Experimental and model-based investigation of weeping in tray columns for distillation and absorption

Insufficient vapor load in distillation and absorption columns leads to weeping. Under steady-state operation, weeping is avoided due to a reduction of the separation performance. Therefore, only a few correlations for its prediction and quantification exist, which are also unable to describe column behavior at disappearing gas loads due to missing experimental data under such conditions. This article aims at overcoming these limitations by presenting new steady-state experimental data and consequently proposing a novel weeping correlation for sieve trays. Additional measurements obtained from a larger diameter column demonstrate the scalability of the developed approach. As weeping is of particular interest under transient conditions (such as load changes or malfunctions, including condenser or reboiler failures), additional studies involving dynamic shutdowns are performed, covering different initial conditions. Comparisons between experimental data and dynamic simulations based on the novel correlation prove its validity, advancing researchers’ and practitioners’ understanding of weeping phenomena.