(590d) Consistent Measurements of Hydraulic and Mass Transfer Packing Characteristics

Packed columns are generally regarded as the best design for post-combustion carbon dioxide absorbers.  These towers will handle substantial gas loads, and as a result, the energy associated with moving the post-combustion exhaust gases through the stacks will be significant.  It will also be important to optimize the mass transfer taking place within the packed absorber to minimize energy losses in carbon capture systems.  This research utilizes a consistent approach to measuring mass transfer and hydraulic characteristics of both random and structured packings in order to create new and improved models for pressure drop, liquid holdup, contact area, and liquid and gas mass transfer coefficients, thereby improving packed absorber designs.  Experimental methods have been created to measure the following characteristics of any packing:

                -Pressure drop (dry and irrigated)

                -Liquid Holdup

                -Flood Point

                -Effective Mass Transfer Area

                -Liquid Film Mass Transfer Coefficients

                -Gas Film Mass Transfer Coefficients

The purpose of this paper is to update the progress of this research by adding the results of characterizations completed on several new packings.  This paper will also show progress made in modeling efforts utilizing this new data.  Data will also be compared to existing models for contact area, liquid film, and gas film mass transfer coefficients.  Updating the previous version of this presentation, 5 new packings have been studied and modeled.  This new data will be combined with previous data to create a database of 14 packings.