The simulation of multicomponent mixtures condensation in plate condensers

The application of plate heat exchangers for the condensation of multicomponent mixtures requires reliable, well-grounded methods of calculation. A numerical simulation using semi-empirical equations of heat and mass transfer performance along the surface of plate condensers was carried out for different multicomponent mixtures with noncondensable components. The plates with cross-corrugated patterns for plate condensers were used. The simulation was done for four different types of corrugated plates of industrially manufactured plate heat exchangers. The results of the simulation are in a good accordance with experimental data obtained during long-time experiments for a pilot plant at the pharmaceutical factory in Kharkiv. It is shown that the enhancement of heat and mass transfer in a plate condenser for the case of a four-component mixture gives the possibility of decreasing by 1.8-2 times the necessary heat transfer surface area comparatively with shell-and-tube unit for the same process parameters.