Process Tomography:  An Option for the Enhancement of Packed Vapor−Liquid Contactor Model Development

A multitude of packed vapor−liquid contactor mass-transfer and hydraulic models exist in the literature. With few exceptions, the development of these models has been based on a very limited understanding of the microscale hydraulic phenomena inside the contacting column. Recently, the use of X-ray tomography has been shown to be an effective technique for imaging flow patterns in multiphase contactors. This paper describes the potential benefits that X-ray tomography analysis can bring to the understanding and modeling of the vapor−liquid contacting process. The technology has significant potential for enhancing the prediction of both mass-transfer efficiency and packing pressure drop of commercial packed columns.