Characterization of Horizontal Distillation Column Equipped with Rotating Non-woven Fabric Packing

Abstract

The performance characteristics of a horizontal column equipped with 36 non-woven fabric elements that could be rotated in a direction normal to the column-sectional area were evaluated. Separation efficiency and pressure drop were measured under atmospheric pressure at total reflux, using the cyclohexane-heptane system. The stable operation range for a horizontal orientation was limited to the restricted region of the F-factor. However, separation efficiency, which was expressed in terms of HETP (height equivalent to a theoretical plate), at inclinations of 5 and 10 degrees was found to be approximately equal to that for a brush packing system with a horizontal orientation described in a previous work. Particularly, HETP values at a 5 degree inclination ranged from 0.078 to 0.16 m when the F-factor ranged from 0.07 to 0.27 m/s(kg/m³)^1/2 at rotation speeds of 50 to 200 rpm. The pressure drop at inclinations of 5 and 10 degrees was larger than that for the brush packing system oriented horizontally by a factor of between 2.5 and 4.