Hydraulic of Sieve Trays Using VOF Method

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Computer Aided Process Engineering Lab, CAPE, School of Chemical Engineering, Iran University of Science & Technology, Narmak, Tehran, Iran

2 Petroleum Refining Division, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, Tehran

Abstract

Sieve tray CFD modeling with the assessment of k-ε Turbulence method and VOF framework has been considered in the current research work. Gas superficial factor has been varied from 0.462 to 1.464 ((kg/m)0.5.s-1), while, the liquid flow rate changed from 17.8×10-3 (m3/s) to 6.94×10-3 (m3/s). Comparison between VOF and Eulerian methods proved that simulation error decreased from 16%to the only 2%for clear liquid height in different gas superficial factors. Moreover, this error was only 7% in comparison with 35%with the variation of liquid flow rates. These error values are obtainable when they are compared with the experimental data of Solari & Bell. Consequently, froth height has the good agreement with the mostly well known Colwell correlation. Interfacial area as the most important characteristic of the VOF has been investigated in this work and showed an increase from 0.18 m2 to 1 m2 with the increase of gas superficial factor to 1.464. The pressure profiles have also been investigated.
 

Keywords

References

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Journal of Petroleum Research
Volume 25, Issue 81 - Serial Number 81
May and June 2015
Pages 169-180

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