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Estimation of Hydrodynamic Parameters in Spinning Cone Column Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

  • Research Article - Chemical Engineering
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Abstract

Spinning cone column (SCC) is a gas–liquid contacting device which is utilized in the food processing industries, and is useful in areas that require tolerance to the presence of solids and low-thermal impact of processing. The geometrical complexity, rotational parts, and different flow regimes inside SCC columns make modeling and simulation of these columns complicated, for which computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used here. This work contains presenting the results of hydrodynamic parameters, including dry and two-phase pressure drops and flooding predictions in a pilot scale SCC. For expressing turbulence in gas and liquid phases, the standard \({k{-}\varepsilon }\) model and the zero equation model were utilized, respectively. For predicting flooding points, the dimensionless number Fr LG is used, when it is equal to 1 or more, flooding is occurred in the column. CFD results shows that increasing the rotating speed and also air flow rate at specific liquid flows would cause the pressure drop to increase at both states of dry and two-phase columns, which corresponds to the experimental data. This simulation results can be utilized for prediction of the industrial applications of SCC, including estimation of the pressure drop parameters, flooding, column efficiency and also designing the diameters of SCC column.

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Abbreviations

A :

Cross-sectional flow area of the gas passage, m2

B :

Spacing parameter, the ratio of the vertical distance between The fixed and the Spinning cone surfaces to the cone pitch

C :

Gravity force

Fr :

Froude number

F :

Drag force, Nm−3

G :

Gas flow rate per unit area, L m−2 min−1

\({\overline{G}}\) :

Gas flow rate, L min−1

G :

Acceleration due to gravity \({(\cong 9.81\,{\rm ms}^{-2})}\)

L :

Liquid flow rate per unit area L m−2  min−1

\({\overline L }\) :

Liquid flow rate, L min−1

N :

Number of stages (cone sets) in SCC

P C :

Cone pitch, vertical distance between two successive fixed or spinning cones, m

P :

Pressure, Pa

Δp :

Overall pressure drop through the column, Pa

Δp stage :

Pressure drop of one stage, Pa

Δp L :

Pressure drop in a liquid-only flow (wet column), Pa

Δp G :

Pressure drop in a gas-only flow (dry column), Pa

Q :

Volumetric flow rate, m3 s−1

R H :

Hydraulic radius (width of the passage between cones in SCC), m

R C :

Column inner radius, m

R S :

Shaft radius, m

R FI :

Inner radius of the fixed cone, m

R SO :

Outer radius of the spinning cone, m

R SI :

Inner radius of the spinning cone, m

Re hyd :

Hydraulic Reynolds number

Re rot :

Rotational Reynolds number

Re Comb :

Combined Reynolds number

t :

time, s

U :

Real velocity, m s−1

u r ,u θ ,u φ :

Radial, meridional and tangential velocities of the liquid flow, ms−1

V :

Characteristic velocity, m/s

X :

Flow parameter

Y :

Capacity parameter

ν :

Kinematics viscosity, m2 s−1

θ :

Cone angle, degrees

ρ :

Density, kg m−3

ρ G :

Gas density, kg m−3

ρ L :

Liquid density, kg m−3

ω rot :

Angular velocity of the spinning cone rotation, s−1

τ :

Shear stress, N m−2

γ :

Volume fraction

μ :

Molecular viscosity, kg m−1 s−1

μ T :

Turbulent viscosity, kg m−1 s−1

μ e :

Effective viscosity, kg m−1 s−1

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, 98164, Iran

    Iman Khonsha & Mortaza Zivdar

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran

    Masoud Haghshenas Fard

Authors
  1. Iman Khonsha
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  2. Mortaza Zivdar
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  3. Masoud Haghshenas Fard
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Correspondence to Masoud Haghshenas Fard.

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Khonsha, I., Zivdar, M. & Fard, M.H. Estimation of Hydrodynamic Parameters in Spinning Cone Column Using Computational Fluid Dynamics. Arab J Sci Eng 38, 767–776 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-012-0370-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-012-0370-7

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