The determination of heat transfer characteristics for the improved design of a heat exchanger for a moving bed system composed of air and activated carbon

Hypersorption was recently developed by the Union Oil Company of California. The hypersorption process consists of a moving bed of an adsorbent passing counter currently to the gaseous flow. The gases are separated by selective adsorption. Of basic importance for successful operation is the heating of the adsorbent to obtain desorption. Considerable difficulty in achieving this transfer of heat is encountered because of the non-conducting nature of the adsorbent. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the heat transfer characteristics for the design of an improved heat exchanger for a moving bed system composed of air and activated carbon. This investigation was made studying the transfer of heat to five sizes of activated carbon, from 0.078 inches to fines, at flow rates of 2.2 to 11.0 pounds per hour. Steam at pressures of 15 to 75 pounds per square inch, gage, was used to heat the carbon moving through a three-quarter inch black iron pipe 36 inches long with an effective heating area of 0.65 square foot. The results of this investigation showed that the desorption of moisture in the activated carbon caused an unexpected break in the thermal conductivity curves between 200 and 220 °F, resulting in variable thermal conductivity-specific heat ratios. Rod-like flow was evidenced through e physical test, but poor correlation was observed between the date and the rod-like equation• The over·all heat transfer coefficient varied from one to three Btu per hour—square foot-°F per foot, increasing as the carbon flow rate and the Graetz number, KL/Wcp, increased.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Chemical Engineering

Department dc:contributor.department

Chemical Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute

Year dc:date.issued

1961

Author dc:creator

• Barkley, William A.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/53803

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/53803