Diameters, balanced

Wankat, P. C., Balancing Diameters of Distillation Column with Vapor Feeds, Ind. Engr. Chem. Research, 46, 8813-8826 (2007). 

Drop Diameter. In extraction equipment, drops are initially formed at distributor no22les in some types of plate column the drops are repeatedly formed at the perforations on each plate. Under such conditions, the diameter is determined primarily by the balance between interfacial forces and buoyancy forces at the orifice or perforation. For an ideal drop detaching as a hemisphere from a circular orifice of diameter and then becoming spherical ... 

Jets for continuous filament textile yam are typically 1 cm diameter gold—platinum ahoy stmctures with 20—500 holes of 50—200 p.m diameter. Tire yam jets are also 1 cm in diameter but typicahy use 1000—2000 holes to give the required balance of filament and yam denier. Staple fiber jets can have as many as 70,000 holes and can be made from a single dome of ahoy or from clusters of the smaller textile or tire yam jets. The precious metal ahoy is one of the few materials that can resist the harsh chemical environment of a rayon machine and yet be ductile enough to be perforated with precision. Glass jets have been used for filament production, and tantalum metal is a low cost but less durable alternative to gold—platinum. 

Variable-Area Flow Meters. In variable-head flow meters, the pressure differential varies with flow rate across a constant restriction. In variable-area meters, the differential is maintained constant and the restriction area allowed to change in proportion to the flow rate. A variable-area meter is thus essentially a form of variable orifice. In its most common form, a variable-area meter consists of a tapered tube mounted vertically and containing a float that is free to move in the tube. When flow is introduced into the small diameter bottom end, the float rises to a point of dynamic equiHbrium at which the pressure differential across the float balances the weight of the float less its buoyancy. The shape and weight of the float, the relative diameters of tube and float, and the variation of the tube diameter with elevation all determine the performance characteristics of the meter for a specific set of fluid conditions. A ball float in a conical constant-taper glass tube is the most common design it is widely used in the measurement of low flow rates at essentially constant viscosity. The flow rate is normally deterrnined visually by float position relative to an etched scale on the side of the tube. Such a meter is simple and inexpensive but, with care in manufacture and caHbration, can provide rea dings accurate to within several percent of full-scale flow for either Hquid or gas. 

Mechanical Energy Balance The mechanical energy balance, Eq. (6-16), for fully developed incompressible flow in a straight circular pipe of constant diameter D reduces to... 

Isothermal Gas Flow in Pipes and Channels Isothermal compressible flow is often encountered in long transport lines, where there is sufficient heat transfer to maintain constant temperature. Velocities and Mach numbers are usually small, yet compressibihty effects are important when the total pressure drop is a large fraction of the absolute pressure. For an ideal gas with p = pM. JKT, integration of the differential form of the momentum or mechanical energy balance equations, assuming a constant fric tion factor/over a length L of a channel of constant cross section and hydraulic diameter D, yields,... 

External seals (Fig. 10-115) are installed with all seal components protected from the process fluid. The advantages of this arrangement are that (1) fewer critical materials of construction are required, (2) installation and setting are somewhat simpler because of the exposed position of the parts, and (3) stuffing-box size is not a hmiting factor. Hydraulic balancing is accomphshed by proper proportioning of the seal face and secondary seal diameters. 

Operating Costs Power cost for a continuous thickener is an almost insignificant item. For example, a unit thickener 60 m (200 ft) in diameter with a torque rating of 1.0 MN-m (8.8 Mlbf in) will normally require 12 kW (16 hp). The low power consumption is due to the very slow rotative speeds. Normally, a mechanism vi l be designed for a peripheral speed of about 9 m/min (0.5 ft/s), which corresponds to only 3 r/h for a 60-m (200-ft) unit. This low speed also means veiy low maintenance costs. Operating labor is low because little attention is normally required after initial operation has balanced the feed and underflow. If chemicals are required for flocculation, the chemical cost frequently dwarfs all other operating costs. 

When a spherical particle of diameter d settles in a viscous liquid under earth gravity g, the terminal velocity V, is determined by the weight of the particle-balancing buoyancy and the viscous drag on the... 

Link-Suspended Basket Centrifuges In centrifuges with diameters larger than 762 mm (30 in), the basket, curb, curb cover, and drive form a rigid assembly flexibly suspended from three fixed posts (also known as a three-column centrifuge). The three suspension members may be either chain hnks or stiff rods in ball-and-socket joints and are spring-loaded. The suspended assembly has restrained freedom to oscillate to compensate for a normal out-of-balance condition. The drive is vertical with more efficient power transmission compared to the base-bearing type. 

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