THE BEHAVIOR OF THE DISPERSED PHASE IN LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION IN FLUIDIZED BEDS

An investigation was carried out on the effects of liquid flow rates, solid particle size, bed height, and voidage on the dispersed-phase holdup, the drop size and the behavior of the dispersed phase in liquid-liquid concurrent fluidized beds. The mass transfer coefficients were calculated from liquid-liquid extraction data and the calculated results could be satisfactorily explained by matching with the dynamic behavior of the liquids and the change of drop size. The increase of liquid-liquid extraction rates in liquid-liquid fluidized beds was mainly due to the increase of interfacial areas of the dispersed phase.     

A new characteristic of liquid-liquid systems—inversion holdup of intensely agitated dispersions

As the holdup of dispersed phase in an agitated liquid-liquid dispersion is increased at fixed agitation, a point is reached (called inversion holdup) when the dispersion inverts—the dispersed phase becomes continuous and vice versa. In this work, we present experimental data which suggest that the inversion holdup for sufficiently intense turbulence is independent of all the operational parameters associated with a stirred tank, e.g., stirrer speed, vessel volume, impeller size, and impeller type; it depends only on the properties of the liquid-liquid system. The inversion holdup was verified to remain unchanged even for inversion in turbulent flow field in the annular space between two coaxial cylinders. A hypothesis involving drops in near contact with each other at high holdups is used to explain the experimental data. The new finding may also provide a qualitative basis for selecting a liquid-liquid system with desired extent of mixing in the dispersed phase for carrying out transport and reactions in multiphase systems.     

Drop size distribution and holdup in a rotating impeller extraction column

A stagewise hydrodynamic model, applying drop population balance equations derived from models for breakage and coalescence of drops in a countercurrent liquid-liquid extraction system, was developed to predict the drop size distribution and the holdup of the dispersed phase in a rotating impeller extraction column. The drop size distributions were obtained by taking the photographs of the dispersions at the same locations through the rectangular shaped glass box filled with distilled water. The experimental variables were the impeller speed and flow rates of the continuous and dispersed phases. The solutions of the model equations were obtained by performing the computer simulation and the optimum parameter values were determined. The results predicted by the model were in good agreement with the experimental results obtained from the present rotating impeller extraction column.     

Deacidification of corn oil by solvent extraction in a perforated rotating disc column

The deacidification of corn oil by continuous liquid-liquid extraction was investigated in a rotating disc column. The solvent was ethanol containing approximately 6% water. The influence of rotor speed, oil phase flow, and column geometry upon the dispersed phase holdup and the mass transfer efficiency was studied. The dispersed phase holdup increased with the increase of rotor speed and oil phase flow. Pratt's equation was used for calculating the characteristic velocity. An inverse relation was observed between the characteristic velocity and rotor speed, which is different from data previously reported in the literature. The estimated volumetric mass transfer coefficients increased as rotor speed and oil phase flow increased. The experimental results proved that it is feasible to obtain a refined oil with an oleic acid content less than 0.3 wt% by continuous solvent extraction. They also indicated that the corresponding loss of neutral oil was less than 5 wt%. Such value for the loss of neutral oil is significantly lower than the results reported in the literature for alkali or physical refining of corn oil.     

EXTRACTION OF COPPER BY LIX65N IN A VESSEL AND A MULTI-STAGE COLUMN UNDER STIRRED CONDITIONS

ABSTRACT

The extraction experiments of copper from aqueous solutions of copper sulfate by LIX65N-kerosene solutions were carried out at 25^°C in liquid-liquid dispersions. Both reaction rates of the forward and backward extractions were obtained in a stirred vessel, being combined with the equilibrium data. For a multistage column in continuous operation, the holdup data of the dispersed organic phase were correlated with the stirring speed, flow rates and LIX65N concentration. It was found that the extracted fraction of copper in the multi-stage column can be predicted from a stage-to-stage calculation using the extraction kinetics and the holdup obtained in the present work.     

A HOMOGENEOUS MODEL FOR MASS TRANSFER ENHANCEMENT IN GAS-LIQUID-LIQUID SYSTEMS

A modified homogeneous mass transfer model based on penetration theory is proposed for the mass transfer enhancement in gas-liquid-liquid systems. The present model assumes the existence of a shuttle mechanism between the organic dispersed phase and the continuous aqueous phase and considers the effect of diffusivity along with the solubility ratio and the dispersed phase holdup. The concept of effective diffusivity for gas in liquid-liquid emulsions has been used to consider the effect of diffusivity on mass transfer enhancement. The proposed model predicts the experimentally obtained enhancement factor with reasonable accuracy and numerical simplicity. Fresh experiments were also conducted to further validate the proposed model.     

HYDRODYNAMICS OF LIQUID-LIQUID-SOLID SYSTEM IN OPEN TURBINE ROTATING DISC CONTACTOR

A number of experiments regarding hydrodynamics have been carried out in the open turbinerotating disc contactor using quartz particles as solid phase,tap water and kerosene as liquid phase.Flooding phenomenon has been observed.The variables studied include the rotor speed,compartment heigh,stator ring opening,column diameter and the superficial velocity of eachphase Correlations for predicting the solid phase holdup and characteristic velocity have been devel-oped.In comparison with liquid-liquid system,the presence of solid particles will result in higherdispersed phase holdup but lower characteristic velocity and total throughput.     

A HOMOGENEOUS MODEL FOR MASS TRANSFER ENHANCEMENT IN GAS-LIQUID-LIQUID SYSTEMS

A modified homogeneous mass transfer model based on penetration theory is proposed for the mass transfer enhancement in gas-liquid-liquid systems. The present model assumes the existence of a shuttle mechanism between the organic dispersed phase and the continuous aqueous phase and considers the effect of diffusivity along with the solubility ratio and the dispersed phase holdup. The concept of effective diffusivity for gas in liquid-liquid emulsions has been used to consider the effect of diffusivity on mass transfer enhancement. The proposed model predicts the experimentally obtained enhancement factor with reasonable accuracy and numerical simplicity. Fresh experiments were also conducted to further validate the proposed model.     

PHASE HOLDUPS AND LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION IN THREE PHASE FLUIDIZED BEDS

Effects of the continuous phase velocity (0.01-0.08 m/s(, the dispersed phase velocity (0.0-0.04 m/s) and particle size (1.0-3.0 mm) on the individual phase holdups and the mass transfer coefficient have been determined in two (liquid-liquid) and three (liquid-liquid-solid) phase fluidized beds.

In the beds, the dispersed phase holdup increased with dispersed phase velocity but it decreased with continuous phase velocity. Whereas the continuous phase holdup decreased with dispersed phase velocity but it increased with continuous phase velocity. The bed porosity increased with both the dispersed and continuous phase velocities in the beds of 1.7 and 3.0 mm particles. In addition, the continuous phase holdup decreased with the presence of solid particles in the bed, however, the dispersed phase holdup was not affected by the presence of the particles.

The overall mass transfer coefficients in the continuous and dispersed phases increased with increasing fluid velocities but it decreased with the bed height.

The continuous phase holdup and mass transfer coefficient data have been correlated with the operating variables and the dimensionless groups.     

EFFECT OF MASS TRANSFER ON FLOODING AND HOLDUP IN A KARR COLUMN

This work considers flooding and dispersed phase holdup, with and without mass transfer, in a 7.6?cm diameter reciprocating plate extraction column using the liquid system toluene-acetone-water. The present flooding data in respect to the absence of mass transfer were well correlated by the hydrodynamic model based on the dispersion of drops by turbulent energy dissipation. During mass transfer the flooding characteristics were found to be dependent on the direction of mass transfer.

Dispersed phase holdup data were obtained by two different measuring techniques. Local holdup was found to vary with column height, while the overall holdup depended on agitation speed, phase throughputs and mass transfer direction. The holdup data thus obtained are compared with data published for the case without mass transfer, and new correlations are presented.     

HOLDUP MEASUREMENT IN A SCHEIBEL EXTRACTION COLUMN

ABSTRACT The total holdup of a dispersed organic phase in a rotary-agitated Scheibel liquid-liquid extraction column of the first type is studied experimentally. The column is 2 inches in diameter and contains 11 stages with a 4-inch height packed section and a 1-inch height mixing section. The packed section is made of stainless steel wire mesh packing with a 93.74% free area and acts as a settler for the coalescence of droplets. Three systems are studied: benzene/water, methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK)/water and 20% TBP-80% kerosene/1?M nitric acid. The effects of different phase flow rates and rotation speeds (300-670?rpm) on the dispersed phase holdup are investigated. The results show that the holdup increases with increasing dispersed phase flow rate but does not vary with continuous phase flow rate. For benzene, the holdup is large at low rotation speeds and decreases with increasing rotation speed until a minimum holdup is reached, after this transition point, the holdup increases with increasing rotation speed. This phenomena is analogous to that found in a pulse column. For MIBK and 20% TBP-kerosene, the holdup always increases with rotation speed in our experimental range and the transition point is not observed as M in benzene. This is attributed to the much larger interfacial tension of benzene-water as compared with the other 2 systems.     

Liquid-liquid extraction in a reciprocating screen plate column

A novel reciprocating-plate liquid-liquid extraction column is proposed. It features a simple design that utilizes as the plates mesh screens with a fractional free area larger than 64%. A hydrodynamic and mass transfer study of the column was carried out in which the existence of a uniform liquid-liquid dispersion throughout the column at relatively low speeds of plate reciprocation was confirmed. Experimental results show that in comparison with other reciprocating columns, the present column has these desirable qualities: (1) large dispersed phase holdup and overall mass transfer coefficient, (2) low power requirements, (3) high flow capacity. A correlation of the dispersed phase holdup data based on slip and drop characteristic velocities is presented. The drop characteristic velocity for the screen plate column is empirically related to the power dissipation rate and system properties. On propose une nouvelle colonne d'extraction liquide-liquide munie de plateaux réciproques. Il s'agit d'une conception simple qui utilise comme plateaux des tamis à mailles avec une zone libre fractionnelle supérieure à 64%.     

Characterization of hydrodynamic parameters in a multistage column contactor

Accurate knowledge of hydrodynamic parameters is of major importance for the performance study of liquid-liquid column extractors. The effects of operating parameters on dispersed phase holdup profiles, drop size distributions, and axial mixing in both phases were investigated in a 127 mm diameter multistage contactor of pilot plant scale for the toluene-water physically equilibrated system. Correlations for the mean holdup, the mean drop size, and the continuous phase backmixing were obtained. A stronger dependence of holdup and drop size on the operating conditions and especially on the agitation speed was observed as compared to previous investigations for the same type of contactor. The axial mixing for the single phase flow was found to follow adequately an existing correlation, while the continuous-phase axial mixing in two-phase flows showed some deviations from other existing correlations. Also, flooding criteria, important for the control of the extraction process, were determined based on the shape of the holdup profiles.     

HYDRODYNAMICS OF A NON-AQUEOUS SYSTEM IN A PACKED LIQUID EXTRACTION COLUMN

Dispersed phase holdup, flood point and droplet size data have been obtained for the effectively non-aqueous system Sulfolane-heptane in a 75 mm diameter column packed with random Raschig rings. The holdup results showed distinctly different behaviour from that of aqueous systems, giving a characteristic velocity plot that was concave upwards, indicating an increasing droplet velocity at higher holdup values. The flood-points were correspondingly higher than would be predicted for an aqueous system. These results were explained in terms of a droplet “chain flow”, which would lead to a reduced drag force. A modified correlation for holdup is proposed which incorporates the Morton number and gives a good fit both to the present data and to those for aqueous systems.     

Modelling of a RDC using a combined CFD-population balance approach

In the present study we propose an extension of the Euler/Lagrangian approach for liquid-liquid two phase flows when the volume fraction of the dispersed phase is not small. The continuous phase velocity is obtained by solving the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations augmented with the k-ε turbulence model. The motion of the dispersed phase is calculated by solving the equations of motion taking into account inertia, drag and buoyancy forces. The coupling between the phases is described by momentum source terms and the terms that account for turbulence generation by the droplets’ motion. Collision and breakage of the droplets are treated by a single particle Monte-Carlo stochastic simulation method. This method is based on a mass flow formulation and operator splitting technique. For validation of the numerical procedure the droplet size distribution and flow fields in a rotating disc contactor are calculated and compared with the existing experimental results.     

Dispersed phase holdup and slip velocity of phases in a pulsed packed column in conditions with and without mass transfer

Dispersed phase holdup and slip velocity of phases were measured in a pilot plant pulsed packed column with a diameter of 76.2 mm for two different chemical systems in conditions with and without mass transfer. The effects of pulsation intensity, dispersed and continuous phases flow rates, interfacial tension and solute concentration on dispersed phase holdup and slip velocity of phases were investigated. A new empirical correlation in terms of the above‐mentioned parameters developed from the measurements is given for the prediction of slip velocity. The dispersed phase holdup was calculated by means of this correlation and very good agreement between calculated and experimental values was obtained.     

多室气升式环流反应器流动特性的数值模拟

在空气-水两相多室气升式环流反应器（MALR）中,采用欧拉欧拉两相流模型对扇形反应室内气液两相流动过程进行了数值模拟研究,考察了上升室的气含率、液体速度随表观气速的变化,最后用实验数据对模拟结果进行了验证.结果表明,某一上升室气含率受该室表观气速的影响较大,与另一上升室表观气速的影响较小;循环液体与上升室流体流动型式有关;气含率和循环液速的模拟值与实验值的平均相对误差分别为5.36％和8.28％;说明了应用数值模拟方法研究MALR流动特性的可行性.     

台阶式并行微通道内液液两相流流型及其转变机理

利用高速摄像仪研究了台阶式并行微通道内液液两相流流型及其转变机理。以甘油水为分散相、含3% Span 85的环己烷为连续相,观测到了滴状-滴状流、过渡-滴状流、喷射-过渡流和喷射-喷射流4种流型;以两相流量为坐标轴绘制了流型图,并获得了流型转变线;分析了流型的转变机理。考察了分散相黏度对流型及其转变的影响机制。随着分散相黏度的增大,流型转变线整体向下移动,滴状-滴状流区域变小,喷射-喷射流区域变大。最后,运用介尺度概念分析了并行微通道内液液两相流非均匀结构的动态效应。     

Kühni萃取柱连续相返混特性的研究

在直径72.45mm的K(?)hni萃取柱中,以甲基异丁基酮/H_2O为实验体系,用返流模型和稳态示踪技术,研究了连续相的返混.结果表明,随着涡轮转速增大,返混系数呈线性增大;在较低的转速下,分散相流速对返混影响不明显,随着流速增大,返混稍有减小;而随着连续相流速增大,返混明显减小.本文给出了连续相返混系数的经验关联式.