Reduction in size of the device
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How to build a pilot plant based on a large-scale production facility? For example, take a distillation unit with a feed rate of 3 t/h and reduce it to 20 kg/h – how should the height of this distillation column be determined? Number of boards? Scale down proportionally? What are the experiences in this?
The theoretical number of plates should remain unchanged. As for the size of the equipment, it should be proportional to its volume. With a feed rate of 20 kg/hr, it should be possible to find ready-made equipment. The number of plates can be increased as needed; there’s no need to design them oneself. Just ask those who sell laboratory equipment.
Even if you manage to get something ready-made, you won’t be able to obtain any useful data, which means it’s pointless to buy it. Modifying it is also troublesome. Right now, the supervisor says: (A report needs to be written in order to make it convincing.)
It can be scaled down proportionally; the diameter of the tower is approximately (20/3000)^0.5 ≈ 1/12 of the original value, while its height remains similar to that of the original tower. If not operated under high vacuum, the actual tower diameter should be relatively small, and the tower height can be shorter. If more efficient packing is used, the tower height can be further reduced, but the tower diameter should be adjusted accordingly to maintain an appropriate spray density.
I wonder where the 0.5 in the expression (20/3000)^0.5≈1/12 comes from, as used by the friend upstairs Two of these towers require vacuum distillation; how should this be handled? Is there a similar principle at play with the chromatography column as analyzed?
It should be calculated based on capacity; the capacity is proportional, but the capacity itself may not necessarily follow that proportion. A detailed calculation is required before determining the trays and other accessories for the equipment.
For those who support the 4-story design, as a starting point for estimation, the cross-sectional area of the tray should be proportional to the processing capacity. The height of the tower is mainly determined by the factor of foam entrainment; therefore, it seems that it should remain the same as before. Alternatively, the spacing between the trays can be reduced to increase the number of theoretical trays. If the height becomes too great, it may be necessary to divide the tower into sections. It is recommended that the person in question use several interchangeable tower sections; if the separation efficiency is not sufficient, another section can be added in between, which will reduce the procurement costs.