Computer Simulation of the Water and Hydrogen Distillation and CECE Process and Its Experimental Verification

Abstract

Mathematical simulation procedures have been developed for three processes of hydrogen isotopes separation: (1) a non steady-state water distillation; (2) a cryogenic distillation; and (3) a combined electrolysis and multistage water/hydrogen catalytic exchange (CECE) process. The simulation procedures possess some special features. Thus, the comparatively large step of integration and as a result of this high fast-acting is the peculiarity of the model for the dynamic behaviour of water distillation column operating at total reflux. The simulation procedure for CECE process considers six components and three phases (liquid water, water vapour, and hydrogen gas) and allows one to carry out computations for any mole fraction stock. This procedure, as the one for cryogenic distillation process, is not based on the Newton-Raphson method, and, in spite of this, convergence is reached by a small number of iterations (4 - 11). 8 refs., 4 figs., 6 tabs.