Perforated Plate Extraction Towers Explained
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ScribdTranslationsPerforated Plate Extraction Towers Explained
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ScribdTranslationsEXTRACTION COLUMN
PERFORATED PLATE TOWERS
Dish towers. In this case, perforated plates are preferred. The separation
the space between the plates is much smaller than in distillation: 10-15 cm for most of them
of applications with low interfacial tension liquids. When operating with a
appropriate flow regime, extraction velocities in plate columns
perforated are elevated because the droplets of the dispersed phase coalesce and are
they reform at each stage. This favors the destruction of gradients of
concentration that can be formed when the droplets pass without disturbance to
throughout the entire column. The columns of perforated plates for extraction
are subject to the same limitations as distillation columns:
flooding, dragging, and dripping. Additional problems often arise
like the formation of dirt that floats and originates from the presence of
small amounts of impurities.
The droplets of the light solvent disperse and tend to rise.
The dispersed droplets coalesce or clump together beneath each plate and become again.
form above this. The heavy aqueous liquid flows down the plates,
it comes into contact with the floating drops and then goes through the plate's descent
towards the lower plate.
These multi-stage countercurrent towers, both in terms of capacity
of liquid handling as well as efficiency in extraction, are very effective, in
particular for low voltage interfacial systems that do not require agitation
mechanics for good dispersion. Its effectiveness for mass transfer
it derives from that:
the axial mixing of the continuous phase is confined to the region between the
plates and it is not distributed throughout the tower from stage to stage
the droplets of the dispersed phase coalesce and reform on each plate,
thus destroying the tendency to establish concentration gradients
inside the droplets that persist throughout the height of the tower.
In figure 4, a simply designed tower is shown, where the arrangement
The general design of the plates and distributors is very similar to the gas contact tower.
liquid, except that spills are not required. Figure 4 shows the
arrangement for the dispersed light liquid.
The light liquids pass through the perforations and the bubbles rise to
through the continuous heavy phase and coalesce into a layer that accumulates between
each plate. The heavy liquid flows through each plate through the droplets
ascendents and passes through the drains to the lower plate.
Turning the tower upside down, the drains become "pipes of
ascend
heavy flows through the perforations and disperses into droplets. As
alternative, the heavy liquid can disperse in one part of the tower and the liquid
light on one side, while the main interface remains in the central part
from the tower. The cross-flow plates in figure 1 are suitable for
relatively small diameters of the tower (up to approximately 2 m).
For taller towers, multiple spillways can be placed at intervals along
from the plate
Hydraulics of perforated plates
The flow capacity of the perforated plate tower depends on the
characteristics of droplet formation of the system, of terminal velocities of
the droplet, retention of the dispersed phase and pressure drop.
With these established characteristics, the design can be developed and calculated.
mass transfer rate.
Formation of the droplets
The liquid to be dispersed flows through holes with a diameter of 3 to
8 mm, placed 12 to 20 mm apart. If the liquid drop preferentially moistens
the material of the plate, the size of the droplet becomes uncontrollably large; it is
better to use small nozzles that project from the surface, in order
to avoid this difficulty. The holes can be drilled in a flat plate of the
shape shown in figure 4; the base is left in place, facing the direction of
formation of gout.
If there is no mass transfer and if the dispersed phase exits from a perforation in a
plate that is not preferably moistened with the dispersed liquid, the droplet is
shape in the opening and its size will be uniform at a given speed through the
orifice. At a certain moderate speed, a jet of dispersed liquid comes out of the
hole; the droplets form when the stream breaks. When a stream comes out, it can
start to calculate the speed through hole a, which, by the rule of
the finger is, however, approximately 0.1 m/s.
For speeds lower than this, the droplet sizes can be calculated.
mainly with either of two correlations, which, in general,
they match reasonably well. Regarding the current purposes, the estimates
they are enough, that is, the differences are not important and that the figure is useful
At speeds greater than about 0.1 m/s, the sizes of the droplets are not
uniforms. In extraction, maximizing the interfacial surface area of all
Droplets are important to ensure rapid mass transfer; the speed in
the orifice V0, max, with which the above is achieved, can be calculated by:
Bibliography
Scheele, G. F. and B. J. Meister:AIChEJ., 14, 9 (1968); 15, 689, 700 (1969).
Skelland, A. H. P. and K. R. Johnson: Can. J. Chem. Eng., 52, 732 (1974).
Robert E. Treybal