On the performance of a cascade crossflow air stripping column

The cascade crossflow packed column is an innovative design that offers the separation advantages of countercurrent flow while avoiding flooding limitations. Liquid and gas cross-sectional flow areas and path length in contact with packing may be controlled independently. These features are illustrated by studying the air stripping of methylene chloride (MeCl), 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA), and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). Stripping efficiencies in the cascade crossflow column were generally slightly smaller than in countercurrent flow at equal liquid and gas flow rates. However larger gas-to-liquid ratios were possible in crossflow, permitting larger maximum stripping efficiencies to be attained. The experimental mass transfer coefficients were smaller than predicted by the Onda correlation. Modifications to the gas-phase Onda correlation are proposed that reduce the magnitude of the average deviation between experiment and prediction for 40 tests to about 12%. Experimental values of 38 of 40 tests were within +/-30% of modified Onda correlation predictions. Additional applications for the cascade crossflow concept are suggested, such as vacuum distillation columns and trickle-bed reactors, which require low pressure drop and/or large gas-to-liquid ratios.