MODELING OF BINARY FLOW IN ORDERED LAYERS AND STRUCTURED PACKINGS

Ordered layers and structured packings are used as internals in numero us rectification columns. They characteristically exhibit low pressure drops and high plate numbers per unit length. The relatively high inv estment costs are frequently offset by small column dimensions and hen ce lower equipment costs. In packings of industrial dimensions unstabl e flow states may occur which significantly lower the plate numbers. S uch instabilities can be detected experimentally by tomographic method s. Moreover, flow patterns can be predicted theoretically. A theoretic al description permits the engineer to scale up such columns containin g packings and to deduce the design features necessary for industrial scale columns from laboratory experiments.