Numerical Study of Hydrodynamics in Pulsed Solvent Extraction Columns Using the Dynac Code

The hydrodynamic characteristics of pulsed columns fitted with perforated sieve or baffle-plate internals are investigated experimentally using a Purex H₂O-HNO₃-U(VI)-30% tri-n-butylphosphate/dodecane liquid system. A set of semiempirical equations for axial mixing, mean diameter, and settling velocity of the droplets is derived from the experimental results and incorporated into the DYNAC computer simulation program to predict fluid flow behavior in pulsed columns. Various hydrodynamic parameters are studied in detail, and the code is demonstrated to be satisfactory in analyzing the residence behavior of fluids and the extractive mass transfer of uranium in normal and transient operations.