Pressure drop excessive

Efficiency of starch dispersion can be further improved when an excess quantity of steam is used97 or when the starch is held under pressure in a retention device (tank or coil) before discharge to the atmosphere. Both processes require a flash chamber (cyclone) to remove excess steam and steam relieved by the pressure drop. Excess steam refers to a multiple of the quantity required to reach target temperature and pressure. The quantity of saturated steam to reach a target temperature can be calculated from its heat content, the slurry temperature, the specific heats of starch and water, and the enthalpy of starch gelatinization. The action of excess steam in the dispersion zone between the jet and back-pressure valve causes a shear effect that enhances disintegration of the starch granules. In many applications, a three-fold excess of steam is used. 

Catalyst particles are usually cylindrical in shape because it is convenient and economical to fonii tliem by extmsion—like spaghetti. Otlier shapes may be dictated by tlie need to minimize tlie resistance to transport of reactants and products in tlie pores tlius, tlie goal may be to have a high ratio of external (peripheral) surface area to particle volume and to minimize the average distance from tlie outside surface to tlie particle centre, witliout having particles tliat are so small tliat tlie pressure drop of reactants flowing tlirough tlie reactor will be excessive. 

Pressure Drop. The prediction of pressure drop in fixed beds of adsorbent particles is important. When the pressure loss is too high, cosdy compression may be increased, adsorbent may be fluidized and subject to attrition, or the excessive force may cmsh the particles. As discussed previously, RPSA rehes on pressure drop for separation. Because of the cychc nature of adsorption processes, pressure drop must be calculated for each of the steps of the cycle. The most commonly used pressure drop equations for fixed beds of adsorbent are those of Ergun (143), Leva (144), and Brownell and co-workers (145). Each of these correlations uses a particle Reynolds number (Re = G///) and friction factor (f) to calculate the pressure drop (AP) per... 

Deep Bed Filters. Deep bed filtration is fundamentally different from cake filtration both in principle and appHcation. The filter medium (Fig. 4) is a deep bed with pore size much greater than the particles it is meant to remove. No cake should form on the face of the medium. Particles penetrate into the medium where they separate due to gravity settling, diffusion, and inertial forces attachment to the medium is due to molecular and electrostatic forces. Sand is the most common medium and multimedia filters also use garnet and anthracite. The filtration process is cycHc, ie, when the bed is full of sohds and the pressure drop across the bed is excessive, the flow is intermpted and solids are backwashed from the bed, sometimes aided by air scouring or wash jets. 

Because of its small size and portabiHty, the hot-wire anemometer is ideally suited to measure gas velocities either continuously or on a troubleshooting basis in systems where excess pressure drop cannot be tolerated. Furnaces, smokestacks, electrostatic precipitators, and air ducts are typical areas of appHcation. Its fast response to velocity or temperature fluctuations in the surrounding gas makes it particularly useful in studying the turbulence characteristics and rapidity of mixing in gas streams. The constant current mode of operation has a wide frequency response and relatively lower noise level, provided a sufficiently small wire can be used. Where a more mgged wire is required, the constant temperature mode is employed because of its insensitivity to sensor heat capacity. In Hquids, hot-film sensors are employed instead of wires. The sensor consists of a thin metallic film mounted on the surface of a thermally and electrically insulated probe. 

Fig. 22. Multileaf spiral-wound module, used to avoid excessive pressure drops on the permeate side of the membrane. Large, 30-cm diameter modules may have as many as 30 membrane envelopes, each with a membrane area of about 2 m. ...

Sieve Plates. The conventional sieve or perforated plate is inexpensive and the simplest of the devices normally used. The contacting orifices in the conventional sieve plate are holes that measure 1 to 12 mm diameter and exhibit ratios of open area to active area ranging from 1 20 to 1 7. If the open area is too small, the pressure drop across the plate is excessive if the open area is too large, the Hquid weeps or dumps through the holes. 

Automobile exhaust catalysts have been developed that maximize the catalyst surface area available to the flowing exhaust gas without incurring excessive pressure drop. Two types have been extensively studied the monolithic honeycomb type and the pellet type. 

Line size and length must be small enough to meet transporttime requirements without excessive pressure drop or excessive bypass of sample at the analyzer input. 

Kettle reboilers are generally assumed to require neghgible pressure drop. It is important to provide good longitudinal liqmd flow paths within the shell so that the hquid is uniformly distributed along the entire length of the tubes and excessive local vaporization and vapor binding are avoided. 

The two principal elements of evaporator control are evaporation rate a.ndproduct concentration. Evaporation rate in single- and multiple-effect evaporators is usually achieved by steam-flow control. Conventional-control instrumentation is used (see Sec. 22), with the added precaution that pressure drop across meter and control valve, which reduces temperature difference available for heat transfer, not be excessive when maximum capacity is desired. Capacity control of thermocompression evaporators depends on the type of compressor positive-displacement compressors can utilize speed control or variations in operating pressure level. Centrifugal machines normally utihze adjustable inlet-guide vanes. Steam jets may have an adjustable spindle in the high-pressure orifice or be arranged as multiple jets that can individually be cut out of the system. 

Pressure drop in the system may be computed by methods described in Sec. 6. To prevent excessive leakage into or out of the system, which may have a total pressure drop of 20 to 38 cm of water, rotary air locks or screw feeders are employed at the solids inlet and discharge. 

Plate-Column Capacity The maximum allowable capacity of a plate for handling gas and liquid flow is of primaiy importance because it fixes the minimum possible diameter of the column. For a constant hquid rate, increasing the gas rate results eventually in excessive entrainment and flooding. At the flood point it is difficult to obtain net downward flow of hquid, and any liquid fed to the column is carried out with the overheaa gas. Furthermore, the column inven-toiy of hquid increases, pressure drop across the column becomes quite large, and control becomes difficult. Rational design caUs for operation at a safe margin below this maximum aUowable condition. 

Flooding may also be brought on by increasing the liquid rate while holding the gas rate constant. Excessive liquid flow can overtax the capacity of downcomers or other passages, with the ultimate result of increased liquid inventoiy, increased pressure drop, and the other characteristics of a flooded column. 

Dry filters are usually deeper than viscous filters. The dry filter media use finer fibers and have much smaller pores than the viscous media and need not rely on an oil coating to retain collected dust. Because of their greater resistance to air flow, dry filters must use lower filtration velocities to avoid excessive pressure drops. Hence, dry media must have larger surface areas and are usually pleated or arranged in the form of pockets (Fig. 17-64), generally sheets of cellulose pulp, cotton, felt, or spun glass. 

Excessive pressure drop in the separator and in the inlet piping... 

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