From a view point that the maximum separation factor (αβ)
max attainable in total reflux operation of thermal diffusion column depends on temperature difference ΔT between hot T
h and cold T
c surfaces in the form of ΔT/T
c as
(αβ)
max=exp[ΔT/T
c•3√6(2+Inδ)αTZ
*/2 In δ√15(In δ)
2+56 In δ+53/{1-δT/T
c•4+3Inδ/4Inδ(1+In δ)}].
where δ (≡r
h/r
c) is the ratio of hot wire to cold-wall radii, αT the thermal diffusion factor and Z
*(≡Z/r
c) the normalized column height, remarkable enhancement of separation factor is expected through an adoption of "Cryogenic-Wall" (ex. 77.35 K) instead of "Ordinary Cold-wall" (ex. T
c=288.15 K). The effect of "Cryogenic-Wall" was analyzed on the basis of approximate formulae involving explicitly design parameters for the column constants. In the case where r
c=1.5 cm, Z=150 cm and ΔT=1, 000 K, (αβ)
max for H2-HT through "Ordinary Cold-wall" TD column is 63.4, while that through "Cryogenic-Wall" TD column is 885, for which ΔT=2, 430 K is required in the "Ordinary Cold-wall" TD column and it is impossible for the hot-wire to be at so high temperature because of its melting. The magnitude of enhancement is, however, smaller than that expected from the ratio of ΔT/T
c, because (1) the value of a T decreases in lower temperature region, and (2) the argument of the exponential function for (αβ)
max is not proportional directly to αT•ΔT/T
c but to αT•ΔT/T, where T is the reference mean temperature higher than T
c. The optimum pressure of "Cryogenic-Wall" TD column is considerably smaller (0.024 MPa for the case above) than that of "Ordinary Cold-wall" TD column (0.103 MPa).
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