A separation column for liquid mixture based on phase transform: Experiment and simulation

Abstract

The concentric internally heat-integrated distillation column (HIDiC) has advantages of low energy consumption and high thermodynamic efficiency. However, its drawbacks of limited heat transfer area, complex internal structure, and large number of control parameters hinder its widespread industrial applications. To solve these challenges, in this work a novel sleeve-like concentric heat integrated separation column, namely temperature-controlled phase change column (TCPC), was developed to separate liquid mixtures in a more effective and energy-saving way with reflux section being moved and trays being replaced with spiral corrugation blades. The comprehensive performances of TCPC in ethanol–water system was firstly evaluated by experiments. The results showed that TCPC performs well in ethanol/water separation due to the internal spiral corrugation significantly reducing the vapor–liquid contact in separation section. Meanwhile, compared to the concentric HIDiC, TCPC has a higher total heat transfer coefficient due to the larger heat transfer area. Computational fluid dynamics simulation reveals the internal design of TCPC inducing secondary vortices of the vapor, enhancing condensation heat transfer and separation efficiency. Further, increasing mass flow rate within a certain range would enhance the comprehensive performance factor and lead to more effective separation.