CHEN 3009

Fluid and Particle Processes Tutorial-4

Porous Flow

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Specific surface of particle (S): the surface area of a particle divided by its volume.
𝟐𝟐
𝑫𝑫
𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒𝒓𝒓𝟐𝟐 𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒 𝟔𝟔
𝑺𝑺 = = 𝟐𝟐
For a sphere: 𝟒𝟒 𝟑𝟑 𝟒𝟒 𝟑𝟑 = 𝑫𝑫
𝝅𝝅𝒓𝒓 𝑫𝑫
𝟑𝟑 𝝅𝝅
𝟑𝟑 𝟐𝟐
𝟔𝟔 Where φ is the sphericity, defined as the surface area
For other shapes: 𝑺𝑺 =
𝝋𝝋𝝋𝝋 of a sphere having the same volume as the particle
divided by the actual surface area of the particle.

General Ergun equation for calculating pressure gradient for laminar and
turbulent flow
𝝏𝝏𝝏𝝏 𝒗𝒗𝒗𝒗 𝟏𝟏 − 𝜺𝜺 𝟐𝟐 𝝆𝝆𝒗𝒗𝟐𝟐 𝟏𝟏 − 𝜺𝜺
− = 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 + 𝟏𝟏. 𝟕𝟕𝟕𝟕
𝝏𝝏𝝏𝝏 𝒙𝒙𝟐𝟐 𝜺𝜺𝟑𝟑 𝒙𝒙𝜺𝜺𝟑𝟑
 Generalised correlation for flooding rates in packed towers

flooding

𝑮𝑮𝟏𝟏

𝑮𝑮𝟐𝟐

Specific surface of bed (SB): the surface area of packing per unit volume of column.
1. The sphericity of a cube is greater than that of
a sphere of the same volume because the cube
has more surface area.

φ is the surface area of a sphere having the same volume as the particle
divided by the actual surface area of the particle.

1m
𝟒𝟒 𝟑𝟑
𝑽𝑽𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄 =1× 𝟏𝟏 × 𝟏𝟏 = 𝟏𝟏𝒎𝒎𝟑𝟑 𝑽𝑽𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔 = 𝝅𝝅𝒓𝒓
𝟑𝟑

𝑺𝑺𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔 𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒𝒓𝒓𝟐𝟐
𝝋𝝋 = =
𝑺𝑺𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄 𝟔𝟔
The sphericity of a sphere φ is 1.
Assuming the volume of a sphere is 1 𝒎𝒎𝟑𝟑 :
𝟒𝟒 𝟑𝟑 𝟏𝟏
𝑽𝑽𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔 = 𝝅𝝅𝒓𝒓𝟑𝟑 =1 → r = 𝟒𝟒 = 𝟎𝟎. 𝟔𝟔𝟔𝟔 𝒎𝒎 → 𝑺𝑺𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔=𝟒𝟒𝝅𝝅𝒓𝒓𝟐𝟐 =4.83 𝒎𝒎𝟐𝟐
𝟑𝟑 𝝅𝝅
𝟑𝟑

The length of a cube with 1 m3 volume is 1 m → 𝑺𝑺𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄 = 𝟔𝟔 𝒎𝒎𝟐𝟐

Therefore, the sphericity of a cube is

𝟒𝟒.𝟖𝟖𝟖𝟖
𝝋𝝋 = = 𝟎𝟎.806
𝟔𝟔

False
2. The Ergun equation applies for both
laminar and turbulent flow.

𝛛𝛛𝒑𝒑 𝒗𝒗𝒗𝒗 𝟏𝟏 − 𝜺𝜺 𝟐𝟐 𝝆𝝆𝒗𝒗𝟐𝟐 (𝟏𝟏 − 𝜺𝜺�

− = 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 + 𝟏𝟏. 𝟕𝟕𝟕𝟕
𝛛𝛛𝑿𝑿 𝒙𝒙𝟐𝟐 𝜺𝜺𝟑𝟑 𝒙𝒙𝜺𝜺𝟑𝟑

Based on extensive experimental data covering a wide range of size

and shape of particles, Ergun suggested the above general equation
for any flow condition.

True
3. A tubular reactor is packed with catalyst
particles, each of which is a cylinder of diameter 1
cm and length 2 cm. The effective particle diameter
is 0.5 cm.

1 cm
D

2 cm

𝟐𝟐 𝟐𝟐
𝑫𝑫𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄 𝟏𝟏
𝑽𝑽𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄 = 𝝅𝝅 𝑯𝑯 = 𝝅𝝅 ∗ 𝟐𝟐
𝟐𝟐 𝟐𝟐

𝟑𝟑
𝟒𝟒 𝑫𝑫
𝑽𝑽𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔 = 𝝅𝝅
𝟑𝟑 𝟐𝟐
 𝟐𝟐 𝟐𝟐
𝑫𝑫𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄 𝟏𝟏
𝑽𝑽𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄 = 𝝅𝝅 𝑯𝑯 = 𝝅𝝅 × 𝟐𝟐
𝟐𝟐 𝟐𝟐
𝟑𝟑
𝟒𝟒 𝑫𝑫
𝑽𝑽𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔 = 𝝅𝝅
𝟑𝟑 𝟐𝟐

𝟐𝟐 𝟑𝟑
𝟏𝟏 𝟒𝟒 𝑫𝑫
𝝅𝝅 × 𝟐𝟐 = 𝝅𝝅
𝟐𝟐 𝟑𝟑 𝟐𝟐

𝑫𝑫 = 𝟏𝟏. 𝟒𝟒 𝟒𝟒 𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄

False
4. For flow through a porous material,
the pressure drop is usually proportional
to the square of the flow rate.

For Laminar Flow: False

𝝏𝝏𝝏𝝏 𝑲𝑲𝝊𝝊𝝁𝝁 𝟏𝟏 − 𝜺𝜺 𝟐𝟐 𝑺𝑺𝟐𝟐
− =
𝝏𝝏𝝏𝝏 𝜺𝜺𝟑𝟑

For Turbulent Flow: True

𝝏𝝏𝝏𝝏 𝒇𝒇𝒑𝒑 𝝆𝝆𝒗𝒗𝟐𝟐 𝟏𝟏 − 𝜺𝜺 𝑺𝑺
− =
𝝏𝝏𝝏𝝏 𝜺𝜺𝟑𝟑
1. An impurity in a water stream at a very
small concentration is to be removed in a
charcoal trickle bed filter. The filter is in a
cylindrical column that is 60 cm in diameter,
and the bed is 1.2 m deep. The water is kept at
a level that is 60 cm above the top of the bed,
and it trickles through by gravity flow. If the
charcoal particles have a geometric surface
area to volume ratio of 1890 m-1 and they pack
with a porosity of 0.45, what is the flow rate of
water through the column? (water viscosity
=0.001 Pa s)
 𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌
Known: water 𝝆𝝆 = 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 ; 𝝁𝝁 = 𝟎𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷 � 𝒔𝒔;
𝒎𝒎𝟑𝟑
0.6 m
Particles: 𝑺𝑺 = 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 𝒎𝒎−𝟏𝟏 ; 𝜺𝜺 = 𝟎𝟎. 𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒

•Hydrostatic pressure loss

•Frictional pressure loss
1.2 m
•Kinetic pressure loss

0.6 m Water is kept at the same level and trickles through by

gravity flow, kinetic pressure loss can be ignored.

gravitational pressure drop= frictional pressure drop in fixed charcoal bed

 ∆𝑷𝑷 = 𝝆𝝆𝝆𝝆𝝆𝝆
0.6 m

𝛛𝛛𝒑𝒑 𝒗𝒗𝒗𝒗 𝟏𝟏 − 𝜺𝜺 𝟐𝟐 𝝆𝝆𝒗𝒗𝟐𝟐 (𝟏𝟏 − 𝜺𝜺�

− = 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 + 𝟏𝟏. 𝟕𝟕𝟕𝟕
𝛛𝛛𝑿𝑿 𝒙𝒙𝟐𝟐 𝜺𝜺𝟑𝟑 𝒙𝒙𝜺𝜺𝟑𝟑
1.2 m

𝝆𝝆𝝆𝝆𝝆𝝆
0.6 m 𝝊𝝊𝝁𝝁 𝟏𝟏 − 𝜺𝜺 𝟐𝟐 𝝆𝝆𝒗𝒗𝟐𝟐 𝟏𝟏 − 𝜺𝜺
= 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 + 𝟏𝟏. 𝟕𝟕𝟕𝟕 � 𝑿𝑿
𝒙𝒙𝟐𝟐 𝜺𝜺𝟑𝟑 𝒙𝒙𝜺𝜺𝟑𝟑

𝒙𝒙: the diameter of sphere having the same surface to volume ratio as the non-
𝟔𝟔
spherical particle; for spherical particles, 𝒙𝒙 =D= 𝑺𝑺.

X: is the thickness of charcoal particles, 1.2m.

𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌
Known: water 𝝆𝝆 = 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 ; 𝝁𝝁 = 𝟎𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷 � 𝒔𝒔;
𝒎𝒎𝟑𝟑
Particles: 𝑺𝑺 = 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 𝒎𝒎−𝟏𝟏 ; 𝜺𝜺 = 𝟎𝟎. 𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒
Solution:
Assuming: the particles are spherical particles;
From Equation from page 2 (chapter 4)
𝟔𝟔 𝟔𝟔
𝒙𝒙 = 𝑫𝑫 = = 𝒎𝒎
𝑺𝑺 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏
Pressure drop
𝝊𝝊𝝊𝝊 𝟏𝟏 − 𝜺𝜺 𝟐𝟐 𝝆𝝆𝒗𝒗𝟐𝟐 𝟏𝟏 − 𝜺𝜺
∆𝑷𝑷 = 𝝆𝝆𝝆𝝆𝝆𝝆 = 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 + 𝟏𝟏. 𝟕𝟕𝟕𝟕 � 𝑿𝑿
𝒙𝒙𝟐𝟐 𝜺𝜺𝟑𝟑 𝒙𝒙𝜺𝜺𝟑𝟑

𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 × 𝟗𝟗. 𝟖𝟖𝟖𝟖 × 𝟏𝟏. 𝟐𝟐 + 𝟎𝟎. 𝟔𝟔

𝝊𝝊 × 𝟎𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎 × 𝟏𝟏 − 𝟎𝟎. 𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒 𝟐𝟐 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 × 𝝊𝝊𝟐𝟐 × 𝟏𝟏 − 𝟎𝟎. 𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒
= 𝟏𝟏. 𝟐𝟐 × 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 × + 𝟏𝟏. 𝟕𝟕𝟕𝟕 ×
𝟔𝟔 𝟐𝟐 𝟔𝟔 𝟑𝟑
𝟎𝟎. 𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟑𝟑 × 𝟎𝟎. 𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒
𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏

𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝝂𝝂𝟐𝟐 + 𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓 − 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 = 𝟎𝟎

−𝒃𝒃 ± 𝒃𝒃𝟐𝟐 − 𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒 −𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓 + 𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟐𝟐 − 𝟒𝟒 × 𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑 × (−𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏)

𝝂𝝂 = =
𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐 𝟐𝟐 × 𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑
= 𝟎𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒎𝒎/𝒔𝒔
2. A stripping column packed with 5 cm in metal Pall ring
uses air at 34.5 kPa and 80 °C to strip an impurity from an
absorber oil (SG = 0.9, viscosity = 5 cP, T= 20 °C). If the
flow rate of the oil is 227 kg/min and that of the air is 9.1
kg/min, what is the minimum column diameter that can be
used without flooding? (SB=102 m2/m3, ε=0.96). Water has a
viscosity of 1 centipoise at 20 °C.
Generalised correlation for flooding rates in 𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌
Oil phase: 𝑳𝑳 = 𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐 ;
𝒎𝒎𝒎𝒎𝒎𝒎
packed towers are shown in figure below, the 𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌
parameters used are Air phase: 𝑮𝑮 = 𝟗𝟗. 𝟏𝟏 ;
𝒎𝒎𝒎𝒎𝒎𝒎
𝟎𝟎.𝟐𝟐 Gas-Liquid Flow, 𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺 =
𝝊𝝊𝑮𝑮 𝟐𝟐 𝑺𝑺𝑩𝑩 𝝆𝝆𝑮𝑮 𝝁𝝁𝒍𝒍 𝑳𝑳 𝝆𝝆𝑮𝑮 𝟎𝟎. 𝟗𝟗; 𝝁𝝁𝒍𝒍 = 𝟓𝟓 × 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏−𝟑𝟑 𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷 � 𝒔𝒔; 𝑻𝑻𝑻𝑻 = 𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐 𝑲𝑲
𝑮𝑮𝟏𝟏 = 𝑮𝑮𝟐𝟐 =
𝒈𝒈𝜺𝜺𝟑𝟑 𝝆𝝆𝒍𝒍 𝝁𝝁𝑾𝑾 𝑮𝑮 𝝆𝝆𝒍𝒍 𝑺𝑺𝑩𝑩 = 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 𝒎𝒎−𝟏𝟏 ; 𝜺𝜺 = 𝟎𝟎. 𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗; 𝑷𝑷
Where SB is the surface area of packing per = 𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑. 𝟓𝟓 × 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟑𝟑 𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷; 𝑻𝑻𝑻𝑻 = 𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑 𝑲𝑲,
unit volume of column. 𝝁𝝁𝒘𝒘 = 𝟏𝟏 × 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏−𝟑𝟑 𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷 � 𝒔𝒔

SG: specific gravity, the ratio of the

density of a liquid to water density at 4
°C, which is 1000 kg/m3
flooding
𝒎𝒎
𝑮𝑮𝒈𝒈 = = 𝝆𝝆𝒗𝒗𝒈𝒈
𝑨𝑨
𝒎𝒎
𝑨𝑨 =
𝝆𝝆𝒗𝒗𝒈𝒈

𝑮𝑮𝟏𝟏 𝝅𝝅𝑫𝑫𝟐𝟐
𝑨𝑨 =
𝟒𝟒

𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒
𝑫𝑫 =
𝑮𝑮𝟐𝟐 𝝅𝝅
Assuming that ideal gas law is applicable:

𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷 𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑. 𝟓𝟓 × 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟑𝟑 × 𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐 × 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏−𝟑𝟑 𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌

𝝆𝝆𝑮𝑮 = = = 𝟎𝟎. 𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑 𝟑𝟑
𝑹𝑹𝑹𝑹 𝟖𝟖. 𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑 × 𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑 𝒎𝒎

𝝆𝝆𝒍𝒍 = 𝟎𝟎. 𝟗𝟗 × 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 = 𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗 𝒌𝒌𝒌𝒌/𝒎𝒎𝟑𝟑

According the equation in page 25

𝑳𝑳 𝝆𝝆𝑮𝑮 𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐 𝟎𝟎. 𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑

𝑮𝑮𝟐𝟐 = = × = 𝟎𝟎. 𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒
𝑮𝑮 𝝆𝝆𝒍𝒍 𝟗𝟗. 𝟏𝟏 𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗
G1=0.04

G2=0.48
 𝑮𝑮𝟏𝟏 = 𝟎𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎

𝟎𝟎.𝟐𝟐
𝝊𝝊𝑮𝑮 𝟐𝟐 𝑺𝑺𝑩𝑩 𝝆𝝆𝑮𝑮 𝝁𝝁𝒍𝒍
𝑮𝑮𝟏𝟏 =
𝒈𝒈𝜺𝜺𝟑𝟑 𝝆𝝆𝒍𝒍 𝝁𝝁𝑾𝑾

𝟑𝟑 𝟎𝟎.𝟐𝟐
𝟐𝟐 𝒈𝒈𝜺𝜺 𝝆𝝆𝒍𝒍 𝝁𝝁𝒘𝒘
𝝂𝝂𝑮𝑮 = 𝑮𝑮𝟏𝟏 × ×
𝑺𝑺𝑩𝑩 𝝆𝝆𝑮𝑮 𝝁𝝁𝒍𝒍

𝟎𝟎.𝟐𝟐
𝟗𝟗. 𝟖𝟖𝟖𝟖 × 𝟎𝟎. 𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟑𝟑 𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗 𝟎𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎
= 𝟎𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎 × × ×
𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 𝟎𝟎. 𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑 𝟎𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎

𝒎𝒎
𝒗𝒗 = 𝟐𝟐. 𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓
𝒔𝒔

𝟗𝟗. 𝟏𝟏
𝒎𝒎 𝒎𝒎 𝟔𝟔𝟔𝟔
𝑮𝑮𝒈𝒈 = = 𝝆𝝆𝝆𝝆⇒ 𝑨𝑨 = = = 𝟎𝟎. 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 𝒎𝒎𝟐𝟐
𝑨𝑨 𝝆𝝆𝝆𝝆 𝟎𝟎. 𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑 × 𝟐𝟐. 𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓

𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒
𝑫𝑫 = = 𝟎𝟎. 𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒 𝒎𝒎
𝝅𝝅