor in Packed Column ——Prediction of Gas Flow and Effect of Tower Internals Geometry Structure

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were carried out on the gas flow patterns of twin-tangential annular deflector gas distributor in the absence of liquid flow in a packed column (6.4 m in diameter), and the gas flow field in the column was presented close to reality on the whole. Furthermore, after ame-(lioration) of this gas distributor frame, turbulence energy and turbulence energy dissipation rate were both decreased greatly.Simulation results showed that the flow pattern and the distribution of gas flow were strongly affected by the column bottom frame; the proper column bottom frame could decrease the flow pressure drop greatly. Multifold factors, such as the column bottom geometry structure and distributor structure which affects the distribution capacity, must be considered.

Comparison of Gas Distribution Properties of Conventional and High Capacity Structured Packings

This paper presents the results of an experimental study carried out using large scale equipment to observe the effect of geometry on gas distribution properties of a high capacity corrugated sheet structured packing （Montz-pak B 1-250M） and to compare it with that of its conventional counterpart （Montz-pak B1-250）. Although the high capacity packing exhibits a significantly lower overall pressure drop, the gas distribution performance is similar to that of the conventional packing, and in both cases consistently good one.

Measurement of Mass Transfer Coefficients and Their Modelling of Continuous Counter-Current Aqueous Two-Phase System in a Packed Extraction Column

Overall dispersed side volumetric mass transfer coefficients for protein and amino acids were measured in continuous countercurrent PEG4000/KHP aqueous two-phase systems in a 57mm I.D. packed extraction column. A model for overall dispersed side volumetric mass transfer coefficients was derived by describing the motion of the drops based upon Navier-Stokes equation combined with the relationship between mass transfer coefficients and the drop velocity. The model provides good predictions and can be successfully used in aqueous two-phase extraction. The average relative deviation between calculated values and experimental data ranges from 8% to 14%.

Optimizing the Synthesis of Ethyl tert-Butyl Ether in Continuous Catalytic Distillation Column Using New Ion Exchange Resin Catalyst

Liquid phase synthesis of one of the important fuel oxygenate, ethyl tert-butyl ether （ETBE）, from etha-nol and tert-butyl alcohol （TBA） has been studied in catalytic distillation column （CDC） using ion exchange resin catalyst CT-145H. A packed CDC of 1.2 m height and 50 mm diameter with indigenously developed reactive sec-tion packing was used to generate experimental data. Effect of different key variables on product purity in distillate, was investigated to find the optimum operating conditions for ETBE synthesis. The optimum conditions for 0.2 kg·s-1 of ethanol feed were found：reboiler duty of 375 W, molar feed ratio of 1︰1.3 of reactants, and reflux ratio of 7. Concentration profiles for each component along each column section at optimum conditions were also drawn. Neither output nor input multiplicity was observed at experimental conditions.

Simulation of MEG Packed Distillation Column Using an Equilibrium Stage Model-Case Study on Operating Parameters of Farsa Petrochemical Company： Assaluyeh-lran

Two types of equilibrium and non-equilibrium stage models are generally used to simulate the mass transfer of packed distillation column. Using non-equilibrium model requires the calculation of mass transfer coefficients, thus, usually equilibrium-based methods are preferred to be used for simulations of distillation columns. In this paper, packed column distillation of production of Mono Ethylene Glycol in FARSA SHIMI Company （Assaluyeh-Iran）＇s Ethylene Glycol portion has been simulated through using the equilibrium model and solving the related equations. The simulation has been carried out in the MATLAB environment. The column also has been simulated in the Aspen Hysys and Aspen Plus ver. 2006.5 environments. Then, the output has been compared with software results, designing and operating data of the underlying columns which demonstrate good consistency with the model. Having the model validated, the effect of some operating parameters has been analyzed through the model.

Novel predictive tool for accurate estimation of packed column size

Traditionally the majority of fractionation columns in natural gas processing plants were equipped with trays.However an option to trayed columns is to use packing.Packed columns offer a larger surface area per unit volume for mass transfer and the continuous gas to liquid contact throughout the column rather than at specific levels （such as in tray columns）.For process design purposes,it is essential to estimate the pressure drop for enabling the proper operation of packed columns.In this study,a simple generalized pressure drop correlation （GPDC） which is easier than existing approaches requiring more complicated and longer computations is developed for sizing randomly packed fractionation columns for pressure drops up to 150 mm water per meter of packing.This correlation can be used to estimate pressure drop for a given loading and column diameter.Alternatively,for a given pressure drop the diameter can be determined.The predictions from the proposed correlation have been compared with reported data and found good agreement with average absolute deviation hovering around 4.9%.The proposed predictive tool is superior owing to its accuracy and clear numerical background,wherein the relevant coefficients can be retuned quickly if new and more accurate data are available in the future.This proposed simple-to-use approach can be of immense practical value for the engineers and scientists to have a quick check on the pressure drop in packed columns for a given loading and column diameter.In particular,gas engineers would find the proposed approach can be used very friendly involving no complex expressions with transparent and easy-to-handle calculation steps.

An Approach to the Estimation of the Packing Efficiency by Considering Gas and Liquid Axial Mixings

To evaluate the influence of gas and liquid axial mixings on the separation efficiency of packed column, an approximate mathematical solution of HETP (equivalent height to a theoretical plate) under continuous operation has been proposed based on the mixing pool model. The mass transfer and hydrodynamic data of structured packing, Mellapak 350Y, obtained in a high pressure tower have been used to test the validity of the proposed model. Compared with the SRP model and the Gualito model, it is found that for high pressure distillation process the present mathematical prediction shows a mean relative error of about 10% to the experimental data,the accuracy of which is the same as that by the Gualito model but better than that by the SRP model.

Study on the Axial Dispersion of Liquid in Column Flotation

An experimental study on the axial dispersion of liquid was carried out in a 0.382-m-ID flotation column packed with different structured packings or free of packings. The correlations of axial Peclet numbers with the liquid and gas superficial Reynolds numbers were developed for various packings. Among the packings tested, it is found that in the column packed with 250Y or 350Y packings the axial dispersion is the lowest. The addition of frother can decrease the axial dispersion. By the simulation analysis of the one-dimension dispersion model of packed flotation column, it is found that small axial dispersion, high collection rate constant and low axial liquid velocity can increase the collection zone recovery.

TV column packaging design analysis

Nowadays, as the increasing marketization of dissemination medium, the competition between the dissemination medium gets hot up. The social television has now entered a new period in which the central task is to compete. ＂Brand＂ ＂marketing strategies becomes more important. Brand columns are important. It is to the television channel what product to enterprise. Famous-brand column brings famous-brand column and social benefit. As well as building and maintaining a good brand column needs high quality program content and high standard program form. As well as exquisite column decoration, thereby, TV column packaging became essential.

Nano-sized stationary phase packings retained by single-particle frit for microchip liquid chromatography

Modern chromatography is increasingly focused on miniaturization and integration. Compared to conventional liquid chromatography, microfluidic chip liquid chromatography(microchip-LC) has the potential due to its zero-dead volume connection and ease of integration. Nano-sized packings have the potential to significantly enhance separation performance in microchip-LC. However, their application has been hindered by packing difficulties. This study presents a method for packing nano-sized silica particles into a microchannel as the stationary phase. The microchip-LC packed column was prepared by combining the weir and the porous silica single-particle as frit to retain the packing particles. A surface tensionbased single-particle picking technique was established to insert porous single-particle frit into glass microchannels. Additionally, we developed a slurry packing method that utilizes air pressure to inject nano-sized packing into the microchannel. Pressure-driven chromatographic separation was performed using this nano-packed column integrated into a glass microchip. The mixture of four PAHs was successfully separated within just 8 min using a 5 mm separation channel length, achieving high theoretical plates(10~6plates/m). Overall, these findings demonstrate the potential of utilizing nano-sized packings for enhancing chromatographic performance in microchip systems.

剖析液相色谱柱技术的复杂状况(英文)

Column packings continue to evolve as the needs of users for high efficiency,high resolution and highly sensitive high performance liquid chromatographic(HPLC) analysis drive further developments.In comparing and contrasting modern HPLC columns technologies,diameters of column packings and particle materials are covered.Some products and applications of modern HPLC columns are provided.Future directions in packing developments are predicted in this introductory article.

Calculation of the Efficiency of Regenerative Air Heat Exchanger with Intermediate Heat Carrier

The study deals with a new regenerative air heat exchanger with an inter­mediate heat carrier used in the systems of room ventilation.A physical and mathematical model of the heat transfer process is proposed.The in­fluence of design and operating parameters on the temperature efficiency of the heat exchanger is analyzed.The possibility of a significant increase in its efficiency with a decrease in the packing diameter is shown.As a re­sult of calculations,it was found that with a decrease in the filling height,the maximum temperature efficiency shifted towards a decrease in the air flow rate from its value determined from the equality of water equivalents of liquid and air.

Lattice approaches to packed column simulations

This work presents a review of the findings into the ability of a digitally based particle packing algorithm, called DigiPac, to predict bed structure in a variety of packed columns, for a range of generic pellet shapes frequently used in the chemical and process engineering industries. Resulting macroscopic properties are compared with experimental data derived from both invasive and non-destructive measurement techniques. Additionally, fluid velocity distributions, through samples of the resulting bed structures, are analysed using lattice Boltzmann method （LBM） simulations and are compared against experimental data from the literature.

Machine learning based techno-economic process optimisation for CO_(2) capture via enhanced weathering

This work evaluated the practicability and economy of the enhanced weathering(EW)-based CO_(2) capture in series packed bubble column(S-PBC)contactors operated with different process configurations and conditions.The S-PBC contactors are designed to fully use the advantages of abundant seawater and highly efficient freshwater through a holistic M4 model,including multi-physics,machine learning,multi-variable and multiobjective optimisation.An economic analysis is then performed to investigate the cost of different S-PBC configurations.A data-driven surrogate model based on a novel machine learning algorithm,extended adaptive hybrid functions(E-AHF),is implemented and trained by the data generated by the physics-based models.GA and NSGA-II are applied to perform single-and multi-objective optimisation to achieve maximum CO_(2) capture rate(CR)and minimum energy consumption(EC)with the optimal values of eight design variables.The R2 for the prediction of CR and EC is higher than 0.96 and the relative errors are lower than 5%.The M4 model has proven to be an efficient way to perform multi-variable and multi-objective optimisation,that significantly reduces computational time and resources while maintaining high prediction accuracy.The trade-off of the maximum CR and minimum EC is presented by the Pareto front,with the optimal values of 0.1014 kg h−1 for CR and 6.1855 MJ kg−1 CO_(2) for EC.The calculated net cost of the most promising S-PBC configuration is around 400$t−1 CO_(2),which is about 100$t−1 CO_(2) lower than the net cost of current direct air capture(DAC),but compromised by slower CO_(2) capture rate.