Three-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Two-phase Flow in a Structured Packing Column

Characterizing the complex two-phase hydrodynamics in structured packed columns requires a powerful modeling tool. The traditional two-dimensional model exhibits limitations when one attempts to model the detailed two-phase flow inside the columns. The present paper presents a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to simulate the two-phase flow in a representative unit of the column. The unit consists of an entire corrugation channel and describes well the real liquid flow conditions. The detailed unsteady two-phase 3D CFD calculations on column packed with Flexipak 1Y were implemented within the volume of fluid (VOF) mathematical framework. The CFD model was validated by comparing the calculated thickness of liquid film with the available experimental data. Special attention was given to quantitative analysis of the effects of gravity on the hydrodynamics. Fluctuations in the liquid mass flow rate and the calculated pressure drop loss were found to be qualitatively in agreement with the experimental observations.