ONE-DIMENSIONAL NUMERICAL-MODEL FOR A SPRAY COLUMN HEAT-EXCHANGER

A numerical model describing performance of a liquid-liquid spray column heat exchanger is developed. The model is for a disperse packed column operating in steady state. The fundamental equations for the continuous and distributed phases are developed in Eulerian and Lagrangian forms, respectively. The model predicts simultaneously the volume fraction, velocity, and temperature for each phase. Energy and momentum are exchanged between phases through source variables. Empiricism in the model is limited to the specification of droplet drag coefficient and Nusselt number correlations which are utilized to calculate momentum and energy source terms. Application of the computer model to column operation yields predictions that compare closely with experimental results.