A Study on the Separation Efficiencies of Rotating-Tube Wired Thermal-Diffusion Columns under Higher Flow-Rate Operations

Abstract

Even under higher flow-rate operations, σ > 0.42A ², rotating the tubes oppositely in a wired concentric-tube thermal diffusion column still substantially increases the separation efficiency by improving the cascading effect. The equations for estimating the best tube speed of rotation and maximum separation, with the inclination of the wire angles as parameters, have been derived. The maximum separation increases as the inclination of the wire angle decreases; however, this also leads to increasing the best tube speed of rotation and thereby raising the operating cost.