Experimental investigation of maldistribution in vertical plate falling film tower

ABSTRACT

Falling film towers are popular in process industries due to moderate air side pressure drop, less energy ingesting liquid distribution and easy cleanup features. Two major limitations of falling film towers are the uneven distribution of liquid across solid surfaces (maldistribution) and contraction of falling liquid film on the solid surface (poor wetting). Maldistribution of liquid is primarily dependent on the type of liquid distributor and scope of liquid flow (slit opening) across solid surfaces. In the current communication; the influence of liquid distributor on maldistribution problem for vertical plate falling film tower has been experimentally investigated. Four types of liquid distributors: plain tube, spray nozzle, perforated plate, and branch tube distributor have been tested. Effect of parameters: slit opening, liquid flow rate, and the number of plates on maldistribution are also explored. It is found that branch tube distributor is best suited for vertical plate falling film tower application.

KEYWORDS:

• Branch tube
• flow maldistribution
• liquid distributors
• maldistribution factor
• perforated plate
• plain tube
• slit opening
• spray nozzle
• vertical falling film tower

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge financial help provided by the Department of Science and Technology (SB/FTP/ETA-0039/2014), Govt. of India for carrying out current work. The funding organization has not played any role in study design, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Science and Engineering Research Board: [Grant Number SB/FTP/ETA-0039/2014].