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Absorption: Instructor: Zafar Shakoor

The document discusses methods for estimating the height of packed columns used in gas absorption processes, noting that column height is calculated as the number of transfer units multiplied by the height of a single transfer unit. It also covers approaches for estimating pressure drop through packed columns, which is influenced by gas and liquid flow rates and flooding points, providing rules of thumb for practical design considerations.

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MALIK ZARYABBABAR
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71 views14 pages

Absorption: Instructor: Zafar Shakoor

The document discusses methods for estimating the height of packed columns used in gas absorption processes, noting that column height is calculated as the number of transfer units multiplied by the height of a single transfer unit. It also covers approaches for estimating pressure drop through packed columns, which is influenced by gas and liquid flow rates and flooding points, providing rules of thumb for practical design considerations.

Uploaded by

MALIK ZARYABBABAR
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Absorption

Instructor: Zafar Shakoor


Column Height
• The column height may be estimated from

• where NOG is the number of overall transfer units, HOG is the height of a single transfer unit and Z is the
height of the column packing. In most design applications, the number of transfer units (NOG) is obtained
experimentally or calculated using any of the methods to be explained later in this section.
• The height of a transfer unit (HOG) is also usually determined experimentally for the system under
consideration.
• Information on many different systems using various types of packings has been compiled by the
manufacturers of gas absorption equipment and should be consulted prior to design.
• The data may be in the form of graphs depicting, for a specific system and packing, the HOG vs the gas
mass flux (lb/h . ft2) with the liquid rate as a parameter.
• The packing height Z is then simply the product of the HOG and the NOG.
• Although there are many different approaches to determine the column height, the HOG–NOG approach is
the simplest and presently the most used, with the HOG usually being obtained from the manufacturer.
Column Height
Column Height
Column Height
Problem 04
Problem 05
Problem 06
Pressure Drop
• The pressure drop through a packed column for any combination of liquid and
gas flows in the operable range is an important economic consideration in the
design of such columns.
• For most random packings, the pressure drop incurred by the gas is influenced
by the gas and liquid flow rates. At constant gas rate, an increase in liquid
throughput—which takes up more room in the packing (increased holdup) and,
therefore, leaves less room for the gas (greater restriction)—is accompanied by
an increase in pressure drop until the liquid flooding rate is reached.
• At this point, any slight liquid excess that cannot pass through remains atop the
packing, building up a deeper and deeper head (or pressure drop),
hypothetically reaching an infinite value.
Pressure Drop
• Similarly, at constant liquid downflow, increasing the gas flow is again
accompanied by a rising pressure drop until the flooding rate is
reached, whereupon the slightest gas increase will cause a decline in
permissible liquid throughput.
• This causes the liquid to again accumulate atop the packing, so that
pressure drop again continues to increase.
• For a particular packing, the most accurate pressure drop data will be
those available directly from the manufacturer.
• However, for the purposes of estimation, Figure 10.11 is simple to
use and usually provides reasonable results.
Pressure Drop
• Some general “rules of thumb” in the design of packed columns do exist.
• They are by no means final in that there are other considerations that might have to be taken into
account (allowable pressure drop, possible column height restrictions, and so on).
• The rules must therefore be applied discriminately. For approximation purposes, if the gas rate is
greater than about 500 acfm, a nominal packing size smaller than 1 inch would probably not be
practical: similarly, at about 2000 acfm, sizes smaller than 2 inches would also likely be impractical.
• The nominal size of the packing should not exceed about 1/20th of the column diameter.
• The usual practice is to design so that the operating gas rate is approximately 75% of the rate that
would cause flooding.
• If possible, column dimensions should be in readily available sizes (i.e., diameters to the nearest
half foot and heights to the nearest foot).
• If the column can be purchased “off-the shelf”, as opposed to being specially made, substantial
savings can be realized.
Problem 07
Problem 07

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