ABSORPTION

REVIEW PROBLEMS

1. The mole fraction of solute entering a gas absorber is 0.25. If the percentage recovery is 75%, then the mole fraction of the solute leaving the
tower will be
A. 0.0833 B. 0.0625 C. 0.0769 D. 0.157
2. The equilibrium data for a certain absorption may be represented by the equation Y = 5.2 x2 where x = kilomoles of dissolved absorbable
material per kilomole of inert gas. The unit is operated at continuous countercurrent absorption. The entering gas contains 5 moles of
absorbable material per 20 moles of inert gas. The absorbing liquid enters the column as a pure material. Determine the minimum molal ratio
of liquid to gas if the gases leaving the tower contain 1 mole of absorbable material / 50 moles of inert gas.
A. 1 B. 1.05 C. 2.1 D. 3.25
3. The overall mass transfer coefficient have the following values in a packed tower operated isothermally at a pressure of 3 atm. Gas phase :
kGa = 0.396 kmol/ h-m3-mol fraction . Liquid phase: kLa = 13.9 kmol/h-m3-mol fraction. If Henry’s law is applicable, what is the numerical
value of the Henry’ constant law?
A. 5000 mmHg B. 60005 mmHg C. 76000 mmHg D. 80028 mmHg
4. A packed tower with an inside volume of 8.495 m3 is to be used for an ammonia absorption under such conditions that KGa = 0.01246
kgmole/s m3 atm and Henry’s law is applicable to the ammonia solution. The pressure difference driving force at the top of the column (PaG –
PaL ) is 0.009 atm , and the pressure difference driving force at the bottom of the column is 0.090 atm. If 249.5 kg of ammonia, in addition to
the inert gases, V = 8.495 m3 enters the tower per hour, what percentage of entering ammonia will be absorbed?
A. 80.2% B. 83.5 % C. 91.04 % D. 95.34%
5. Hetp
6. It is desired to absorb 90% of the acetone in a gas containing 1,0 mol% acetone in air in a countercurrent stage tower. The total inlet gas flow
to the tower is 30.0 kgmol/h, and the total inlet pure water flow to be used to absorb the acetone is 90 kgmol H2O/h. the process is to operate
isothermally at 300K and a total pressure of 101.3 kPa . The equilibrium relation for the acetone in the gas-liquid is yA = 2.53 xA. Determine
the number of theoretical stages required for this separation.
A. 5 stages B. 7 stages C. 8 stages D. 10 stages
7. At 70oF the Henry’s constant for a system is 3.03 lbmol/ft3 atm and KGa = 3.0 lbmol/h ft3 atm. Calculate the percent resistance to mass transfer
due to gas film if the value of kLa is 5.1 lbmol/h ft3 lbmol/ft3?
A. Jf
8. In the paper industry, large amounts of H2SO3 solution are used as a bleach in some processes. Bleach is prepared as it is used by
absorbing the flue gas from a sulfur burner in water to produce the bleach liquor. In a particular plant, 11% SO2 gas at 1 atm is made in the
burner and is scrubbed to recover 97% of the SO2. Absorbing liquid is pure water and the bleach is to be 0.75% SO2 by weight. Operation is
assumed isothermal at 30oC. 15000 cu ft /hr (dry basis) of gas is fed to the absorber, which is 6 ft inn diameter and packed with 3-in spiral tile
rings to a depth of 10 feet.
A. 1788 lbmole /hr B. 1895 lbmole/hr C. 2199 lbmole/hr D. 3122 lbmole/hr
9. A mixture of benzene vapor and flue gas contains 12.7 mole% benzene and is to be scrubbed continuously in a packed tower operated at
atmospheric pressure of 43oC. The tower is to be designed to treat 36000 ft3 per hour of entering gas and the exit gas is to contain 1.5 mole%
of benzene and will be supplied at the rate of 28 lbmolelhr. The solution of benzene in oil may be assumed to follow Raoult’s law and the
vapor pressure of pure benzene at 43oC in 0.263 atm. It is agreed that the maximum allowable superficial velocity of the gas mixture is 1
ft/sec. calculate the height of the tower required assuming that the height of a transfer unit is 2 ft.
A. 7.72 ft B. 8.5 ft C. 9.1 ft D. 10.2 ft
10. It is desired to design a packed tower for continuously absorbing NH3 from air by countercurrent water flow using the following data : Y1 =
0.05 Y2 = 0.0005 L’/V’ actual = 1.2 (L’/V’)min Gv = 20 lbmole of air/hr ft2
Qv1 = 108000 ft3/hr at 27oC and 1 atm
Equilibrium relationship: y = 0.8 x
Kya = 10 lbmoles NH3/hr ft3
Kxa = 19.2 lbmole NH3/hr ft3
Calculate the minimum absorbent rate.
A. 204.2 lbmoles lhr B, 390 lbmoles/hr C. 410 lbmoles/hr D. 500 lbmoles/hr
11. From problem 10, calculate the diameter of the tower.
A. 4.07 ft B. 5.23 ft C. 6.10 ft D. 7 ft
12. From problem 10, calculate the superficial velocity of entering gas mixture in ft/sec.
A. 2.31 ft B. 3 ft C. 3. 4 ft D. 4.2 ft
13. From problem 10, calculate the height of packing.
A. 31.25 ft B, 35 ft C. 45 ft D. 46.1 ft
14. Absorption factor is defined as
A. mGL B. mG/L C. G/mL D. L/mG
15. Height of transfer unit gives an idea about
A. the ease of separation C. the difficulty in achieving the separation
B. the degree of separation D. both (b) and (c)
16. Which of the following statements is / are correct?
A. NtoG depends on the equilibrium characteristics of a system
B. NtoG can be manipulated by manipulating gas and liquid flow rates
C. NtoG depends on packing characteristics
D. NtoG depends on gas flow rate
17. Number of gas phase transfer unit is given as
A. (overall change in gas phase concentration)/(average driving force)
B. (average driving force)/(overall change in gas phase concentration)
C. (overall change in gas phase concentration)(average driving force)
D. (overall change in gas phase concentration) – (average driving force)
18. A packed tower containing Berl saddles is operated with a gas-liquid system in the countercurrent mode. Keeping the gas flow rate constant,
if the liquid flow rate is continuously increased.
A. The void fraction available for the gas to flow will decrease beyond the loading limit.
B. The gas pressure drop will decrease.
C. Liquid will continue to flow freely the tower beyond the loading point
 D. The entrainment of liquid in the gas will considerably decrease near the flooding point.
19. In case of an absorber, the operating
A. Line is always lies above the equilibrium curve C. Line always lies below the equilibrium curve
B. Line can be either above or below the equilibrium curve D. Line always lies below the equilibrium curve.
20. Low viscosity absorbent is preferred for reasons of
A. Rapid absorption rates and good heat transfer characteristics C. Improved flooding characteristics
B. Low pressure drop on pumping D. All (a) , (b) and (c)
21. For absorption of SO2 in water,
A. the gas phase resistance becomes controlling
B. the liquid phase resistance becomes controlling
C. both gas and liquid phases are expected to offer comparable resistance
22. Absorption of ammonia in water and that of hydrogen chloride inn water are
A. gas phase resistance controlling
B. liquid phase resistance controlling
C. Neither A nor B
23. At the same gas flow rate, the pressure drop in a packed tower being irrigated with liquid ___ that in dry packed tower.
A. Is greater than B. is lower than C. is the same as D. cannot be predicted
24. Very tall packed towers are divided into series of beds to
A. Reduce the overall pressure drop C. reduce liquid holdup
B. Avoid chanelling D. avoid flooding
25. In a gas absorption tower, mass transfer occurs primarily
A. from the liquid phase to the gas phase C. from the liquid phase to the packing
B. from the gas phase to the liquid phase D. from the gas phase to the packing
26. In gas absorption, if the mass transfer coefficient in the liquid phase is very much greater than the mass transfer coefficient in the gas phase,
which of the following statements is not true?
A. the liquid film resistance is negligible
B. the mass transfer generation is controlled by the gas phase resistance
C. the solute in the gas mixture is very soluble in the liquid
D. the liquid film resistance controls the rate of mass transfer
27. The greater the surface area of the packing of the fractionating or absorption column
A. the greater the efficiency C. efficiency does not depend on the surface area of the column
B. the lower the efficiency D. the faster the distillation will proceed
28. In the case of a straight or concave downward operating line and a straight or concave upward equilibrium line, the maximum liquid rate is
that at which the
A. the operating line just touches the equilibrium line at the bottom of the tower
B. the operating line just touches the equilibrium line on top of the tower
C. the operating line intersects the equilibrium line at the middle of the tower
D. the slope of the operating line is smaller than that of the equilibrium
29. The rate of gas absorption primarily depends on the
A. height of tower C. concentration of solute gas in liquid and gas phase
B. packing D. density of gas and liquid
30. It is a mass transfer operation where it involves the transfer of a soluble component of a gas phase into a relatively nonvolatile liquid
absorbent
A. gas absorption B. liquid extraction C. distillation D. stripping
31. In gas absorption, tower packings are used
A. to reinforce the absorption tower due to drag created by the liquid and gas
B. to disseminate the heat generated to maintain isothermal conditions
C. to increase the area of contact between the gas and the liquid
D. to reduce the pressure drop created by flowing gas
32. Poor performance in large packed towers is due mainly to
A. poor packing B. inefficient heat transfer C. cavitation D. channeling
33. In a gas absorption packed tower, the most economical gas velocity is considered to be ___ the flooding velocity.
A. equal to B. twice C. about half D. greater than
34. In the choice of solvent for gas absorption, one of the properties to be considered is
A. solvent should have a low vapor pressure C. solvent should have low boiling point
B. solvent should be highly viscous D. solvent should be unusual
35. In absorption, the use of liquid rate far above the minimum value will result in
A. infinite number of plates C. minimum number of plates
B. small number of plates D. none of these
36. The rate equation in terms of the gas-phase mass transfer coefficient is used in design calculations instead of that in terms of the liquid phase
when
A. the solubility of the solute in the solvent is very low
B. the controlling resistance is that of the liquid phase
C. the controlling resistance is that of the gas phase
D. the tie line is horizontal
37. The overall height of a transfer unit based on the gas phase will equal the gas phase individual HTU, Hy when
A. the equilibrium curve is linear
B. the operating line is linear
C. the gas phase resistance is very small compared with the liquid phase
D. the concentration range is equal to the average driving force
38. In a stripping or desorption operation, the equilibrium curve is
A. above the operating line C. perpendicular with the tie line
B. below the operating line D. linear
39. In a gas absorption column, the pressure of the lean gas is expected to be
A. lower than B. higher than C. the same is D. double the pressure of the rich gas entering the column
40. The mass transfer rate of a material from one phase to another across an interface is increased by
A. increasing B. decreasing C. keeping constant D. making zero
The difference between the bulk concentration and the concentration at the interface between the 2 phases.
41. The pressure along packed tower is
A. inversely proportional to the mass flow rate
B. inversely proportional to the square of the mass flow rate
C. directly proportional to the mass flow rate
D. directly proportional to the square of the mass flow rate
42. Given gas flow rate of 0.062 kmols/s containing 1.6%mol SO2. Absorbent is 2.2 kmole/s of pure water. Packed column is 1.5 m2 in cross
sectional area and packed with no. 2 plastic super intalox saddes to a 3.5 m height. Exit gas contains an SO2 mole fraction of 0.004.
Operating pressure is 1 atm. At operating temperature, equilibrium curve for SO2 is y = kx = 40x. If fraction absorbed is 0.75, calculate the
L’/L’min.
A. 1.2 B. 2.1 C. 2.5 D. 3.2
43. From problem 42, find NOG.
A. 2.5 B. 3.78 C. 4.15 D. 5.6
44. From problem 43, find the HETP
A. 0.875 B. 0.923 C. 0.24 D. 0.43
45. From problem 43, find the HOG
A. 0.143 B. 0.45 D. 0.926 D. 0.23
46. From problem 44, find KGa in kmol/s- m3-atm-
A. 0.045 B. 0.54 C. 0.67 D. 0.73
47. The use of a liquid rate far above the minimum value will result in
A. Infinite number of plates B. small number of plates C. minimum number of plates D. none of these
48. Given the individual mass transfer coefficients and equilibrium equation at 25oC, kxa = 60, kya = 15 mol/hr –ft3 –molfraction and x*=0.3226 y,
the overall mass transfer coefficient Kya is __ mol/hr ft3 mol fraction.
A. 8.45 B. 38.62 C. 7.35 D. none of these
49. The pressure drop along a packed tower is
A. Inversely proportional to the mass flow rate
B. Inversely proportional to the square of the mass flow rate
C. Inversely proportional to the mass flow rate
D. Directly proportional to the square of the mass flow rate.
50. In a gas absorption column, the pressure of the lean gas expected to be
A. Lower than B. higher than C. the same as D. double the pressure of the rich gas