Countercurrent Columns with and without Energy Supply

2 Countercurrent Columns with and without Energy Supply 

In countercurrent flow extraction columns, the heavy phase is charged at the top of the column and the light phase at the bottom of the column. Vertical countercurrent flow of the phases is caused by gravity and density difference. If the light phase is the dispersed phase, the phase separation level has to be high. The reverse is true in the case of the heavy phase as the dispersed phase. 

Design based on experiments in a pilot-scale unit under conditions as close as possible to operating conditions. Thus, scale up is no problem 

Countercurrent Flow Columns without Energy Input 

Countercurrent flow columns without energy input operate without external influence on the liquid flow and droplet distribution. To generate droplets in the column, only the potential energy of the liquid system is converted and used. An increase in the throughput leads to smaller droplets a large fraction of the dispersed phase (holdup) should be achieved under reliable operating conditions. 

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