Droplet Diameter in Pulsed Perforated-Plate Column of Pulser Feeder Type

A pulsed perforated-plate column (pulsed column) is controlled by varying the operating conditions as the pulsing conditions and the flow rates of inlet and outlet streams. Changing these variables causes the fluid behavior to vary with position in the column. In a previous paper, the axial holdup in a pulsed column of pulser feeder type are obtained by using the TBP in kerosene-water system with nozzle plates or sieve plates. In the present paper, the droplet diameter of mixer-settler region in the pulsed column is studied. First, the mean droplet diameters are obtained in the dispersed aqueous (water-soluble dyestuff) and the dispersed organic (oil-soluble dyestuff) modes. Experimental results showed that both of the plate types and the operating conditions affected the mean droplet diameters. The droplet diameters become smaller with the nozzle plate than with the sieve plate. Then, both of the correlations as a function of the pulse amplitude-frequency products and the calculation models, by using the Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH) shown at a previous study of the authors, are obtained, The prediction error of calculation medels become smaller compared to the correlations. From the results of GMDH method, it was also found that the mean droplet diameter was assumed to be a function of the pulse amplitude-frequency products, the linear velocity of both phases and the plate spacing: dp∝ (af, ud, uc, Lo).