Absorption in packed towers: Rich gases case

Rich gas case: Vconst, Lconst

Consider an absorption column;

Consider a mass transfer process in a section of
the column dZ (cross-section of the column is S)

L
a
,x
a
V
a
,y
a
V
b
,y
b
L
b
,x
b
Z
dZ
SdZ y y a K
y
Vdy
dN
y A
*) (
1
*
=

=
S
Absorption in packed towers: Rich gases case
y x y
k
y
k
m
K
) 1 ( 1
*

+ =
i
i
y
y
y y
y

=
1
1
ln
] 1 [ ] 1 [
1
Rich gas case: Vconst, Lconst
L
a
,x
a
V
a
,y
a
V
b
,y
b
L
b
,x
b
Z
S
}

=
b
a
y
y
y
a K y y y
Vdy
S
Z
*
*) )( 1 (
1
Absorption in packed towers: Rich gases case
Example:
McCabe, Smith, Harriott: Chapter 18
Seader Hanley: Chapter 6
Absorption in packed towers: Rich gases case
Prescriptive design process

1) Establish equilibrium relation y*=mx
Absorption in packed towers: Rich gases case
Prescriptive design process

1) Establish equilibrium relation y*=mx

2) Operating line. In case of rich gases both V and L change and
it is more convenient to work in terms of pure carrier
gas V and pure solvent stream L
) 1 ( ' x L L =
) 1 ( ' y V V =
Absorption in packed towers: Rich gases case
Prescriptive design process

1) Establish equilibrium relation y*=mx

2) Operating line. In case of rich gases both V and L change and
it is more convenient to work in terms of pure carrier
gas V and pure solvent stream L









plot y vs x
|
|
.
|

\
|

=
|
|
.
|

\
|

y
y
y
y
V
x
x
x
x
L
b
b
b
b
1 1
'
1 1
'
Absorption in packed towers: Rich gases case
y
x
(mole fraction of A in L)
(mole fraction of A in V)
x
a
x
b
y

y
b
equilibrium line
x*
b
3) For several values of y on
the operating line find:


y*

y 1
* y
* 1 y
Absorption in packed towers: Rich gases case
y
x
(mole fraction of A in L)
(mole fraction of A in V)
x
a
x
b
y

y
b
equilibrium line
x*
b
3) For several values of y on
the operating line find:


y*

| |
| | a k
a k
x x
y y
y
x
i
i
=

i
y
i
i
y
y
y y
y

=
1
1
ln
] 1 [ ] 1 [
1
i
y
a k
y
a k
m
a K
y x y
) 1 ( 1
*

+ =
Absorption in packed towers: Rich gases case
3) Continued:







4) Find the term:



) 1 (
'
y
V
V

=
a K y y y
V
y
*
*) )( 1 (
Absorption in packed towers: Rich gases case
5) Integrate

A
=
a K y y y
y V
S
Z
y
*
*) )( 1 (
1
Absorption in packed towers:
Seader, Hanley
P A
GV log
dry
Loading point
Flooding point
Design considerations: Pressure drop and flooding
G mass flow per unit area (GV-gas, GL-liquid)
Liquid inlet
Liquid outlet Gas inlet
Gas outlet
Some flooding description

A visual build-up of liquid on the upper
surface of the packed bed

A rapid increase in liquid hold-up with
increasing gas rate

Formation of a continuous liquid phase above
the packing support plate

A considerable entrainment of liquid in
the outlet vapour

Filling of the voids in the packed bed with liquid

Design considerations: Pressure drop and flooding
(McCabe, Smith, Harriott)
Design considerations: Pressure drop and flooding
GV
GL
Pressure drop analysis: Eckert graph
) (
1 . 0 2
V L V
p
v F GV C


Pressure drop in
inH2O/ft of packing
(brackets: mm H20/
m of packing)
Flooding line
Design considerations: Diameter of packed towers
L/V=GL/GV
Design considerations: Diameter of packed towers
Sinnott
McCabe, Smith
Harriott
* Moderate to high pressure distillation =
0.4 to 0.75 in water / ft packing
= 32 to 63 mm water / m packing

* Vacuum Distillation =
0.1 to 0.2 in water / ft packing
= 8 to 16 mm water / m packing

* Absorbers and Strippers =
0.2 to 0.6 in water / ft packing
= 16 to 48 mm water / m packing
Design considerations: Diameter of packed towers
Given L, V (mass flow rates) Select pressure drop
) (
) (
1 . 0 2
V L V
p
v F GV C


select packing GV D
Design considerations: Diameter of packed towers
Given L, V (mass flow rates)
) (
) (
1 . 0 2
V L V
p
v F GV C


GV=GV(flooding)/2 D
at flooding velocity
Example of using pressure drop correlations to estimate
geometrical parameters of the packed column
Specify the packing type and column dimensions for a column that will be
used to remove chlorine from a gas stream using an organic solvent.
The vapor flow is 7000 kg/h, the average vapor density is 4.2 kg/m3.
The liquid flow is 5000 kg/h, the average liquid density is 833 kg/m3.
The liquid's kinematic viscosity is 0.48 centistokes (4.8 x 10-7 m2/s)
Design considerations: Diameter of packed towers
First, we evaluate the x-axis of the graph above:
(L/V)(vapor density/liquid density)
0.5
= (5000/7000)(4.2/833)
0.5
= 0.0507
5 . 1
) (
1 . 0 2
=

V L V
p
v F GV C

* Moderate to high pressure distillation =
0.4 to 0.75 in water / ft packing
= 32 to 63 mm water / m packing

* Vacuum Distillation =
0.1 to 0.2 in water / ft packing
= 8 to 16 mm water / m packing

* Absorbers and Strippers =
0.2 to 0.6 in water / ft packing
= 16 to 48 mm water / m packing
Design considerations: Diameter of packed towers
5 . 1
) (
1 . 0 2
=

V L V
p
v F GV C

F
p
packing factor,
accounts for structure of
packing and decreases
with increasing void fraction

F
p
=24 for 2 inch Pall
rings

Design considerations: Diameter of packed towers
Correlations for HTU
L G OG
H
L
mV
H H + =
Sinnott
Correlations for HTU
Cornell
Correlations for HTU
Cornell
Sinnott
Sinnott
Correlations for HTU
Correlations for HTU
Correlations for HTU
Design of packed towers
1) Calculate NTU
distillation/
absorption from dilute gas
}

b
a
y
y
y y
dy
*
y
y y
a b
A

~
absorption from rich gas
}


b
a
y
y
y y y
dy y
*) )( 1 (
) 1 (
2) Select packing: defines size, packing factor Fp, specific surface area, void
fraction etc
Design of packed towers
3) Pressure drop, diameter of the column
4) HTU from Cornell, or Onda methods

5)
D
OG OG
N H Z =
At this stage, height, diameter of the column and
the type of packing is known