BK1-10 Prediction of kettle entrainment

L. Huang

2005; rev 12/2007

Accurate prediction of kettle entrainment is crucial to size kettles effectively, reduce equipment cost, and increase column efficiency. This report reviews the current kettle sizing method and logic in Xist^® 4.0 and identifies areas for improvement based on entrainment fundamentals and methods in the open literature. The improved methods for predicting kettle entrainment and the maximum allowable vapor velocity include a new option to predict actual entrainment for a specified kettle diameter. This report also discusses the application of demisters (or mist eliminators) in kettles to reduce entrainment.