ColHySE: An Advanced Column Hydrodynamic-based model for Solvent Extraction

Sophie Charton (1) , Simone Castellano (2, 1) , Samer Alzyod (1) , Nida Sheibat-Othman (2, 3)

1 DMRC - Département de recherche sur les procédés pour la mine et le recyclage du combustible
2 UCBL - Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1
3 LAGEPP - Laboratoire d'automatique, de génie des procédés et de génie pharmaceutique

An original one dimensional population balance model (PBM)-based model of liquid-liquid extraction columns is reported. Compared to existing simulators, ColHySE implements a more realistic description of the flow patterns in the contactor, and predicts its effect on the local droplet-droplet interactions (i.e. breakage and coalescence rates). Proper turbulent properties, extracted from single-phase flow CFD simulations, are used in the source terms of the PBM to evaluate locally the inhomogeneous breakage and coalescence rates, using the averaged Coulaloglou and Tavlarides kernels (Castellano et al., 2018). The sensitivity of the predicted droplets mean diameter, d32, and the holdup, , to the parameters of the used empirical and phenomenological models, on the one hand, and to the operating conditions of the column, on the other hand, was studied. Although some model parts must be refined, and an experimental validation remains necessary, the results confirm that the 1D-PBM methodology used in ColHySE is relevant for predicting the interfacial area in the pulsed column as a function of the operating conditions and geometry, hence highlighting its relevance to study the hydrodynamic stability and the tendency to flooding. The sensitivity analysis has moreover highlighted the needs for an improved slip velocity model.

Keywords: Solvent extraction column; two-phase flow; population balance equation; averaged kernels; advanced hydrodynamics description

Domains: Chemical Sciences; Chemical engineering

Sophie Charton, Simone Castellano, Samer Alzyod, Nida Sheibat-Othman. ColHySE: An Advanced Column Hydrodynamic-based model for Solvent Extraction. Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 2022, 179, pp.188-200. ⟨10.1016/j.cherd.2022.01.016⟩. ⟨cea-03564262⟩