A Novel Cross-Flow Cascade Packed Column Design and Simulation

Abstract

This paper develops a novel cross-flow cascade packed column. The column has a smaller width of packing in the direction of the gas flow and a bigger area for gas flow compared with a conventional cross-flow device with identical column diameter, stage height, and cross-sectional area for the irrigating liquid flows. The performance comparisons of the novel cross-flow cascade packed column with a countercurrent packed column for stripping ethanol from water indicate that the gas-phase pressure drop per theoretical stage in the novel cross-flow column is significantly lower than that in a countercurrent packed column operation under identical conditions. A methodology is developed for modeling the novel nine-stage cross-flow cascade packed column by using the “number of transfer unit” technique. This method is demonstrated by experimental data on ethanol−water.