FLOODING CHARACTERISTICS IN PULSED PACKED EXTRACTION COLUMNS

Flooding behavior of a 76.2 mm diameter pulsed packed column has been determined using four different liquid-liquid systems. The effects of pulsation intensity, flow ratio, interfacial tension, and packing geometry on flood point have been investigated. The results showed that the maximum throughput of the column decreases with an increase in pulsation intensity and flow ratio, while it increases with an increase in interfacial tension. The applicability of the characteristic velocity method to this type of column for the analysis of the flood point was examined and a marked deviation was observed between experimental results and values calculated by this method. Two new empirical correlations for flooding velocity and holdup at flooding are derived in terms of operating variables, packing characteristics, and physical properties of the liquid systems. Good agreement between prediction and experiments has been found for all operating conditions that were investigated.