Falling film distillation column with heat transfer by means of a vapor chamber – part I: isothermal operation

Abstract

We describe a new configuration for falling film distillation columns: a heating system provided by a vapor chamber along the entire column with the operation at atmospheric pressure. Experimental tests were carried out with an ethanol–water mixture by providing isothermal while varying the feed flow rate and the temperatures of the feed and vapor chamber. This heating proposal allowed the formation of a temperature gradient inside the distillation column, which was attributed to the mass and heat axial transfer that occurred along the entire length of the unit. Different from the usual recommendation for film units, higher flow rates are more suitable for distillation of ethanol and water, which was attributed to the heat transfer method and the operation being held at atmospheric pressure. Also, it was observed that there is a strong relationship between the feed temperature and vapor chamber temperature. The results are promising and encourage further studies with this new heat transfer proposal.

KEYWORDS:

• Falling film distillation column
• Isothermal operation
• Process design
• Process intensification
• Thermosyphon
• Vapor chamber

This article is related to:

Falling film distillation column with heat transfer by means of a vapor chamber. Part II: operation with a temperature profile

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully thank CAPES (Coordination for Improvement of Higher Education Personnel, Brazil), CNPq (National Council of Scientific Research, Brazil) and ANP (National Agency of Petroleum and Bio-Combustibles, Brazil) for the financial support and UFSC (Federal University of Santa Catarina) for the technological support granted.