(30d) Optimizing the Performance of High Capacity Corrugated Sheet Structured Packings

Experimental evaluation of the performance of both conventional and high capacity Montz packings indicated that with increasing specific area the installed area is used less efficiently. To alleviate this, most recently, the effects of changes in corrugated sheet geometry have been studied, both by model and by experiment. This provided a better insight into the relationship between the pressure drop and mass transfer efficiency. With optimized geometry the pressure drop was redistributed to increase efficiency without a penalty on the capacity side. The total reflux measurements were carried out at atmospheric pressure conditions with cyclohexane/n-heptane system using TU Delft facilities (0.45 m internal diameter column) as well as with chlorobenzene/ethylbenzene system using Bayer Technical Services facilities (0.6 m I.D.) column. The experimental results were used to validate the Delft model, which proved capable of predicting accordingly the studied effects and consequently can be recommended to be used as a conceptual design tool.