Influence of Modification of the Geometry of the Wave-Plate Mist Eliminators on the Droplet Removal Efficiency—CFD Modelling

Łukasz Makowski,Jakub Łaskowski,Mariusz Tyrański

doi:10.3390/pr9091499

Abstract

This study is concerned with droplet separation using wave-plate mist separators. The influence of continuous phase velocity, droplet size, and geometry on droplet removal efficiency has been investigated. The following modifications were analysed: drainage channel presence, length, angle, and modification to the streamlined shape. Furthermore, the influence of the physical parameters of the separated substances on separator efficiency was investigated. Calculations were conducted using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The results were compared with the experimental data from the literature. Based on the results obtained, a new shape of drainage channels was proposed, which is characterised by high droplet removal efficiency with relatively low pressure drop.

Highlights

The necessity of removing liquid droplets from the process gas streams is a common problem in industrial technologies
The removal efficiency of droplets; Pressure drop on wave-plate mist-eliminator; The mean force acting on the single drainage channel
We investigated geometry variants with drainage channels with the following lengths:

Summary

Introduction

The necessity of removing liquid droplets from the process gas streams is a common problem in industrial technologies. Rising raw materials prices and strict environmental protection plans have become challenging to design more innovative and efficient systems for the droplet removal from process gases and vapour streams. Liquid aerosols (mist) can result from spontaneous condensation or desublimation in supersaturated gas–vapour mixtures or chemical reactions. It is undesired in many gasliquid contact devices such as absorbers, quench coolers, or condensers [1]. Eliminating droplets from the gaseous phase aims to prevent the failure of process equipment requiring the use of gases or vapours with high purity, protecting the environment against pollution and degradation, recovering valuable substances, or realising the desire to obtain a product of the highest purity. Wave-plate mist eliminators need to have appropriate geometry (in practice, the channel through which the gas flow has a zig-zag shape, which causes a sharp change in the direction of the flowing fluid stream)

Methods

Results

Conclusion