LIQUID-SIDE MASS-TRANSFER CHARACTERISTICS OF A STRUCTURED PACKING

We present experimental results on the liquid-side mass transfer chara cteristics of a structured packing (Mellapak(R)). We have measured the product of the liquid-side mass transfer coefficient k(L) and the eff ective specific area a(e) by means of the NTU-HTU method in a column o f 0.295 m internal diameter. The column was operated in counter-curren t, oxygen from a saturated water stream being stripped into air. In or der to elucidate the effect of the specific area, we report results on three different packing types of specific geometric areas of 125, 250 and 500 m(3) m(-2) (Mellapak(R) 125.Y, 250.Y and 500.Y respectively). The dependence of k(L)a(e) on liquid load and gas velocity is qualita tively similar to that of random packings. Quantitatively, however, th e Values of k(L)a(e) for the structured packings investigated in this work are higher than the values reported in the literature for random packings of the same specific geometric area under the same operating conditions.