The basic differential equations are developed for the prediction of saturation-time curves for the drainage of packed beds in either gravitational or centrifugal fields. The only mathematical solution existing at present, a series solution, is provided for these equations. A film drainage function is included to describe the movement of liquid along the surface of the particles when the main liquid level has passed through the pores of the bed. This method of analysis has been used successfully to predict the drainage of packed beds in a 9-in.-diameter hydroextractor. The important value of capillary suction head is best found from ancillary tests with Haines apparatus, but the value can be found with reasonable accuracy from the change in drainage rate as the liquid surface enters the upper surface of the packed bed. When these two rates are available; the permeability can also be found, and all the major variables are obtained from the drainage test on either the hydroextractor cake or the packed bed under gravity drainage.Previous work (35) dealt with the problem of the movement of liquid through hydroextractor cakes in a centrifugal-force field (16 to 21, 23, 24) whqn the interstices of the packed bed were filled with liquid. For analysis of a complete hydroextraction cycle, it is necessary to obtain the equations governing the flow of liquid from a packed bed under drainage conditions when the voids are not filled with liquid. It should then be possible to integrate these two hydrodynamic processes over the appropriate portions of the cycle under the accelerating or decelerating fields while the cake is formed, washed, and "whizzed". The preliminary study of the spin-drying of cakes (22) showed that cake deformations and liquid distributions reduced the value of analyses based on samples cut from the hydroextractor cake. The two major problems were to measure the moisture content of a cake during spinning without liquid feed and to derive appropriate mathematical forms for analyses of experimental data. The solution to this problem has been provided (31) in the form of a series solution until the integrated form of the saturation-time function is available. The analysis has followed the necessary steps to apply functions for the bulk drainage of full pores and the film drainage across the walls of open pores toward the saturation limit a t infinite time. This limit is set
Vol. 4, No. 3by the capillary suction head retaining a column of liquid that fills the pores at the base of the bed and the permanent liquid held by surface tension in the menisci a t the interstitial contact points within the bed. The functions proposed have proved successful in both gravitational and centrifugal-force fields for a wide range of liquids and packed beds.