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Chapter 4 Week 3

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Chapter 4 Week 3

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Syahmi
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© © All Rights Reserved
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ABSORPTION TOWER DESIGN

 Absorption is a mass transfer process in which


a vapour solute A in a gas mixture is absorbed
by means of a liquid in which the solute is more
or less soluble.

 Gas mixture: inert gas and the solute

 The liquid : liquid which immiscible to the gas


phase
DESIGN OF PLATE ABSORPTION TOWER

In order to have efficient contact of vapour and


liquid in absorption, tray (plate) tower is selected.
Type of trays:
 Sieve tray:

 Valve tray

 Bubble cap tray


TYPE OF TRAYS

Sieve trays Bubble cap trays


TYPE OF TRAYS
Sieve trays Valve trays Bubble cap trays

(Copyright Sulzer Chemtech Ltd., Switzerland)


MATERIAL BALANCE IN ABSORPTION 1. OPERATING LINE DERIVATION
TOWER

 Overall material balance on


component A

 A balance around the


dashes lines

PLATE (TRAY) ABSORPTION TOWER


2. DETERMINATION OF NUMBER OF TRAYS

Theoretical number of trays

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒔


𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒔 ∶
𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚
3. LIMITING AND OPTIMUM L’/V’ RATIOS
Operating line for limiting  When the operating line has
condition minimum slope and touches
equilibrium line at P, the L’ is
a minimum at L’min

 𝑥1 is maximum at 𝑥1𝑚𝑎𝑥
when L’ is a minimum

𝑋2 𝑦1
 𝐿′𝑚𝑖𝑛
1−𝑋2
+ 𝑉′
1 −𝑦1
=
𝑥1𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝑦2
𝐿′𝑚𝑖𝑛 + 𝑉′
1−𝑥1𝑚𝑎𝑥 1−𝑦2

 As approximation for
absorption, the optimum
liquid flow rate are 1.2 – 1.5
times L’min
EXAMPLE. 10.6-3
A tray tower is absorbing ethyl alcohol from an
inert gas streaming using pure water at 303 K
and 101.3 kPa. The inlet gas stream flowrate is
100 kg mol/h and it contains 2.2 mol% alcohol. It
is desired to recover 90% of the alcohol. The
equilibrium relationship is 𝑦 = 𝑚𝑥 = 0.68 𝑥 for
this dilute stream. Using 1.5 times the minimum
liquid flow rate, determine the number of trays
needed. Do this graphically and also using
analytical equations
SOLUTION
NOTATIONS
L’ = inert pure water or solvent in kgmol/h or
kgmol/h.m2
V’ = inert air in kgmol/h or kgmol/h.m2
L’min = minimum liquid flow rate
𝑥1𝑚𝑎𝑥 = mole fraction in leaving/exit liquid at L’min
DESIGN OF PACKED ABSORPTION TOWER
Countercurrent packed  Overall material balance
tower
 Operating line
MATERIAL BALANCE
PLATE TOWER PACKED TOWER
4.6. DETERMINATION OF TOWER HEIGHT
Film and overall mass transfer coefficient in
packed tower absorption
 Interfacial area, A between phase gas V’ and liquid L’
is very difficult to measure experimentally, hence:

 Final equation to calculate HEIGHT


SIMPLIFIED METHODS FOR ABSORPTION OF
DILUTE GAS MIXTURE IN PACKED TOWER

1. Plot operating line as straight line, also determine L


𝐿1 + 𝐿2
and V, where and 𝐿𝑎𝑣 =
2

2. Calculate the slope from empirical correlation of k’ya


and k’xa

and
3. For overall coefficient, y1* , y2* and x1* , x2* is obtained
from the graph
4. Calculate the log mean driving force, using:

5. Calculate the column height, z :


EXAMPLE 10.6-2
Acetone is being absorbed by water in a packed tower
having cross sectional area of 0.186 m2 at 293 K and
101.32 kPa (1 atm). The inlet air contains 2.6 mol%
acetone and outlet 0.5mol%. The gas flow is 13.65
kgmol inert air/h (30.1 lbmol/h). The pure water inlet
flow is 45.36 kgmol water/h (100 lbmol/h). Film
coefficients for the given flows in the tower are k’ya =
3.78 x 10-2 kgmol/s.m3.mol frac and k’xa = 6.16 x 10-2
kgmol/s.m3.mol frac. Equilibrium data are given in
Appendix A.3.
(a). Calculate the tower height using k’ya
(b). Repeat using k’xa
(c). Calculate K’ya and the tower height, z.
EQUILIBRIUM DATA
LOCATION OF INTERFACE COMPOSITION FOR
EXAMPLE 10.6-2
DESIGN OF PACKED TOWER USING TRANSFER UNIT
A. Design for concentrated solution
B. Design for dilute solutions

For operating line and equilibrium line are


straight line,
 When the film mass transfer coefficient is not
available,

 When operating line and equilibrium line are


straight but not parallel;

 And Height of theoritical tray (HETP),


NOTATION
z : Height of tower
HG : Height of transfer unit based on the gas film
HOG : Height of transfer unit based on overall MTC
NL,NG,NOG,NOL : Number of transfer unit
EXAMPLE 10.6-5

Repeat example 10.6-4 using transfer unit and


height of a transfer unit.
Use HG and NG to calculate tower height
SOLUTION
1. Height of transfer unit

2. Number of transfer unit

3. Height of tower
CONSIDERATION IN SELECTION OF TOWER

Gas pressure drop: Packed tower require small


pressure drop
Liquid hold up : Packed tower substantially
provide smaller liquid holdup
Liquid/gas ratio : Low ratios are best handled in
tray tower
Liquid cooling : Cooling coils are more readily
built into tray tower than packed tower
Side streams:
Side stream : more readily removed from tray towers

Foaming systems: Packed towers operate with less bubbling


of gas through the liquid and more suitable

Corrosion: Packed towers for difficult corrosion problems

Cleaning: Frequent cleaning is easier with tray towers

Large temperature fluctuations: Tray or metal packings are


satisfactory.
Cost
PROBLEM 10.6-13

Using data from example 10.6-3, calculate the


number of trays graphically and analytically for an
operating flow rate of 1.3 times the minimum
liquid flow rate

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