1.
Introduction
Absorption or gas absorption is a unit operation used in chemical industry and
increasingly in environmental applications. It a mass-transfer process in which a vapor
solute A in a gas mixture is absorbed by means of a liquid in which the solute is more or
less soluble. An example is the absorption of the solute ammonia from air.
Figure 1. Packed tower
A common apparatus used in gas absorption is the packed tower (Figure 1). The
device consists of a cylindrical column, or tower, equipped with a gas inlet and
distributing space at the bottom, a liquid inlet and distributing device at the top, gas and
liquid outlet at the top and bottom respectively, and supported mass of inert solid shapes,
called packing. Packed columns are relatively simple devices compared to plate columns.
They can be categorized according to the type of flow used in the operation: counter
current, co-current, and crosscurrent modes. The column used in this experiment is
operated in countercurrent flow, which is the most frequently used type operation.
In a given packed tower with a given type and size of packing and with definite
flow of liquid, the upper limit to the rate of gas flow is called the flooding velocity. The
tower cannot operate above this gas velocity. In a countercurrent packed gas-liquid tower,
the gas phase will pass upward through the column. In order to let the gas phase flow,
there must be a sufficient pressure drop to overcome the friction and form drag caused by
the packing and the falling liquid. The liquid must fall down against this pressure drop by
means of gravitational force. Once the liquid is distributed over the top of the packing,
the liquid ideally flows in thin films over the entire packing surface, but what really
happens is the films tend to grow thicker in some places and thinner in others, so that the
liquid collects into small rivulets and flows along localized paths through the packing,
especially at low liquid rates. This is known as channeling. Loading point is the point
where the liquid will start to accumulate in the column and when the gas flow increases
further, flooding point is reached. It is the point when the liquid in the column will
overflow.
2. Objectives of the experiment
Determine experimentally the pressured drop across a wet packed column as a
function of the air flow rate and compare the results with theoretically calculated
values
Determine through visual observation and by graphical methods the loading and
flooding points of the packed column at preset values of water flow rates
Construct form experimental data the loading and flooding curves of the packed
column based on the generalized correlations proposed by Sherwood, Shipley and
Holloway
4.1 Pressure Drop in a Wetted Column
Table 1. Pressure Drop in a Column with Increasing Air Flow Rate
Air Flow Rate Wet dry Liquid flow ∆H ∆P (Pa)
(L/min) (m) Actual
6. References
Geankoplis, C.J. (2009). Transport Processes and Unit Operations.4th Edition.
Prentice Hall,New Jersey.
Henley, E.J., Seader, J.D. (2006).Separation Process Principles.2nd Edition. John
Wiley & Sons., New Jersey.
McCabe,W.L. et.al. (2001). Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering.6th Edition,
McGraw-Hill., New York.
VII. Appendices
Appendix A. Sample Calculations
Solving for Actual Pressure Drop:
Δ P=ρg(h 2−h1 )
where ρ = density of water (kg/cb. m) taken at average temperature
Ex: Δ P=996.03 ×9.81 × ( 10.6−10.4 )
Δ P=19.5421 Pa
Solving for the Velocity:
v=ϕ A × ( conversion factors ) ÷(cross sectional area of column)
where ϕ A = volumetric flow rate of air (L/min)
( )( )( 0.00442m )
3
1 min 1m 1
Ex: v=65 ×
60 sec 1000 L 2
v=0.245 m/s
Solving for Theoretical Pressure Drop:
2
150 μa a p v ∆ L (1−ε )2 1.75 v a p ∆ L (1−ε ) ( H −∆ L) v 2
Δ P= 2
+ 3
+ ρgH + 4 fρ
ρa ε ρa ε D 2
where μa = viscosity of air (kg/ms)
ε = porosity
ρa = density of air (kg/cb. m)
a p = total packing area
v = velocity of air flow
∆ L = height of packings
H = height of column
D = diameter of column
−5 2
2
150 ×1.849 × 10 × 420 × 0.2452× 0.54 (1−0.63) 1.75× 0.2452 × 420 ×0.54 (1−.63)
Δ P= + + 1.1833× 9.8
1.1833 0.63
2
1.1833 .63
3
Δ P=43.848 Pa
Appendix B. Tables
Table 4. Graphical determination of loading and flooding points (φw= 1.5 L/min)
Air
Flow
∆H velocity
Rate h1 h2 ∆P (Pa) ∆P/H log v log dP/H
(m) (m/s)
(L/mi
n)
20 0.0 0.6 0.006 58.630446 0.075451232 40.15784 -1.12233 1.60377
35 -0.2 0.9 0.011 107.48915 0.132039656 73.62271 -0.8793 1.867012
50 -0.5 1.2 0.017 166.1196 0.188628081 113.7805 -0.72439 2.056068
65 -1.0 1.9 0.029 283.38049 0.245216505 194.0962 -0.61045 2.288017
80 -1.8 3.5 0.053 517.90227 0.301804929 354.7276 -0.52027 2.549895
95 -3.1 4.7 0.078 762.1958 0.358393353 522.0519 -0.44564 2.717714
110 -4.2 4.9 0.091 889.22843 0.414981778 609.0606 -0.38197 2.78466
125 -5.4 7.0 0.124 1211.6959 0.471570202 829.9287 -0.32645 2.919041
140 -9.0 9.8 0.188 1837.0873 0.528158626 1258.279 -0.27724 3.099777
155 -12.6 14.4 0.27 2638.3701 0.58474705 1807.103 -0.23303 3.256983
170 -21.0 22.4 0.434 4240.9356 0.641335474 2904.75 -0.19291 3.463109
Table 5. Graphical determination of loading and flooding points (φw= 2 L/min)
∆H
Air Flow Rate (L/min) h1 h2 ∆P (Pa) velocity (m/s) ∆P/H
(m)
20 0.0 0.6 0.006 58.634566 0.075451232 40.16066
35 -0.2 0.8 0.01 97.724277 0.132039656 66.93444
50 -0.6 1.2 0.018 175.9037 0.188628081 120.482
65 -1.1 2.7 0.038 371.35225 0.245216505 254.3509
80 -2.2 3.9 0.061 596.11809 0.301804929 408.3001
95 -3.3 4.0 0.073 713.38722 0.358393353 488.6214
110 -5.1 5.6 0.107 1045.6498 0.414981778 716.1985
125 -7.8 10.0 0.178 1739.4921 0.471570202 1191.433
140 -15.0 16.4 0.314 3068.5423 0.528158626 2101.741
155 -24.6 26.8 0.514 5023.0278 0.58474705 3440.43
Table 6. Graphical determination of loading and flooding points (φw= 2.5 L/min)
∆H
Air Flow Rate (L/min) h1 h2 ∆P (Pa) velocity (m/s) ∆P/H
(m)
20 10.4 10.8 0.004 39.092458 0.075451232 26.77566
35 10.1 11.1 0.01 97.731144 0.132039656 66.93914
50 9.6 11.6 0.02 195.46229 0.188628081 133.8783
65 8.6 12.5 0.039 381.15146 0.245216505 261.0626
80 7.4 13.8 0.064 625.47932 0.301804929 428.4105
95 6.2 15.1 0.089 869.80718 0.358393353 595.7583
110 0.0 20.4 0.204 1993.7153 0.414981778 1365.558
130 -6.0 27.0 0.33 3225.1278 0.49043301 2208.992
135 -24.0 46.0 0.7 6841.1801 0.509295818 4685.74
Table 7. Graphical determination of loading and flooding points (φw= 3 L/min)
Air Flow Rate (L/min) h1 h2 ∆H (m) ∆P (Pa) velocity (m/s) ∆P/H
20 10.4 10.9 0.005 48.865572 0.075451232 33.46957
35 10.2 11.2 0.01 97.731144 0.132039656 66.93914
50 9.4 11.8 0.024 234.55475 0.188628081 160.6539
65 8.2 13.2 0.05 488.65572 0.245216505 334.6957
80 6.8 14.6 0.078 762.30292 0.301804929 522.1253
95 2.0 19.8 0.178 1739.6144 0.358393353 1191.517
100 -3.4 26.8 0.302 2951.4805 0.377256161 2021.562
105 -17.0 40.0 0.57 5570.6752 0.396118969 3815.531
110 -22.0 44.0 0.66 6450.2555 0.414981778 4417.983
Table 8. Graphical determination of loading and flooding points (φw= 3.5 L/min)
Air Flow Rate (L/min) h1 h2 ∆H (m) ∆P (Pa) velocity (m/s) ∆P/H
20 10.6 10.8 0.002 19.544855 0.075451232 13.38689
35 10.2 11.2 0.01 97.724277 0.132039656 66.93444
50 9.4 12.2 0.028 273.62798 0.188628081 187.4164
60 8.8 12.8 0.04 390.89711 0.226353697 267.7377
70 7.4 14.0 0.066 644.98023 0.264079313 441.7673
80 5.4 17.2 0.118 1153.1465 0.301804929 789.8263
90 1.2 22.4 0.212 2071.7547 0.339530545 1419.01
100 -7.2 31.4 0.386 3772.1571 0.377256161 2583.669
110 -20.2 44.8 0.65 6352.078 0.414981778 4350.738
Table 9. Graphical determination of loading and flooding points (φw= 4.5 L/min)
Air Flow Rate (L/min) h1 h2 ∆H (m) ∆P (Pa) velocity (m/s) ∆P/H
20 0.3 0.6 0.003 29.317283 0.075451232 20.08033
35 -0.1 1.1 0.012 117.26913 0.132039656 80.32132
50 -1.7 2.6 0.043 420.21439 0.188628081 287.8181
65 -4.2 5.6 0.098 957.69791 0.245216505 655.9575
70 -6.0 7.6 0.136 1329.0502 0.264079313 910.3083
75 -11.4 13.8 0.252 2462.6518 0.282942121 1686.748
80 -21.0 23.8 0.448 4378.0476 0.301804929 2998.663
81 -34.0 35.0 0.69 6742.9751 0.305577491 4618.476
Table 10. Graphical determination of loading and flooding points (φw= 5 L/min)
Air Flow Rate (L/min) h1 h2 ∆H (m) ∆P (Pa) velocity (m/s) ∆P/H
20 0.0 0.6 0.006 58.630446 0.075451232 40.15784
30 -0.3 0.9 0.012 117.26089 0.113176848 80.31568
40 -0.9 1.5 0.024 234.52178 0.150902465 160.6314
50 -1.2 2.8 0.04 390.86964 0.188628081 267.7189
53 -2.6 3.2 0.058 566.76098 0.199945766 388.1925
60 -4.0 4.4 0.084 820.82624 0.226353697 562.2098
65 -6.0 6.0 0.12 1172.6089 0.245216505 803.1568
70 -14.0 15.8 0.298 2911.9788 0.264079313 1994.506
75 -22.0 32.0 0.54 5276.7401 0.282942121 3614.206
