Mid-section reflux, seeking advice from experts
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The book states that the function of mid-section reflux is to balance the gas and liquid load within the tower and reduce its diameter. May I ask why the diameter of the tower decreases? Isn’t it the cause of what it is? Does the diameter of the tower affect distillation?
It should be said that the larger the reflux ratio, the smaller the tower diameter. In full reflux operation, the theoretical number of theoretical plates is minimal, resulting in the best distillation efficiency. On the contrary, if there were no backflow, wouldn’t the tower diameter have to be infinitely large?
One cannot simply focus on the reflux ratio; it is necessary to consider the amount of reflux. What’s important is to calculate the space velocity in order to prevent flooding. A simple model can be developed for analysis purposes