Numerical investigation of the impact of double-layer perforated plate distributor parameters on flow uniformity in adsorption devices

The perforated plate distributor is a key component of the adsorption device or some other chemical engineering devices for improving the uniformity of the flow field and enhancing the separation effect of the device. In this study, a three-dimensional adsorption device model with a double-layer perforated plate as the liquid distributor was established and CFD was used to investigate the influence of double-layer perforated plate distributor on flow field distribution in adsorption devices. The validity and accuracy of the numerical model is verified by grid independence verification and the pressure drop empirical correlation. The influences of the distance between two plates, the plate position, spacing of the diversion zone, the hole diameters of both plates and the curvatures of both plates on the non-uniformity of the flow field and pressure drop were studied. Results show that the increase in flow velocity within a certain range has a counter-effect on the flow uniformity effect of the distance between two plates, but when the distance between two plates continues to increase, the effect of high flow velocity on improving uniformity is better than that of low flow velocity. The non-uniformity increases with the increase of the hole diameter of the first plate, while the pressure drop decreases accordingly. As the hole diameter of the second plate increases, both the non-uniformity and the pressure drop show a trend of first decreasing and then increasing. The flow field non-uniformity and pressure drop show a trend of first decreasing and then increasing with the increase of the curvature of the first plate. As the curvature of the second plate increases, the non-uniformity generally increases. The increase in flow velocity has a positive effect on the flow equalization effect of the curvature of the second plate.