Hydrodynamics inside industrial Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) adsorption columns can be complex due to the presence of internal distribution devices. They have to be taken into account in SMB numerical models to scale-up processes. In the present work, CFD is used as an intermediate step to develop a 1D model simple enough to be used for cyclic SMB simulations while being able to represent realistic hydrodynamics. First, a mock-up representative of an industrial SMB is used to perform Residence Time Distribution (RTD) experiments and to provide validation data. Experiments are well predicted by a CFD model including porous media and turbulent zones, allowing to consider CFD simulations as references to fit simpler models. The moments of internal age distribution are characterized following the calculation method developed by Liu and Tilton (2010), which allows to estimate the degree of mixing (Liu, 2012) inside adsorption beds. A major result is that RTD and degree of mixing inside adsorption beds are well described by a 1D multi-exit model, unlike classical dispersed plug flow models (Ruthven, 1989) that were generally used to simulate SMB processes. Additionally, a numerical method was developed which is able to reproduce the RTD with steady state simulations.
The one-dimensional hydrodynamic model proposed by Gomes et al. (2015) is coupled with adsorption and validated by comparing the concentration profiles of this one-dimensional model with those given by the CFD model of one adsorption column including obstacles as distribution network and beams. This one-dimensional model is capable of predicting the CFD results for different mass transfer rates, while the traditional dispersed plug flow (DPF) model is accurate for slow mass transfer rates only. The model proposed by Gomes et al. (2015) is capable of reproducing the adsorber Residence Time Distribution (RTD) while dissociating the selective zones from the non-selective ones. It is based on the CFD techniques developed by Liu and Tilton (2010) and Liu (2012) that transport the moments of the fluid age distribution and consequently calculate the degree of mixing (Danckwerts, 1958 and Zwietering, 1959). Then, this new model is integrated in a cyclic solver in order to perform Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) studies. The new model provides a detailed hydrodynamic description, which appears to be mandatory especially when mass transfer exchanges are fast, without undergoing the prohibitive simulation times of CFD models.
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