On the development of a consistent mathematical model for adsorption in a packed column (and why standard models fail)

In this paper we investigate the standard one-dimensional model for adsorption of a contaminant in a packed column. Initially we focus on two mass sink models: a full nonlinear Langmuir equation, including adsorption and desorption and the linearised version which neglects the local concentration. T...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Myers, Timothy|||0000-0001-7573-8059, Cabrera Codony, Alba, Valverde Salamanca, Abel|||0000-0002-0179-117X
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:catalán
español
inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/422197
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/422197
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2022.123660
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Differential equations, Partial
Contaminant removal
Pollutant removal
Adsorption
Mathematical model
Travelling wave
Bohart–Adams
Advection-diffusion
Equacions en derivades parcials
Classificació AMS::35 Partial differential equations::35G General higher-order equations and systems
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Matemàtiques i estadística::Equacions diferencials i integrals::Equacions en derivades parcials
Descripción
Sumario:In this paper we investigate the standard one-dimensional model for adsorption of a contaminant in a packed column. Initially we focus on two mass sink models: a full nonlinear Langmuir equation, including adsorption and desorption and the linearised version which neglects the local concentration. Travelling wave solutions are developed for both cases, providing exact analytical formulae for the concentration and adsorbed fraction throughout the column. Comparison is made with experimental data for the adsorption of toluene on activated carbon (dominated by physical adsorption) and Cr(III) on zeolite NaX (dominated by ion exchange). For toluene the nonlinear model provides good agreement but it is less accurate for Cr(III). The linear model apparently works well for Cr(III) but only at the expense of violating the model assumptions. This motivates extending the travelling wave solution to a Sips sink model, which has a power law dependence on local concentration. Comparison with data provides excellent agreement in all cases and also indicates why the previous models fail. Following from the investigation of the linear sink model, we prove that previously accepted results frequently fail due to a violation of assumptions made in their derivation. Specifically we challenge the belief that widely used models such as Bohart–Adams, Yoon–Nelson, Bed Depth Service Time, etc can accurately predict breakthrough data. Their success instead may be attributed to: at times, having a similar shape to the breakthrough curve rather than being the correct solution; treating measurable quantities as fitting parameters and a willingness to accept that constant parameters vary. In contrast to these previous models, the travelling wave solution of the present paper, based on a Sips sink, provides analytical solutions consistent with the model assumptions for a wide range of experimental data.