Single liquid drop velocities and breakage mechanism in sections of structured packings

Single liquid drop velocities in structured packings have been measured to aid calculation of throughput of liquid extraction columns using characteristic (single drop) velocities. Solvent drops were passed through two types of glass and two types of steel structured packing and further work was done using sloping glass tubes. Existing wall‐effect equations for drop velocity reduction in vertical tubes were considered and that given by Clift et al. [1] was used as a basis for correlation of structured packing data. Drop breakage was studied in order to improve understanding of drop size distribution development in packed columns. Drops broke only rarely within the structured packing; most of the breakage occurred as a drop hit the exposed edges on entry to a piece of packing. An energy balance equation was used to correlate critical conditions for breakage of drops hitting glass blades at various angles. Under the conditions used all those drops moving at terminal velocity had enough energy to break but a condition exists when drops may be small enough to have insufficient energy to break.