Investigation of the Two-Phase Countercurrent Flow In Structured Packings Using Capacitance Tomography

T. Loser, G. Petritsch, D. Mewes

Institute for Process Engineering,

University of Hannover, Callinstrasse 36, D-30167 Hannover, Germany, e-mail: dms@c36.uni-hannover.de

Abstract - The two-phase countercurrent flow in the structured packings BX and Mellapak? of Polypropylene is investigated using capacitance tomography. With this tomographic measurement technique the phase distribution in the cross section of the packed column can be measured without intrusion into the process. The measurements are taken with high temporal resolution of 54 frames per second. Thus even pulses of the flow can be detected. From the reconstructed images the liquid hold-up and the maldistribution of the phases are calculated as a function of time for different gas and liquid loads.

Keywords: structured packings, maldistribution, capacitance tomography, flooding