Flow-guided sieve-valve tray (FGS-VT) – A novel tray with improved efficiency and hydrodynamics

Flow-guided sieve tray (FGST) has been widely used as column internal for mass and energy transfer between gas and liquid, or liquid and liquid, due to its low pressure drop, high efficiency, and high capacity. But as sieve tray, improving the operation flexibility is the urgent task which has to be resolved. Flow-guided sieve-valve tray (FGS-VT) was designed to overcome the shortcoming of FGST by putting some valves onto the FGST, which do not change the original structure before the valves are open. Comparison of the hydrodynamic and mass transfer performances of FGS-VT, FGST, and Glitsch V1 valve tray was done, using air–water–oxygen system in a 0.6 m diameter plexiglass column, and the mathematical model of dry-plate pressure drop for FGS-VT was established. The results showed that the FGS-VT has higher operation flexibility and tray efficiency than FGST and Glitsch V1 valve tray.     

CFD and experimental studies of liquid weeping in the circular sieve tray columns

Sieve trays are widely used in fractionating devices like tray distillation towers existing in separation and purification industries. The weeping phenomenon that has a critical effect on the efficiency of tray towers was studied by a numerical model and some experiments. The experiments were carried out in a pilot scale column with the diameter of 1.22 m that includes two test trays and two chimney trays. Weeping rates and some hydraulic parameters were measured in sieve trays with the hole area of 7.04%. Furthermore, the total weeping rate and weeping rate in inlet and outlet halves of the test tray were determined. It was also used an Eulerian–Eulerian computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method for the present study. The model was able to predict the dry tray pressure drop, total pressure drop, clear liquid height, froth height, and weeping rate simultaneously. Furthermore, the obtained CFD results were in a good agreement with the experimental data in terms of pressure drop and the model properly predicted several hydraulic parameters like the liquid weeping behavior along the tray.     

立体传质塔板板上液相流场的三维数值模拟

针对立体传质塔板(CTST)操作时的特点,对1 000 mm的CTST板上液相流场进行了三维计算流体力学(CFD)数值模拟.计算得出了板上液相流场的三维分布特征;实验测量和模拟结果对比,结果吻合较好,说明文中模型有较好的准确度,可以用于CTST板上液相流场的预测.对相同条件下筛板和CTST板上的液相流场分别进行模拟,...     

Performance and applications of flow-guided sieve trays for distillation of highly viscous mixtures

With a particular focus on the distillation of highly viscous or self-polymerized mixtures, this study reports the hydrodynamic and mass transfer performance of two flow-guided sieve trays, including their pressure drop, entrainment, weeping and tray efficiency, obtained experimentally with an air-water/oxygen system in a Φ600 mm plexiglass column. The results show that the 8 mm hole flow-guided sieve tray tested shows better characteristics than the 7 mm flow-guided hole tray in terms of pressure drop and mass transfer. Then we present practical industrial examples of applications of the flow guided trays for distillation of viscous mixtures, i.e., the separation of vinyl acetate (VAC) from a polyvinyl acetate (PVAC) polymer solution with dynamic viscosity μ=50,000 mPas, the separation of highly unsaturated C5 mixtures by extractive distillation, and the distillation of thick, condensed and highly viscous fermentation mixtures made from fermented mash. It is demonstrated that flow-guided sieve trays with relatively large holes are an excellent candidate for distillation of mixtures with suspended solids, or concentrated/self-polymerized polymer solutions.     

New Column Design to Enhance Flexibility: Concept for Hydrodynamic Characterization

This study presents a new and innovative sieve tray design for a more flexible operation of separation columns in terms of possible throughput. The advantage of this new tray design is to ensure an optimal operation for varying feed flow rates and constant separation efficiencies for different load ranges. The aim of this work is to give a short introduction and an outlook to the investigation of the functionality of the designed trays. Moreover, the general design of the new trays, first results for CFD simulations of the dry pressure drop and the experimental setup are presented.     

Efficiencies of Sieve Tray Distillation Columns by CFD Simulation

A 3‐D two‐fluid CFD model in the Eulerian‐Eulerian framework was developed to predict the hydrodynamics and heat and mass transfer of sieve trays. Interaction between the two phases occurs via interphase momentum and heat and mass transfer. The tray geometries are based on the large rectangular tray of Dribika and Biddulph and FRI commercial‐scale sieve tray of Yanagi and Sakata. In this work a CFD simulation is developed to give predictions of the fluid flow patterns, hydraulics, and mass transfer efficiency of distillation sieve trays including a downcomer. The main objective has been to find the extent to which CFD can be used as a design and prediction tool for real behavior, concentration and temperature distributions, and efficiencies of industrial trays. Despite the use of simple correlations for closure models, the efficiencies obtained are very close to experimental data. The results show that values of point efficiency vary with position on the tray because of variation of affecting parameters, such as velocities, temperature and concentration gradients, and interfacial area. The simulation results show that CFD can be used as a powerful tool in tray design and analysis, and can be considered as a new approach for efficiency calculations and as a new tool for testing mixing models in both phases. CFD can be used as a “virtual experiment” to simulate tray behavior under operating conditions.     

计算传质法预测精馏塔效率(英文)

A computational mass transfer model is proposed for predicting the concentration profile and Murphree efficiency of sieve tray distillation column. The proposed model is based on using modified two equations formulation for closing the differential turbulent mass transfer equation with improvement by considering the vapor injected from the sieve hole to be three dimensional. The predicted concentration distributions by using proposed model were checked by experimental work conducted on a sieve tray simulator of 1.2 meters in diameter for de-sorbing the dissolved oxygen in the feed water by blowing air. The model predictions were confirmed by the ex-perimental measurement. The validation of the proposed model was further tested by comparing the simulated re-sult with the performance of an industrial scale sieve tray distillation column reported by Kunesh et al. for the strip-ping of toluene from its water solution. The predicted outlet concentration of each tray and the Murphree tray effi-ciencies under different operating conditions were in agreement with the published data. The simulated turbulent mass transfer diffusivity on each tray was within the range of the experimental result in the same sieve column re-ported by Cai et al. In addition, the prediction of the influence of sieve tray structure on the tray efficiency by using the proposed model was demonstrated.     

精馏塔板上双液层三维模型的流体力学计算

在充分研究塔板上气液两相之间相互作用的基础上,运用双流体层三维模型,根据气体存在的形态将在泡沫工况下的液层在液体的厚度方向上分为喷射层和鼓泡层,将其特征与计算流体力学（CFD）结合起来,得到和实验观察比较一致的结果.     

复合塔板的流体力学特性(Ⅰ) 孔径和开孔率对塔板流体力学特性的影响

基于火力发电厂烟气脱硫工程化项目的需要 ,提出了一种同时具备大孔径和高开孔率条件、由大孔筛板和波纹板填料及其附件构成的复合塔板 ,研究了孔径和开孔率对于该复合塔板流体力学性能的影响 .结果表明 :与其他的塔板相比 ,该塔板在同样的操作条件下压降更低 ,通量更大.     

网填筛板流体力学性能研究

在直径为600mm有机玻璃塔内,以水-空气系统对放置网孔填料层的筛板(称网填筛板)和普通筛板进行了流体力学性能对比实验。研究发现,在普通筛板上加一层厚度为15mm的网孔填料,可以使雾沫夹带明显减少,负荷上限提高50％～80％。同时,塔板压降和漏液有所增加。     

Hydrodynamics and mass transfer performance analysis of flow-guided trapezoid spray packing tray

Distillation is the most common separation technology utilized in the petroleum and chemistry industries. Due to the wide usage of the distillation column, even a small improvement in performance may result in significant energy cost savings. Aiming to improve the hydrodynamics and mass transfer performance, the flow-guided trapezoid spray-packing tray (FTS-PT) was designed by combining flow-guided holes and trapezoidal caps with structured packing. And the experimental measurements of the FTS-PT, including pressure drop, clear liquid height, weeping, entrainment, and tray efficiency, were conducted in a 500 mm diameter plexiglass column with the air-water-oxygen system. Moreover, the performance of the FTS-PT was compared with that of new vertical sieve tray (New VST) and F1 valve tray. The results show that FTS-PT has a significant advantage in pressure drop, entrainment, and capacity. Furthermore, the calculation model of the pressure drop was derived and used for the FTS-PT with a relative deviation of less than 5%.     

Nye Tray Versus Sieve Tray: Experimental Study on Hydrodynamic Parameters

The hydrodynamic parameters of a Nye tray were investigated by performing experiments in a tower with a diameter of 1.22 m. Air was used as the gas phase and water was used as the liquid phase. A number of parameters such as the dry pressure drop, the total pressure drop, the clear liquid height, the froth height, and the entrainment were measured. A tray stability factor was obtained using the amount of weeping, the clear liquid height, the dry pressure drop, and the Froude number. All experiments were repeated for the matching sieve tray under the same conditions. Ultimately, advantages and disadvantages were compared, and the results demonstrated that the Nye tray has a couple of advantages over the sieve tray, except that the sieve tray is slightly more stable.     

Computational fluid dynamic simulation of MVG tray hydraulics

The flow pattern and hydraulics of a Mini V-Grid valve (MVG) tray is predicted by using computational fluid dynamics simulation. A 3-D CFD model in the Eulerian framework was used. The simulation results for MVG tray are compared with that of sieve tray. The sieve tray geometry and operating conditions are based on the Solari and Bell’s sieve tray [1]. The MVG tray differs from that of Solari and Bell’s sieve tray solely by the difference in design of available openings for the flow of gas. The simulation results show that the clear liquid height and the pressure drop of MVG tray are lower than that of sieve tray whereas the liquid velocity is higher and contacts of phases are good. The simulation results of sieve tray are in agreement with the experimental data of Solari and Bell [1].     

半椭圆固定阀塔板性能研究

应用空气–富氧水系统,在直径1 200 mm不锈钢塔内,对半椭圆固定阀塔板进行了实验室研究,研究结果表明:半椭圆固定阀塔板的压降略高于筛孔塔板,比F1浮阀塔板小得多,雾沫夹带率低于筛孔塔板和F1浮阀塔板,泄漏率比筛孔塔板低,比F1浮阀塔板高,传质效率优于筛孔塔板和F1浮阀塔板,是一种综合性能优异的塔板。     

超临界流体萃取筛板塔中二氧化碳/醇/水体系流体力学特性和传质性能的初步研究

在内径25mm的连续逆流超临界流体萃取筛板塔中,对超临界二氧化碳/乙醇/水和二氧化碳/异丙醇/水2种体系的流体力学特性和传质性能进行了实验研究;对实验数据进行了分析处理,得到了描述超临界流体萃取筛板塔流动特性的关联式,应用柱塞流模型对超临界流体萃取筛板塔的传质性能进行了模拟计算.     

超临界流体萃取筛板塔中二氧化碳/醇/水体系流体力学特性和传质性能的初步研究

在内径25mm的连续逆流超临界流体萃取筛板塔中,对超临界二氧化碳/乙醇/水和二氧化碳/异丙醇/水2种体系的流体力学特性和传质性能进行了实验研究;对实验数据进行了分析处理,得到了描述超临界流体萃取筛板塔流动特性的关联式,应用柱塞流模型对超临界流体萃取筛板塔的传质性能进行了模拟计算.     

垂直筛板流化床中FCC催化剂的流化性能

以FCC催化剂颗粒研究垂直筛板流化床内构件对气固两相流化性能的影响,考察了板孔气速、颗粒循环量和帽罩开孔比等筛板结构对流化床压降和提升量强度的影响. 结果表明,气固两相总体逆流流动条件下,帽罩内气速达4 m/s,气固高速并流喷射无气泡,两相接触好、返混小,属快速流态化. 由于没有气泡,床层压力波动小,在塔板上颗粒返混小. 垂直筛板压降随板孔气速、帽罩底隙高度增大而增大,随帽罩开孔比、板孔径增大而减小,颗粒提升量大,床层压降大. 提升量强度随板孔气速、帽罩底隙高度、颗粒循环量增加而增大,随帽罩高度与塔节高度比增大而减少,随帽罩筛孔孔径变化存在最大值. 当帽罩开孔比为1.2~2.5、板孔面积与帽罩截面积比为0.42、帽罩底隙高与板孔孔径比为0.36~0.64时帽罩流化性能较好.     

筛板精馏塔的板效率研究

在直径为0.75 m,塔高4m的不锈钢热模塔内,以正庚烷—环己烷为物系、在常压、全回流条件下,进行筛板塔传质效率的研究,选取孔径为13mm和6 mm,开孔率为3.9％和6.4％的塔板,测试了这些塔板的气液相默弗里板效率,通过排列组合,考察了孔径、不同塔板位置和出口堰高对传质效率的影响,并进行了传质效果对比.此外还运用A...     

大型塔板液体停留时间分布与板效率研究

报导在直径 2m的筛板塔实验装置中 ,用电导率连续测量系统同时测定塔板上 12个点的停留时间分布曲线及给出典型数据 ,并提出由停留时间分布曲线换算成塔板上浓度分布曲线以及计算塔板效率的方法     

Predicting valve tray efficiency

Existing literature models for predicting the mass transfer efficiencies of binary hydrocarbon, distillation columns employing moving valve trays are evaluated. Only four models for predicting valve tray efficiencies exist in the open literature. All of these models use data from valve trays. The last theoretical model was published in 1972, 42 years ago. By comparison, sieve tray efficiency models are numerous and recent. Sieve tray models were developed from large databases. There are no valve tray equivalents to the fundamental mechanistic models available for sieve trays. Despite the differences between valve and sieve trays, many of the phenomena on sieve and valve trays are similar. Consequently, sieve tray models can be employed to provide estimates for valve trays. In this work, using public FRI data on round moving valves, the performance of the Chen and Chuang sieve tray mechanistic model is compared to the performance of four valve tray models. It appears that, in the absence of fundamental (and qualified) valve tray models, the sieve tray models present a potential alternative for valve tray efficiency predictions.