DISTILLATION-COLUMNS CONTAINING STRUCTURED PACKINGS - A COMPREHENSIVE MODEL FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE .1. HYDRAULIC MODELS

A mechanistically-based model has been developed to aid the analysis and design of distillation columns containing structured packings of the corrugated plate type. The model encompasses the important, and related, parameters of liquid holdup, pressure drop, flooding, and mass-transfer efficiency. Since it deals with the countercurrent contacting of liquid with gas or vapor, the model may also be applied to absorption or stripping processes. The model is developed from a consideration of the interaction of falling liquid films with upflowing vapors and thus takes into account the flow and physical property characteristics of the systems as well as geometric variables such as corrugation angle and surface enhancement. In this paper (part 1) the model is developed and applied to several sets of liquid holdup and pressure drop experimental data, including new data provided by the authors. The second paper in the series will deal with mass-transfer characteristics, with the model being shown to be dependent on the hydraulic aspects described in part 1. The information provided in these papers should have direct application to new designs, retrofits, or optimization of existing equipment.