GAS-LIQUID MASS-TRANSFER AND HYDRODYNAMIC FLOW REGION IN PACKED-COLUMNS WITH COCURRENT UPWARD FLOW

Liquid holdup and interfacial area were measured in columns packed with 1/2 and spheres for upward cocurrent-flow mode, where the ratio of packing to column dia is 0.085, 0.128 and 0.169. The empirical equations of liquid holdup &i for void fraction e are given as follows: The empirical equations for interfacial area avare also presented as follows: where the values of ct, m, n and t are 16,0.05, —0.4 and 0 for bubble (1), 2.2,0.05, —0.2 and 0.5 for churn, 0.24. 0.27, 0 and 0.7 for pseudospray, 0.26, 2/3, —1/4 and 0.4 for bubble (11), 1.0 X10“2 2/3, 0 and 1.4 for pseudopulse and 2.9 x 10~42/3, 0.2 and 2.5 for pulse flow, respectively. The equation for respective hydrodynamic flow boundary was found by combining two of these. The predicted mass-transfer coefficients for liquid phase given by the simple equation for down-ward flow mode agree with the literature data in a wide range of gas and liquid flow rates. © 1979, The Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan. All rights reserved.