Heavy water enrichment by thermal diffusion in the flat‐plate frazier scheme with column heights increased at a constant ratio for improved performance

This study investigates heavy water enrichment using the Frazier scheme of flat‐plate thermal diffusion columns with the column number adjusted and the column heights varied at a constant ratio with the total sum of column heights fixed. The equations for predicting the best number of columns and the best column‐height ratio for maximum separation are derived. Considerable improvement in performance is obtainable if the column‐height ratio and/or column number in a modified Frazier scheme are properly assigned, instead of using the conventional Frazier scheme of uniform column height with the same total sum of column heights. © 2013 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering     

The Optimum Column Number for the Best Performance of Thermal Diffusion in the Frazier Scheme with the Total Sum of Column Height Fixed

The effect of column number N, as well as the column height h of thermal diffusion columns, on the degree of separation in the Frazier scheme with the total sum of the column height L (=Nh) fixed, has been investigated. The equations, which may be employed to predict the optimum column number N* for the maximum separation Δ _N,max, have been derived. Considerable performance in separation is obtainable if the column number, as well as the column height, in a Frazier scheme with the total sum of the column height fixed is properly assigned for a certain flow-rate operation.     

The Improvement of Thermal Diffusion Performance in the Modified Frazier Scheme by Increasing the Column Heights at a Constant Ratio

The effects of column number and the variation of column heights on thermal diffusion along the modified Frazier scheme, has been investigated with the total sum of column heights fixed. The equations, which may be employed to predict the optimal number of columns and the optimal column-height ratio for the maximum separation, have been derived. Considerable improvement in performance is obtainable if the column-height ratio and/or column number in a modified Frazier scheme with the total sum of column heights fixed are properly assigned for a certain flow-rate operation, instead of using the conventional Frazier scheme of uniform column height with the same total sum of column heights.     

Enrichment of Heavy Water by Thermal Diffusion in the Frazier Schemes with Column Heights Varied at a Constant Increment for Improved Performance

The improvement of heavy water enrichment by thermal diffusion in the Frazier scheme with column heights varied at a constant increment and with the total sum of column heights fixed, has been investigated. The equations, which may be employed to predict the optimal column number and the optimal column-height increment for maximum separation, have been derived. Considerable improvement in heavy water enrichment is obtainable if the column number and column-height increment in a modified Frazier scheme with the total sum of column heights fixed, are property assigned under certain flow-rate operation, instead of using the conventional scheme of uniform column height.     

The optimum plate aspect ratio for the best performance in a flat-plate thermal diffusion column of the frazier scheme

The effects of plate aspect ratio on the degree of separation, production rate and plate surface area in a flat-plate thermal diffusion column of the Frazier scheme, have been investigated. Theoretical considerations show that when the thermal diffusion columns of the Frazier scheme are constructed with the best plate aspect ratio, maximum separation, maximum production rate or minimum plate surface area can be obtained. The optimum plate aspect ratio for maximum separation is obtained with given production rate and plate surface area, while that for maximum production rate is determined with the degree of separation and plate surface area fixed, and that for minimum plate surface area is estimated with known degree of separation and production rate. It is interesting that the optimum plate aspect ratio for maximum separation is exactly the same as that for minimum plate surface area. The maximum separation and maximum production rate are achieved without changing any total expenditure, while the design with minimum plate surface area results in minimizing the total expense.     

Recovery of deuterium from water-isotopes mixture in flat-plate thermal-diffusion columns of the Frazier scheme with optimum plate-spacing

The effect of plate-spacing on the degree of recovery and production rate for the recovery of deuterium from water-isotopes mixture in flat-plate thermal-diffusion columns of the Frazier scheme with fixed operation expense has been investigated. The equations for estimating optimum plate-spacing for maximum recovery and maximum production rate have been developed. Considerable improvement in performance is obtainable when thermal-diffusion columns with optimum plate-spacing are employed for operation.     

Thermal diffusion in inclined flat-plate columns of the frazier scheme

The separation theory of thermal diffusion in inclined flat-plate columns of the Frazier scheme has been developed and investigated. The equations for the best angle of inclination and maximum separation have been derived. Considerable improvement in separation is obtained when thermal diffusion columns are operated at the best angle of inclination.     

The best performance of spiral wired thermal diffusion columns of the frazier scheme

Equations have been derived for the optimum wire angles of inclination for maximum separation, maximum production rate and minimum column height in the Frazier scheme of concentric‐tube thermal diffusion columns with a tight fitting wire spiral, having a diameter equal to the annular spacing, and wrapped on the entire inner tube. Considerable improvement in performance is obtained when a Frazier scheme is operated at the optimum corresponding wire angle of inclination, especially for the scheme of high column number.     

Enrichment of heavy water in flat‐plate thermal diffusion columns of the frazier scheme with the optimal plate aspect ratio for best performance

The solutions of the optimum plate aspect ratio as well as the corresponding maximum separation, maximum production rate and minimum plate surface area in thermal diffusion columns of the Frazier scheme for enrichment of heavy water have been obtained, analogous to those obtained in the previous work for separation of a binary system. It was found that all the optimum plate aspect ratios do not depend on feed concentration, while the corresponding best performances do. It is found that considerable improvement in performance is obtained when the operation is carried out with the optimal plate aspect ratio.     

Extension of the pore diffusion approach for modelling binary adsorption of lead and arsenic ions in a fixed‐bed column packed with atlantic cod fish scales

The removal of lead and arsenic ions using Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) fish scale involves ion exchange, chemisorption, and precipitation of its constituents and is competitive with respect to adsorption onto the negatively charged heterogeneous substrates. The nonlinear sorption equilibrium concept is preceded by pore diffusion of the solute and is utilised for numerical modelling of this binary adsorption. Numerical simulation data demonstrate reasonable agreements with experimental results of dynamic column tests. Sensitivity analyses confirm that parameters such as porosity, adsorption coefficient, mobility of ions, and number of sorption sites contribute significantly to breakthrough interval of contaminant in dynamic columns. At lower pH values (7–8.04), the adsorption coefficients of cations such as lead are significantly lower than at pH value of 11.0.     

Reduction of metal ions in dilute solutions using a GBC-reactor Part II: Theoretical model for the hydrogen oxidation in a gas diffusion electrode at relatively low current densities

The GBC-reactor is based on the combination of a gas diffusion anode and a porous cathode. A theoretical model for gas diffusion electrode, valid at relatively low current densities, is derived. This is based on the pseudohomogeneous film model including an approximation of the Volmer–Tafel mechanism for the hydrogen oxidation kinetics. Results show a severe mass transfer limitation of the hydrogen oxidation reaction inside the active layer of the gas diffusion electrode, even at low current densities. Empirical formulae are given to estimate whether leakage of dissolved hydrogen gas into the bulk electrolyte occurs at specific process conditions. A simplified version of the model, the reactive plane approximation, is presented.     

Dispersed plug flow model for steady-state laminar flow in a tube with a first order sink at the wall

Steady state, laminar flow transport in a tube with a first order sink at the wall involves two dimensions—radial and axial. In this paper, a novel iterative technique has been proposed for reducing such a two-dimensional model to an equivalent one-dimensional dispersed plug flow model. The latter yields an analytical expression for the equivalent axial dispersion and a simple, closed form, but approximate, analytical solution of the original two-dimensional problem. The operating range in which this analytical solution is useful has been investigated for a system with mass transfer at the wall.