A Non-Equilibrium Model for Fixed-Bed Multi-Component Adiabatic Adsorption

Abstract

A mathematical model for adiabatic adsorption of multiple components onto a fixed bed of adsorbent is developed. The model consists of a set of coupled, hyperbolic, parial-differential equations. Heat and mass transfer resistances evident in real systems are included in the model. Solutions of the equations are obtained by numerical application of the method of characteristics. Results show non-ideal mass and thermal wavefronts and complex wave-wave interactions in adiabatic adsorption of benzene and cyclohexane onto activated carbon. Phenomena of inversions in relative adsorptivity due to temperature changes are also shown. Column performance is indicated to be greatly affected by these phenomena. Cases considered demonstrate that time on stream before breakthrough may be doubled by increasing influent and initial bed temperatures. It is shown, in contrast to results obtained fron using the non-equilibrium model, that models based on assumptions of local equilibrium cannot quantitatively describe behavior of a typical industrial adsorption system.

Department(s)

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

Adsorption

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0009-2509

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 1980 Elsevier, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 1980

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