Mathematical framework for higher order breakage scenarios

• Published in: Chemical engineering science Vol. 65; no. 22; pp. 5881 - 5886
• Main Authors: Marchetti, J.M., Patruno, L.E., Jakobsen, H.A., Svendsen, H.F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 15.11.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Breakage; Breakup; Chemical engineering; Drop; Droplets; Exact sciences and technology; Gas purification; Kernels; Liquids; Mathematical modeling; Mathematical models; Scrubbers; Separations; Walls; Kernels; Gas purification; Mathematical modeling; Breakage; Separations; Drop; Scrubbers; Droplet; Mathematical model; Modeling
• ISSN: 0009-2509; 1873-4405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2010.08.008

Droplet breakage has been widely studied due to its relevance to the gas purification industry. This phenomenon appears inside scrubbers on the mesh pad, due to the interaction of the droplets with the liquid drainage film or the walls of the equipment. The breakage process that has been most widely studied in the previous publications is binary breakup, mostly due to its simplicity and because it is the most common one in diluted systems. In this work, higher order breakups like ternary, quaternary, etc. have been considered. A higher order breakage model was developed based on an existing binary breakage model, and it was shown that this approach is suitable for higher order breakage computations. Despite the fact that this procedure is reasonably accurate for the first preliminary results, a more accurate mathematical model based on a detailed physical analysis of the problem in question should be developed.