MASS AND HEAT TRANSFER IN TERNARY DISTILLATION OF METHANOL-ETHANOL-WATER SYSTEMS BY A WETTED-WALL COLUMN

Abstract

Experimental study of vapor-phase sensible heat and mass fluxes in ternary distillation of the methanol-ethanol-water system was made with a wetted-wall column at total reflux conditions.
From heat and mass balances for the liquid film, a theoretical expression was derived for the interfacial velocity caused by mass fluxes. The interfacial velocity was shown to be a function of the sensible heat and diffusion fluxes.
Observed vapor-phase sensible heat fluxes showed good agreement with the theoretical values obtained by laminar flow theories. Observed vapor-phase diffusion fluxes obtained from mass flux measurements also showed good agreement with the theoretical values, but a poor correlation was obtained for vapor-phase mass fluxes. Observed interfacial velocities were compared with the calculated values.