Experimental Investigation of Heat Losses in a Pilot-Scale Multiple Dividing Wall Distillation Column with Three Parallel Sections
For an in-depth investigation of the separation process in small-scale distillation columns, knowledge about the exact vapor load inside the column is highly important. However, since columns with small diameters have a comparatively high surface-to-volume ratio, heat losses have a significant impac...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | ChemEngineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-7084/7/4/68 |
| _version_ | 1797585179284340736 |
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| author | Lena-Marie Ränger Yannick Waibel Thomas Grützner |
| author_facet | Lena-Marie Ränger Yannick Waibel Thomas Grützner |
| author_sort | Lena-Marie Ränger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | For an in-depth investigation of the separation process in small-scale distillation columns, knowledge about the exact vapor load inside the column is highly important. However, since columns with small diameters have a comparatively high surface-to-volume ratio, heat losses have a significant impact on fluid dynamics, as they lead to unwanted condensation, and thus, to changes in the internal flows. This work presents a procedure used to measure heat losses in a 9.6 m high distillation column with three partially parallel segments (multiple dividing wall column). The evaporator is made of stainless steel, and the column walls are made of double-walled, evacuated, mirrored glass, and additionally, these can be heated. It is found that significant amounts of heat are lost in the evaporator. Throughout the column height, around 0.8 kW are additionally lost, even with external wall heating. To determine the main reason for this significant loss, thermal images are taken, indicating that the problem mainly arises because of the flanges. Based on this, it can be concluded that proper insulation and additional heating jackets for the column walls are highly recommended for small-scale distillation columns in order to increase their thermal efficiency. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:02:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-648ab13bfebd466183e5d60d0e3cf1db |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2305-7084 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:02:13Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | ChemEngineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-648ab13bfebd466183e5d60d0e3cf1db2023-11-19T00:38:02ZengMDPI AGChemEngineering2305-70842023-07-01746810.3390/chemengineering7040068Experimental Investigation of Heat Losses in a Pilot-Scale Multiple Dividing Wall Distillation Column with Three Parallel SectionsLena-Marie Ränger0Yannick Waibel1Thomas Grützner2Laboratory of Thermal Process Engineering, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, GermanyLaboratory of Thermal Process Engineering, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, GermanyLaboratory of Thermal Process Engineering, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, GermanyFor an in-depth investigation of the separation process in small-scale distillation columns, knowledge about the exact vapor load inside the column is highly important. However, since columns with small diameters have a comparatively high surface-to-volume ratio, heat losses have a significant impact on fluid dynamics, as they lead to unwanted condensation, and thus, to changes in the internal flows. This work presents a procedure used to measure heat losses in a 9.6 m high distillation column with three partially parallel segments (multiple dividing wall column). The evaporator is made of stainless steel, and the column walls are made of double-walled, evacuated, mirrored glass, and additionally, these can be heated. It is found that significant amounts of heat are lost in the evaporator. Throughout the column height, around 0.8 kW are additionally lost, even with external wall heating. To determine the main reason for this significant loss, thermal images are taken, indicating that the problem mainly arises because of the flanges. Based on this, it can be concluded that proper insulation and additional heating jackets for the column walls are highly recommended for small-scale distillation columns in order to increase their thermal efficiency.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-7084/7/4/68distillationheat lossdividing wall columnpilot-scale |
| spellingShingle | Lena-Marie Ränger Yannick Waibel Thomas Grützner Experimental Investigation of Heat Losses in a Pilot-Scale Multiple Dividing Wall Distillation Column with Three Parallel Sections ChemEngineering distillation heat loss dividing wall column pilot-scale |
| title | Experimental Investigation of Heat Losses in a Pilot-Scale Multiple Dividing Wall Distillation Column with Three Parallel Sections |
| title_full | Experimental Investigation of Heat Losses in a Pilot-Scale Multiple Dividing Wall Distillation Column with Three Parallel Sections |
| title_fullStr | Experimental Investigation of Heat Losses in a Pilot-Scale Multiple Dividing Wall Distillation Column with Three Parallel Sections |
| title_full_unstemmed | Experimental Investigation of Heat Losses in a Pilot-Scale Multiple Dividing Wall Distillation Column with Three Parallel Sections |
| title_short | Experimental Investigation of Heat Losses in a Pilot-Scale Multiple Dividing Wall Distillation Column with Three Parallel Sections |
| title_sort | experimental investigation of heat losses in a pilot scale multiple dividing wall distillation column with three parallel sections |
| topic | distillation heat loss dividing wall column pilot-scale |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-7084/7/4/68 |
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