Get EFFICIENT APPROXIMATE METHOD FOR PACKED COLUMN SEPARATION PERFORMANCE SIMULATION. Distillation

Random packing is used in separation columns, such as a distillation column, to increase surface area for vapor/liquid contact so that chemical separation is more efficient.

The column efficiency of industrial tray columns is said to be about 60 to 90% for light hydrocarbons and water systems, and about 10 to 20% for gas absorption and diffusion.

Common packing materials for ion exchange columns are amines, sulfonic acid, diatomaceous earth, styrene-divinylbenzene, and cross-linked polystyrene resins. Some of the first ion exchangers used were inorganic and made from aluminosilicates (zeolites).

For packed columns, the mass-transfer efficiency (HETP) is not measured directly; it follows from the equation(23) HETP exp = Z N where Z is the height of the packed bed and N is the number of equivalent theoretical plates (equilibrium stages), which is given using the well-known Fenske equation for the total reflux ...

The actual number of trays required is given by the formula: (number of theoretical trays)/(tray efficiency) Typical values for tray efficiency ranges from 0.5 to 0.7 and depends on a number of factors, such as the type of trays being used, and internal liquid and vapour flow conditions.

Less than 1 foot of column diameter should have a packing size of 1 inch or less. Between 1 to 3 feet of column diameter will have a packing size of 1 to 1.5 inches. A column diameter of greater than 3 feet will need a packing size between 2 and 3 inches.

Mellapak is the most widely used structured packing worldwide. MellapakPlus™ is the latest generation of structured packing. With the enhancement of the geometric structure of conventional Mellapak™, the pressure drop is much lower and the maximum capacity can be extended by 50% compared to Mellapak™.

The standard distillation column packing offered is Pro-Pak® random packing. Customer specified packings can be used including materials of stainless steel, metal alloys, ceramic and plastics.