Estimation of Chromatographic Columns Performances using Computer Tomography and CFD Simulations

Abstract

The flow inside a chromatographic column depends decisively on the packed bed inside. Non-destructive X-ray computed tomography (CT) was applied as a novel measurement technique to visualize the distribution of velocity and axial dispersion coefficients in preparative scale columns. The results show, that spherical particles seem to be more efficient than irregular ones in terms of HETP, which has to be partly a result of the more homogeneous flow profile they induce. The prediction of column performance in dependence of the structure of the packed bed was simulated by CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), using a model which besides the hydrodynamics parameters attained by CT also includes adsorption isotherms and mass transfer parameters. The results of the CFD simulation shall help to establish rules for selecting the right adsorption material for a given separation task in advance.

Measurement of Fluid Dynamics in Random Packings Using High‐Resolution Computed Tomography

“…Weiterhin ist die Auflösung geringer als bei computertomographischen Untersuchungen . In weiterführenden Arbeiten haben Schmidt et al , dann CT für Experimente im Bereich der Chromatographie eingesetzt.…”

Validation of a novel open-source work-flow for the simulation of packed-bed reactors

“…Usually the second task is performed by running Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations [12][13][14][15][16], whereas for the first task two strategies can be used. The first lies on using actual experimental data, be it via Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) imaging of the catalytic particles [17], micro-computer tomography scans of a portion of the packed-bed loading [18][19][20], or other such methods. While these procedures have a merit in the precision with which the description of the medium at the scale of the voids between the particles is obtained, they suffer from a great difficulty in the post-processing of these scans, in order to extract a suitable mesh for the CFD code.…”

Spatially Resolved Tomographic Assessment of Axial Mixing in Structured and Random Packings

“…The aim of this work is to measure response curves noninvasively and spatially resolved inside the packing by means of computed tomography (CT). This method was already successfully applied to the selection of stationary phases in chromatographic columns by Schmidt et al [10,11].…”