Absorption: Instructor: Zafar Shakoor

Absorption
Instructor: Zafar Shakoor

DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE EQUATIONS—PACKED
COLUMNS
• Design and performance equations are provided for both packed and plate
columns, and some overlap does exist.
• However, the emphasis is on packed columns since they are often the choice
in absorption applications.
• On the other hand, plate columns, the preferred choice in distillation.
• For most absorption applications, sufficient information is either provided or
available to enable one to completely describe the system through simple yet
standard calculational procedures.
• These calculations generally involve the determination of three unknown
system variables: the liquid rate, the column height (and corresponding
pressure drop), and the column diameter.
Liquid Rate
• The usual operating data to be determined or estimated for
isothermal systems are the liquid rates and the terminal
concentrations or mole fractions.
• An operating line, which describes operating conditions in a
countercurrent flow column, is obtained by a mass (or a mole basis)
balance around the column (as shown in Fig. 10.7).
• Note that the notation normally employed for the gas rate in
absorption calculations is G, not V, as employed for the vapor rate.
• The subscript m is often carried if the rate is based on moles. The
overall mole balance is:
Liquid Rate
• The overall mole balance is:
Liquid Rate
This is the equation of a straight line known as the operating line. It has a slope of
Lm/Gm on x, y coordinates and passes through the points (xA1, yA1) and (xA2, yA2) as
indicated in Figure 10.8.
Liquid Rate
• In the design of most absorption columns, the quantity of gas to be
treated, Gm, the concentrations, yA1 and yA2, and the composition of
the entering liquid, xA2, are ordinarily fixed by process requirements.
• However, the quantity of liquid solvent to be used is subject to some
choice. This can be resolved by setting or obtaining a minimum liquid–
to–gas ratio.
Liquid Rate
• With reference to Figure 10.8, the operating line must pass through
point A (top of column) and must terminate at the ordinate yA1.
• If such a quantity of liquid is used to produce operating line AB, the
exiting liquid will have the composition xA1.
• If less liquid is used, the exit liquid composition will clearly be greater,
as at point C, but since the driving forces for mass transfer are less,
the absorption is more difficult.
• The time of contact between the gas and liquid must then be greater
and the absorber must be correspondingly taller.
Liquid Rate
• The minimum liquid that can be used corresponds to the operating line AD,
which has the greatest slope for any line touching the equilibrium curve (tangent
to the curve at E).
• At point E, the mass transfer driving force is zero, the required contact time for
the concentration change desired is infinite, and an infinitely tall column results.
• This then represents the minimum liquid–to–gas ratio.
• The importance of the minimum liquid–to–gas ratio lies in the fact that column
operation is frequently specified as some factor of the minimum liquid–to–gas
ratio.
• For example, a typical situation frequently encountered is that the actual
operating line, (Lm/Gm)act is 1.5(Lm/Gm)min.
Problem 01
• Given the following information for a packed countercurrent gas
scrubber, determine the liquid flux in lbmol/h . ft2.
• Gas flux = 18 lbmol/h . ft2
• The mole fractions of the solute in the inlet and outlet gas are 0.08
and 0.002, respectively
• The mole fractions of the solute in the inlet and outlet liquid are
0.001 and 0.05, respectively.
Column Diameter
• Consider a packed column operating at a given liquid rate and the gas rate is then
gradually increased.
• After a certain point, the gas rate is so high that the drag on the liquid is sufficient to
keep the liquid from flowing freely down the column. Liquid begins to accumulate and
tends to block the entire cross section for flow (a process referred to as loading).
• This, of course, increases both the pressure drop and prevents the packing from
mixing the gas and liquid effectively, and ultimately some liquid is even carried back
up the column.
• This undesirable condition, known as flooding, occurs fairly abruptly, and the
superficial gas velocity at which it occurs is called the flooding velocity.
• The calculation of column diameter is usually based on flooding considerations, with
the usual operating range being taken as 50–75% of the flooding rate.
Column Diameter
• One of the more commonly used correlations is U.S. Stoneware’s(3)
generalized pressure drop correlation, as presented in Figure 10.11. The
procedure to determine the
• column diameter is as follows:
• 1 Calculate the abscissa, (L/G)(ρG/ ρL)0.5; mass basis for all terms
• 2 Proceed to the flooding line and read the ordinate (design parameter)
• 3 Solve the ordinate equation for Gf at flooding
• 4 Calculate the column cross-sectional area, S, for the fraction of flooding
velocity chosen for operation, f, by the equation:
Where W (m) is the mass flow rate of the gas in lb/s and S is the area in ft 2.
Problem 02
• A packed column is used to absorb a toxic pollutant from a gas stream. From the data given below,
calculate the height of packing and column diameter. The unit operates at 50% of the flooding gas mass
velocity, the actual liquid flow rate is 40% more than the minimum, and 95% of the pollutant is to be
collected. Employ the generalized correlation provided in Figure 10.11 to estimate the column diameter.
• Gas mass flow rate = 3500 lb/h
• Pollutant concentration in inlet gas stream = 1.1 mol%
• Scrubbing liquid = pure water
• Packing type = 1-inch Raschig rings; packing factor F = 160
• HOG of the column = 2.5 ft
• Henry’s law constant m = 0.98
• Density of gas (air) = 0.075 lb/ft3
• Density of water = 62.4 lb/ft3
• Viscosity of water = 1.8 cP

Absorption: Instructor: Zafar Shakoor

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