PROBLEM 12.

Ammonia is to be removed from a 10 per cent ammoniaair mixture by countercurrent

scrubbing with water in a packed tower at 293 K so that 99 per cent of the ammonia is
removed when working at a total pressure of 101.3 kN/m2. If the gas rate is 0.95 kg/m2s

155

of tower cross-section and the liquid rate is 0.65 kg/m2s, what is the necessary height of
the tower if the absorption coefficient KGa = 0.001 kmol/m3s (kN/m2) partial pressure
difference. The equilibrium data are:

Concentration
(kmol NH3/kmol
water) 0.021 0.031 0.042 0.053 0.079 0.106 0.150

Partial pressure
NH3 (kN/m2) 1.6 2.4 3.3 4.2 6.7 9.3 15.2

Solution

See Volume 2, Example 12.5.

PROBLEM 12.10

Sulphur dioxide is recovered from a smelter gas containing 3.5 per cent by volume of
SO2, by scrubbing it with water in a countercurrent absorption tower. The gas is fed into
the bottom of the tower, and in the exit gas from the top the SO2 exerts a partial pressure
of 1.14 kN/m2. The water fed to the top of the tower is free from SO2, and the exit
liquor from the base contains 0.001145 kmol SO2/kmol water. The process takes place
at 293 K, at which the vapour pressure of water is 2.3 kN/m2. The water flow rate is
0.43 kmol/s.

If the area of the tower is 1.85 m2 and the overall coefficient of absorption for these
conditions K La is 0.19 kmol SO2/s m3 (kmol of SO2/kmol H2O), what is the height of
the column required?

The equilibrium data for SO2 and water at 293 K are:

kmol SO2/1000
kmol H2O 0.056 0.14 0.28 0.42 0.56 0.84 1.405

kmol SO2/1000
kmol inert gas 0.7 1.6 4.3 7.9 11.6 19.4 35.3

Solution

At the top of the column: PSO2 = 1.14 kN/m2

That is: 1.14 = 101.3y2 and y2 = 0.0113 Y2

At the bottom of the column:y1 = 0.035, that is Y1 = 0.036

X1 = 0.001145
Lm = 0.43 kmol/s
156

The quantity of SO2 absorbed = 0.43(0.001145 0)

That is: NA = 4.94 104 kmol SO2/s

NA = K La(Xe X)lm
The log mean driving force in terms of the liquid phase must now be calculated. Values
of Xe corresponding to the gas composition Y may be found from the equilibrium data
given (but are not plotted here) as:
When: Y2 = 0.0113, Xe2 = 0.54 103

Y1 = 0.036, Xe1 = 1.41 103

Thus: (Xe1 X1) = (1.41 1.145)103 = 0.265 103 kmol SO2/kmol H2O

(Xe2 X2) = 0.5 103 kmol SO2/kmol H2O

Thus: (Xe X)lm = (0.54 0.265)10

3

ln(0.54/0.265)
= 3.86 104 kmol SO2/kmol H2O

4.94 104 = 0.19V 3.86 104,

from which the packed volume, V = 6.74

Thus: packed height = (6.74/1.35) = 5.0 m

PROBLEM 12.11

Ammonia is removed from a 10 per cent ammoniaair mixture by scrubbing with water
in a packed tower, so that 99.9 per cent of the ammonia is removed. What is the required
height of tower? The gas enters at 1.2 kg/m2s, the water rate is 0.94 kg/m2s and KGa is
0.0008 kmol/s m3 (kN/m2).

Solution

The molecular masses of ammonia and air are 17 and 29 kg/kmol respectively. The data
in mass per cent must be converted to mole ratios as the inlet gas concentration is high.

Thus: 0.10 = 17y1

17y1 + 29(1 y1) and y1 = 0.159

Y1 =
( 0.159

1 0.159
)
= 0.189

Y2 y2 = 0.000159
The rates of entering gases are: total = 1.2 kg/m2s, ammonia = 0.12 kg/m2s, and air =
1.08 kg/m2s.

Thus: Gm = 0.0372 kmol/m2s, Lm = (0.94/18) = 0.0522 kmol/m2s

and: X2 = 0 that is ammonia free

157

The equation of the operating line is found from a mass balance between a plane where
the compositions are X and Y and the top of the tower as:

0.0372(Y 0.000159) = 0.0522X

or: Y = (1.4X + 0.000159)
This equilibrium line is plotted on Figure 12b.

0 0.05 0.10 0.15

kmol NH3/kmol H2O

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

km
ol

N
H

3/
km

ol
a

ir

Operating line
(Problem 12.9)

Operating line
(Problem 12.11)

Equilibrium curve

Figure 12b. Operating lines, Problem 12.11

The integral in the following equation may be obtained graphically from Figure 12c as
40.55 using the following data.

Z=G

kGaP
 Y1
Y2

(1+ Y )(1+ Yi)dY

(Y Yi)

Y Yi (Y Yi) (1+ Y )(1+ Yi) (1+ Y )(1+ Yi)

(Y Yi)

0.20 0.152 0.048 3.18 66.3

0.19 0.138 0.052 1.35 26.0
0.15 0.102 0.048 1.27 26.4
0.10 0.063 0.037 1.17 31.6

158

Y Yi (Y Yi) (1+ Y )(1+ Yi) (1+ Y )(1+ Yi)

(Y Yi)

0.05 0.028 0.022 1.08 49.1

0.04 0.022 0.018 1.06 58.8
0.03 0.016 0.014 1.05 74.7
0.02 0.011 0.009 1.03 114.6
0.01 0.005 0.005 1.015 203.0
0.00015 0.000 0.00015 1.00015 6670.0

0 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20

Y2 = 0.00015

Area under curve = 40.55

50

100

150

200

To 6670 at Y = 0.00015

(1+
Y

)(1
+Y

i) /
(Y

Yi

Y1 = 0.189

Figure 12c. Evaluation of integral, Problem 12.11

KGa is approximately equal to kGa for a very soluble gas so that:

Z = (0.0372 40.55)
(0.0008 101.3) = 18.6 m

It is interesting to note that if Y = 0.01 rather than 0.00015, the integral has a value of
8.25 and Z is equal to 3.8 m. Thus 14.8 m of packing is required to remove the last traces
of ammonia.

159

PROBLEM 12.12

A soluble gas is absorbed from a dilute gasair mixture by countercurrent scrubbing with
a solvent in a packed tower. If the liquid fed to the top of the tower contains no solute,
show that the number of transfer units required is given by:

N = 1[
1 mG

Lm

] ln
[(

1 mG

Lm

)
y1

y2
+ mGm

Lm

where Gm and Lm are the flowrates of the gas and liquid in kmol/s m2 tower area, and y1
and y2 the mole fractions of the gas at the inlet and outlet of the column. The equilibrium
relation between the gas and liquid is represented by a straight line with the equation
ye = mx, where ye is the mole fraction in the gas in equilibrium with mole fraction x in
the liquid.

In a given process, it is desired to recover 90 per cent of the solute by using 50 per
cent more liquid than the minimum necessary. If the HTU of the proposed tower is 0.6 m,
what height of packing will be required?

Solution

By definition: NOG =
y1
y2

dy
y ye (equation 12.77)

A mass balance between the top and some plane in the tower where the mole fractions
are x and y gives:

Gm(y y2) = Lm(x x2)

If the inlet liquid is solute free, then:

x2 = 0 and x = G

Lm
(y y2)

If the equilibrium data are represented by:

ye = mx
then substituting for ye = m(Gm/Lm)(y y2) gives:

NOG =
y1
y2

dy

y mG

Lm
(y y2)

=
y1
y2

dy

y
(
1 mG

Lm

)
+ mG

Lm
y2

=
(

1 mG

Lm)1ln[(1 mGmLm)
y1

y2
+ mG

Lm

160

Top of column Bottom of column

x2 = O x1 x

y2

y1

Slope = (L/G ) min

Equilibrium line
ye = mx
Operating line

Figure 12d. Graphical construction for Problem 12.12

Referring to Figure 12d:

(L G)