World's largest packed column ready for tests
15 Jan 2000
The world's largest packed column intended purely for research, has been constructed at the Department of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
Salah Baker's team (PE October 1996) developed a novel internal channelling system to overcome problems caused by tilt, common on sea-based rigs. A helical internal gutter redistributes liquid flowing through, to promote more efficient reactions.
The latest test column is 1m in diameter and 6.5m tall (packed to 4.2m). It is made of clear perspex to allow observation of flows. As well as functioning in vertical or tilted positions, the column can be operated in sinusoidal movements to simulate sea swells.
Baker (pictured, left) told PE: 'The results of this bigger column in water deoxygenation show a performance improvement of more than 100 per cent in some tests, over conventional columns.'
Packed columns are mainly used offshore to degas seawater before using it to pump up oil and gas from the seabed.
'Most of the presently used packed columns used world-wide, onshore or offshore, could benefit from this design,' Baker said.
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