Theoretical investigation and experimental verification of a mathematical model for counter-flow spray separation tower

Despite the fact that the conventional one-dimensional model for counter-flow spray separation tower is advanced in reasonable accuracy as well as time and computational resources saving, it fails to describe the physical processes in details. In this paper, the concept of supersaturated state of the moist air was introduced, then a new sectional one-dimensional model was developed with a detailed derivation. A prototypic apparatus was set up and the reliability of the model was validated by the experimental study. When predicting the outlet solution temperature and outlet moist air wet bulb temperature, the relative errors would be more pronounced with a bigger heat and mass transfer driving potential, but they would not exceed 3.59% and 9.54% respectively under the experimental conditions. The simplifying assumptions, the ignored heat and mass transfer at cyclone region and the measuring errors are mainly blamed for the predicted errors. An in-depth heat and mass transfer investigation was conducted with the help of the validated model by studying the profiles of humidity ratio and moist air dry bulb temperature. The proposed model succeeded in capturing the state transformation of the air flow along the axis of the tower and the effects of the operating parameters on the process profiles are discussed.