Experimental Investigation of Liquid Axial and Radial Dispersion in Winpak Modular Catalytic Structured Packing

Abstract

The response technique was employed to investigate the axial and radial dispersion characteristics of the liquid phase in modular catalytic structured packing (MCSP) reaction elements. Residence time distribution (RTD) experiments were performed at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. A two-dimensional dispersion model was solved analytically to determine the axial and radial dispersion coefficients and the dynamic liquid holdup from the RTD curves. Three different reaction elements containing Winpak packing sheets, Mellapak packing sheets, or only catalytic particles were employed. The radial dispersion coefficient in these structures is approximately 1−2 orders of magnitude higher than the axial dispersion coefficient. The axial and radial dispersion coefficients in the Winpak elements are greater than those in the other structures. Thus, it can be concluded that the liquid dispersion characteristics in the Winpak elements are satisfactory. These measured dispersion coefficients enable the reliable and predictive design and construction of scale-up models.