State-of-art of impacting T-junction : Phase separation, constituent separation and applications

Abstract Because of the simple structure and low cost, T-junction is used extensively as a separation component in energy and chemical systems to lift system efficiency. Recently, it is found that T-junction can also be used for constituent separation of zeotropic mixtures, which can further improve the system efficiency. The phase distribution in T-junction is a complex phenomena due to the complicated influencing factors. To get a clearer understanding about it, this paper firstly gives a comprehensive review on the current experimental progress of impacting T-junction. The effects of all kinds of parameters on phase distribution are investigated thoroughly. Secondly, the theoretical prediction models on phase separation are summarized. Then, the latest research on constituent separation is summarized. This paper concludes that the distribution of constituent separation is based on phase separation. But the research on constituent distribution is extremely limited. Finally, the working principle and specific function of T-junction in some new concept configuration are illustrated by concrete examples enumeratively.