OPTIMAL DESIGN OF MULTISTAGE ADSORPTION-BED SYSTEMS

The operation of two arrangements of multistage adsorption beds, parallel and series, was analyzed, and the optimal design problem of minimizing the capital and operating costs of the multistage adsorption bed systems was formulated. Solution of the optimization problem was obtained by using the Fibonacci search scheme. For the purpose of the study, data on the adsorption of liquid on activated carbon were taken from the literature for both single solute and multisolute adsorption systems and was used to derive the expressions for adsorption rate and the equilibrium relationship. Details of the performance of the optimally designed multistage adsorption bed systems are presented in terms of the physical and design parameters. Copyright © 1979 American Institute of Chemical Engineers