COCURRENT DOWNFLOW OF AIR AND WATER IN A TWO-DIMENSIONAL PACKED-COLUMN

Multiple hydrodynamic states were observed during cocurrent downflow of air and water under trickling flow conditions in a packed bed of rectangular cross section. The characteristics of pulsing flow in a packed bed of rectangular cross section were found to be appreciably different from those reported in the literature for flow in small-diameter cylindrical columns. The most significant observation in the packed bed of rectangular cross section was that the pulses did not always span the column cross section, unlike the case in small-diameter columns. The location of the pulses was found to depend on the quality of gas and liquid distribution at the top of the column, and the shape of the top surface of the packing. A distributor configuration in which the gas was injected directly into the bed was found to be the most desirable, and is recommended in industrial practice.