CFD Simulations of Pulsed Sieve Plate Column: Axial Dispersion in Single-phase Flow

Abstract

CFD simulations of single-phase flow in a pulsed sieve plate column are presented. Several options to predict axial dispersion in this computationally challenging equipment are evaluated. The evaluation involves comparison of the two possible approaches of 2D representation of the 3D geometry, comparison of a direct approach with a new approach called the snapshot approach and comparison of predictions for the computational domain consisting of the actual number of plates and the computational domain consisting of reduced number of plates. A computational approach is finally prescribed and validated for quick estimate of axial dispersion in single-phase flow.