CFD and experimental studies on the effect of valve weight on performance of a valve tray column

In the present study, the volume of fluid (VOF) method implemented in the commercial CFD package, FLUENT6.2 has been used to model the gas–liquid flow in a valve tray column. The effect of valve weight has been investigated using three valves having different weights. An experimental Perspex column equipped with a single valve tray, a weir and two downcomers has been used. A fluctuating plate has been utilized for measuring the quality of gas distribution inside the liquid phase. In order to prove the repeatability and consistency of the measurements, the results were analyzed using two-stage nested designs. Bubble size distributions obtained from photographs confirm that more bubble dispersions can be obtained using heavier valves with cost of higher pressure drops, which is quantified by interface–pressure drop performance. The CFD predictions, using upward momentum integral (UMI) parameter, also show that the produced gas–liquid interface increases by employing heavier valves.