Limitations

Limitations

The simulator is built for a clearly defined scope. Please review the points below before quoting results.

• Dry basis only. Water vapour and humidity co-adsorption are not modelled; the feed is treated as dry. Support for humid feeds is planned for a future version.
• Binary mixtures. The model handles exactly two components, the second of which also acts as the carrier gas.
• Single column, single step. Each run simulates one adsorption or one desorption step. Cycle scheduling, pressure equalisation and multi-column PSA/TSA sequences are outside the current scope.
• Radially lumped. The model is one-dimensional along the bed, with a separate wall energy balance; radial profiles are not resolved.
• Correlation validity ranges. The film, dispersion and heat-transfer correlations hold within the ranges over which they were fitted. Small particles at high flow rates can fall outside those ranges; review the Computed params tab, including the minimum fluidisation velocity, before relying on such a run.
• Validity of the LDF approximation. The single linear-driving-force coefficient, and the series addition of film, macropore and micropore resistances that defines it, are accurate for $1>\beta>0.5$ and degrade below that range (Ruthven Ch. 8), where $\beta=1-q^{\ast}/q_s$ is reported on the Computed params tab. Several bundled presets lie below 0.5; Zeolite 13X, for example, sits at 0.34. A fitted $k$ absorbs this effect, so at low $\beta$ the breakthrough time and capacity remain reliable, while the front width carries the greater uncertainty, because a linear driving force represents a self-sharpening front as somewhat too broad.
• Platforms. Builds are provided for Windows and Linux. A macOS build is planned for a future release; because the engine source is not yet published, running from source is not currently an option.
• No bundled worked examples. Presets supply isotherm parameters and, for three of the five, bed properties; complete validated scenarios are not included.
• Intended use. The simulator is intended for education and exploratory analysis. Validate outputs against your own data and apply engineering judgement before using them to inform design or decisions. The author accepts no liability for results applied beyond that purpose.