Thermal fluid dynamics analysis of gas-liquid flow on a distillation sieve tray

Abstract Conventional models for distillation columns are based on equilibrium and non-equilibrium stage concepts, and both consider the fluid dynamics in a macroscopic point of view. The main objective of this work is to apply a CFD model under Eulerian-Eulerian framework for gas–liquid flows, with capability to predict the momentum and thermal phenomena of the multiphase flows. A three-dimensional and transient model with energy and momentum conservation balances has been applied for predictions of volume fractions, velocities, pressure and temperature fields of two-phase flows on sieve tray distillation. The mathematical model was applied in the CFD commercial code for numerical studies, with the construction of a particular numerical grid and with own sub-routines in FORTRAN language for the closures equations obtained from literature. The model is solved using the finite-volume method with variables located in a generalized co-ordinate system for typical operating conditions taken from the literature. The results show the volume fractions, velocities and temperature profiles as a function of the time and the position in the distillation sieve tray and when are compared with the literature comments confirm that the model is suitable to predict thermal gas–liquid flows on a distillation sieve tray.

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