A multi-scale approach to optimize vapor-liquid mass transfer layer in structured catalytic packing.

• Vapor-liquid mass transfer layer performance was studied by the tracer method. • Mass transfer coefficients that consider four structure parameters were obtained. • The correlations of mass transfer coefficients exhibit good universality. • The correlations were used for the structure optimization of mass transfer layer. In order to implement the multi-scale model to optimize the structure of vapor-liquid mass transfer layer, vapor and liquid mass transfer coefficients that embrace the effects of structure parameters of mass transfer layer should be obtained in advance. In the study, the influences of four structure parameters on mass transfer performance were studied by the tracer method. Moreover, the corresponding mass transfer coefficients were correlated. By comparing with the experimental data of different types of structured catalytic packings, it has been found that the correlations exhibit good universality. Furthermore, the correlations were applied to the non-equilibrium model for the hydrolysis of methyl acetate (MA), so as to investigate the influences of four structure parameters on catalytic distillation process. The results indicated that wavy height and the area ratio of mass transfer layer to catalyst layer have more significant influences on the conversion of MA than inclined angle and base length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]