1.

ABSTRACT

The experiment was conducted to find out the air pressure drop in the absorption
column using the different air flow rate and water flow rate. The pressure drop recorded is
compared with the theoretical values that has been calculated. The experiment is conducted
with three different water flow rates 1.0 L/min, 2.0 L/min and 3.0 L/min where for each water
flow rates was run with different air flow rates of 20 L/min, 40 L/min, 60 L/min, 80 L/min,
100 L/min, 120 L/min, 140 L/min, 160 L/min and 180 L/min. Graph of pressure drop against
the air flow rate was plotted to see the flow of the graph. Also, the flooding point was
recorded when its starts flooding.

2.INTRODUCTION

The gas absorption which also known as scrubbing is a mass transfer process where the
gas mixture is contacted with a liquid to dissolve one or more components of the gas mixture
into a liquid phase for the solute to be more or less soluble. The gas absorption is usually done
by using a special equipment to maximize the contact between the gas and the liquid.

In this experiment, the gas absorption unit is used to show the absorption of air into the
water in the packed column. The flow of gas and liquid of the unit is flowed counter-currently,
and the packing in the packed column is packed carefully one by one to maximize the
absorption process in it. The gas absorption is designed to operate at atmospheric pressure in a
continuous operation.

Next, the device called the packed tower is used for the gas absorption where it consists
of a tower equipped with a gas inlet with distributing space at the bottom, a liquid inlet and
distributor at the top, gas and liquid outlet is set at the top and bottom respectively and finally
a supported mass of inert solid shapes, called tower packing. There is a limit to the rate of gas
flow in the packed tower called the flooding velocity where it cannot operates beyond the limit.
When the droplets of liquid are carried up with the gas in packed column which is called the
loading point, the gas start to prevent the liquid from flowing down, and thus, pools of liquid
start to appear in the packing where that point is called the flooding point.
3.AIM

- To find out the pressure drop of air across the column as a function of air flow rate for
different water flow rates through the column.
- To find out the flooding point of the water flow.

4.THEORY

Absorption is the transfer of one or more species from the gas phase to a liquid
solvent which is then referred as solutes or an absorbate. Absorption does not change the
chemical properties of the feed where it is just used to separate gas mixtures, remove
impurities or to recover valuable chemicals. The process of extracting the absorbed solute
from solvent is called stripping. Absorbers are normally used with strippers to permit
recovery and recycling of the absorbent. The stripping process is not perfect so the absorbent
is recycled back to the absorber contains species present in the vapour entering the absorber.
When water is used as the absorbent, it is normally separated from the solute by distillation
rather than stripping.

Example of absorption process

 Equipment for absorption and stripping.

5.APPARATUS

SOLTEQ-QVF Gas Absorption Unit BP751-B

6.PROCEDURE

General Start-Up Procedures

1. All valves are closed except the ventilation valve V13.
2. All gas connections are checked whether they are properly fitted.
3. The valve are opened on the compressed air supply line. The supply pressure set to
between 2 to 3 bar by turning the regulator knob clockwise.
4. The shut-off valve are opened on the CO2 gas cylinder. The CO2 cylinder pressure
are checked whether it is sufficient. Replace the cylinder if necessary.
5. The power are turned on for the control panel.

Experimental Procedures
1. The general start-up procedures are performed
2. The receiving vessel B2 are filled through the charge port with 50 L of water by
opening valve V3 and V5.
3. Valve V3 are closed.
4. Valve V10 and valve V9 opened slightly. The flow of water are observed from vessel
B1 through pump P1.
5. Pump P1 are switched on and valve V11 slowly opened and adjusted to give a water
flow rate of around 1 L/min. The water was allowed to enter the top of column K1,
flow down the column and accumulate at the bottom until it overflows back into
vessel B1.
6. Valve V11 opened and adjusted to give a water flow rate of 1.0 L/min into column
K1.
7. Valve V1 opened and adjusted to give an air flow rate of 40 L/min into column K1.
8. The liquid and gas flow in the column K1 are observed, and the pressure drop across
the column at dPT-201 are recorded.
9. Steps 5 to 6 are repeated with different values of air flow rate, each time increasing by
20 L/min while maintaining the same water flow rate.
10. Steps 4 to 7 repeated with different values of water flow rate, each time increasing by
1.0 L/min by adjusting valve V11.

General Shut-Down Procedures

1. Pump P1switched off.
2. Valves V1, V2 and V12 are closed.
3. The valve on the compressed air supply line are closed and the supply pressure are
exhausted by turning the regulator knob counter-clockwise all the way.
4. The shut-off valve on the CO2 gas cylinder are closed.
5. All liquid are drained in the column K1 by opening valve V4 and V5.
6. All liquid are drained from the receiving vessels B1 and B2 by opening valves V7 and
V8.
7. All liquid are drained from the pump P1 by opening valve V10.
8. The power are turned off for the control panel.
7.RESULTS

a) Data recorded

Flow rate Pressure drop (mm H2O)

(L/min)

Air 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

20
Water
0 1 4 9 14 19 29 51 88
1
2 1 2 5 9 13 31 41 flooding flooding

3 0 3 6 11 20 flooding flooding flooding flooding

b) Data for the log graph

Log Flow
Log Pressure drop (mm H2O)
rate
(L/min)
Air
1.6021 1.7782 1.9031 2.0000 2.0792 2.1461 2.2041 2.2553
1.3010
Water
#NUM! 0.0000 0.6021 0.9542 1.1461 1.2788 1.4624 1.7076 1.9445
1
2 0.0000 0.3010 0.6990 0.9542 1.1139 1.4914 1.6128 flooding flooding

3 #NUM! 0.4771 0.7782 1.0414 1.3010 flooding flooding flooding flooding

8.DISCUSSION

In this experiment, the data recorded was tabulated in two table, one is the same value
as the data recorded and the other one is the log value of the data recorded. From the data
tabulated and recorded, the following graph is plotted according for each water flow rates
used which is 1.0 L/min, 2.0 L/min and 3.0 L/min. All the graphs plotted are based on the
pressure drop versus the flow rate of air.
 GRAPH OF PRESSURE DROP VERSUS AIR
FLOWRATE
1.0L/min 2.0L/min 3.0L/min

100
90
80
PRESSURE DROP

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
AIR FLOWRATE

graph for data a)

GRAPH OF LOG P VERSUS LOG AIR

FLOWRATE
1.0L/min 2.0L/min 3.0L/min

4
3.5
LOGP (PRESSURE DROP)

3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
1.3010 1.6021 1.7782 1.9031 2.0000 2.0792 2.1461 2.2041 2.2553
LOG AIR FLOWRATE

graph for data b)

The first graph is the graph of Pressure Drop Versus Air flow rate and the second
graph is Column Pressure Drop Versus Log Air flow rate. As we can see in the graph above,
as the air flow rate increases, the pressure drop also increased which means that the pressure
drop increased proportionally to the air flow rate. Pressure drop increased because, as the air
flow rate increases it starts to hinder the liquid down flow and local accumulation or pools of
liquid starts to appear in the packing. So as the air flow rate increased, the hindrance to the
liquid down flow increased.

Also, the graph for 1.0L/min of water flow rate, the pressure drop increased until the
final air flow rate used which is at the 180L/min but for 2.0L/min and 3.0L/min of water flow
rate the pressure drop stops at 100L/min and 140L/min air flow rates, where that is the one
point before the flooding occurs. Which means that the flooding point is 100L/min air flow
rate for 2.0L/min water flow rate and 140L/min air flow rates for 3.0L/min water flow rate.
The pressure drop for the flooding point at 2.0L/min is 41mmH2O and pressure drop for the
flooding point at 3.0L/min is 20 mmH2O. For the 1.0L/min water flow rate the flooding still
doesnt occurs until 180L/min air flow rate which means the flooding point should be higher.

Flooding means that the water overflows from the packed towers due to the air
velocity is very high which does not allow the water to flow from the top of the tower thus
flooding occurs at the top of the tower. Flooding is a phenomenon by which gas moving in
one direction in the packed column entrains liquid moving in the opposite direction in the
packed column. In industries flooding is one of the major concern for the operation of the
packed tower in industries. Flooding is one of the factors that industries wanted to avoid
because it can cause a large pressure drop across the packed column affects the stability and
performance of the absorption process. Therefore, when designing the absorption packed
column many things need to be considered for maximum efficiency to be attained to avoid
flooding problem.
9.CONCLUSION

As conclusion, both graph plotted shows that the pressure drops is directly proportional
to the air flow rates for each water flow rates. Also from the graph the flooding point can be
observed where for the 1.0L/min water flow rate the flooding still doesnt occurs until
180L/min air flow rate and for the 2.0L/min and 3.0L/min the flooding point is 100L/min and
140L/min air flow rates The pressure drop for the flooding point at 2.0L/min is 41mmH2O and
pressure drop for the flooding point at 3.0L/min is 20 mmH2O.

10.RECOMMENDATION

- Make sure that the packing towers packing is not disturbed from errors from past
experiment so that the flooding point value obtained is more accurate.
- Make sure to observe the green line at the top of the packing tower carefully and
make sure that water doesnt pass that line to make sure that when the flooding
actually occurs.
- Make sure the water and air flow rate set on the machine is correctly at the data
want to be recorded and make sure to adjust it back at the point set when
fluctuation occurs.
11.REFERENCES

1. Gas absorption UiTM lab manual

2. Gas absorption unit SOLTEQ-QVF Model BP 751 Manual
3. Absorption and Stripping. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2017, from
https://www.cpp.edu/~tknguyen/che313/pdf/chap5-1.pdf
4. Absorption. (n.d.). Retrieved October 29, 2017, from
http://www.separationprocesses.com/Absorption/GA_Chp03.htm
5. Roper, G., Hatch Jr., T., & Pigford, R. (n.d.). Theory of Absorption and Reaction of
Two Gases in a Liquid. Retrieved October 24, 2017, from
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/i160002a016
12.APPENDIX