Comparison Between a Spray Column and a Sieve Tray Column Operating as Liquid-Liquid Heat Exchangers

摘要

The performance of a spray column and a sieve tray column was compared as a liquid-liquid heat exchanger. In carrying out these studies a 15.2 cm (6.0 in.) diameter column, 183 cm (6.0 ft) tall was utilized. The performance of the spray column as a heat exchanger was shown to correlate with the model of Letan-Kehat which has as a basis that the heat transfer is dominated by the wakeshedding characteristics of the drops over much of the column length. This model defines several hydrodynamic zones along the column of which the wake formation zone at the bottom appears to have the most efficient heat transfer. The column was also operated with four perforated plates spaced two column diameters apart in order to take advantage of the wake formation zone heat transfer. The plates induce coalescence of the dispersed phase and reformation of the drops, and thus cause a repetition of the wake formation zone. It is shown that the overall volumetric heat transfer coefficient in a perforated plate column is increased by a minimum of eleven percent over that in a spray column. A hydrodynamic model that predicts the performance of a perforated plate column is suggested. (ERA citation 06:009084)