Experimental investigation on the mean drop size and drop size distribution in an L-shaped pulsed sieve-plate column

ABSTRACT

Vertical pulsed extraction columns cannot be employed in applications with height limitations. On the other hand, the horizontal extraction columns have low throughput, which affects their applicability in industrial applications. Therefore, there is a need to design a new type of extractors for such circumstances. In this paper, an experimental study on drop sizes has been implemented in a novel L-shaped pulsed sieve-plate extraction column in the absence and presence of mass transfer. Moreover, new correlations are developed for prediction of the mean drop size and size distribution using the log-normal probability density function.

KEYWORDS:

• L-shaped pulsed plate column
• Sauter mean diameter
• log-normal probability density function
• interfacial tension
• drop size distribution

Nomenclature

Af	=	pulsation intensity (m s−1)
A	=	amplitude of pulsation (m)
f	=	frequency of pulsation (s−1)
di	=	drop diameter (m)
de	=	equivalent particle diameter (m)
dH	=	major axes of the drop (m)
dL	=	minor axes of the drop (m)
d32	=	Sauter-mean drop diameter (m)
ni	=	number of drops of mean diameter di (-)
g	=	acceleration due to gravity (m s−2)
H	=	overall height of the active column (m)
h	=	plate spacing (m)
Vc	=	superficial velocity of continuous phase (m s−1)
P	=	probability of number density (-)
Q	=	volumetric flow rate (m3 s−1)

Greek Symbols

	=	viscosity (N s m−2)
	=	density (kg m−3)
	=	density difference between two phases (kg m−3)
	=	constant parameter of probability of density function (-)
	=	constant parameter of probability of density function (-)
	=	fractional free area (-)
	=	interfacial tension between two phases (N m−1)

Subscript

c	=	continuous phase
d	=	dispersed phase
n	=	normal probability density function
h	=	horizontal section of the column
v	=	vertical section of the column