Mass Transfer Operations (CL-205) - QUIZ-3

Important instructions: Mobile phones and laptops are not allowed for the exam. Every student
should return the question paper with the answer sheet. It is a closed book and closed note exam.
Please strictly adhere to the timing of the exam. [30 Marks]

Time- 60 min

Name
Roll No.

Q1. Write True or False for the following statements: [1 x 5 Marks]

A. In a packed tower, the liquid flowing down through the packing remains in contact with
the up-flowing gas at every point of the packed section.
B. Packed column is called as continuous differential contact equipment.
C. HETP does not depend on the flowrates of both the fluids.
D. In a packed tower, the liquid flowing down through the packing remains in contact with
the up-flowing gas on discrete stages.
E. Absorption is preferentially dissolving one or more components of the gas into a liquid
system.

Q2. An air mixture containing 10% of the solute A is to be scrubbed with a solute free solvent
in order to remove 98% of it. The gas flow rate at the bottom is 70 kmol/m²-h, and the solvent
flow rate is 76.8 kmol/m²-h the liquid leaving the column has 8.2 mol% solute in it. The
equilibrium relation is given by y* = 1.05x + 0.32x2, x ≤ 0.1. If the overall volumetric mass
transfer coefficient is Kya= 95 kmol/(h)(m³) (∆y). Consider molecular weight of solute A is 17
kg/kmol. Calculate NTU, HTU and the height of the packing required. [15 Marks]

Q3. Benzene is absorbed from a stream of air into a non-volatile oil in a counter current packed
tower at 299 K and 105 kPa. The equilibrium is approximately linear, y = 0.19x. The solvent
(mol. wt. = 240) enters the column at a rate of 8500 kg/h m2. Terminal concentrations of
benzene in the liquid and the gas phases are: x = 0.0008, y = 0.0005 at the top, and x = 0.152,
y = 0.038 at the bottom. The heights of individual gas and liquid phase transfer units are HtG =
0.33 m and HtL = 0.43 m. Calculate (a) the heights of overall gas-phase and the overall liquid-
phase transfer units, and (b) the HETP of the packing. [10 Marks]

***************************All The Best**************************************

Q1. Solution
A. True
B. True
C. False
D. False
E. True

Q2. Solutions
Molecular weight of the feed gas (10% A, 90% air) = (0.1) (17) + (0.9) (28.8) = 27.62

Feed gas:

Feed gas rate, G₁ = 70 kmol/h m²

mole fraction of A, x1= 0.1

moles A input = (70) (0.1) = 7 kmoles

moles air input = (70) (0.9) = 63 kmol (= GS)

Solute removed = 98%

moles solute out = (7) (0.02) = 0.14 kmol

G2 = 63 + 0.14 = = 63.14 kmol/m²-h.

Concentration of Solute in outlet gas, y₂ = 0.14/ (63 + 0.14) = 0.002217

Equilibrium relation:

y* = 1.05 x + 0.32 x2 (i)

The liquid phase:

Solvent flow rate LS = 76.8 kmol/h

Solute concentration in outlet solvent stream, x1 = 0.082

Solute balance to calculate the concentration of exit liquid, x1

Equation of Operating line:

𝑦1 𝑦 𝑥1 𝑥
Gs ( - ) = LS ( - )
1−𝑦1 1−𝑦 1−𝑥1 1−𝑥

0⋅1 𝑦 0⋅082 𝑥
63[ − ] = 76.8[ − ]
1−0⋅1 1−𝑦 1−0⋅082 1−𝑥
 𝑦 𝑥
63[0.1111 − ] = 76.8[0.0893 − ]
1−𝑦 1−𝑥

𝑦 𝑥
= 1.219 + 0.0022 (ii)
1−𝑦 1−𝑥

𝑑𝑦
NtoG = ∫ (iii)
𝑦−y∗

We must evaluate the above integral, to determine the number of overall gas-phase transfer
units. For this purpose, we must obtain a set of values of y and y along the packed bed.

We select a value of y (0.002217 ≥ x ≥ 0.1), calculate the corresponding bulk liquid

concentration x from the operating line equation (ii), and the corresponding equilibrium
concentration in the gas phase using the given equation for the equilibrium relation (i) above.

The following tabulated data are used for the graphical evaluation of the integral given in the
alternative form.

y 0.1 0.085 0.07 0.055 0.04 0.025 0.015 0.002217

y* 0.08825 0.07425 0.0614 0.0467 0.0332 0.0199 0.01113 1.8 × 10-5

y - y* 0.01175 0.01075 0.0096 0.00827 0.00676 0.00507 0.00387 0.00219

1
85.1 93 104.2 120.9 148 197 258.4 454.93
𝑦−y∗
 𝟏
The area under the plot of vs y is 12.72
𝒚−𝐲∗

1− 0.002217
NtoG = 12.72 + ½ ln
1−0.1

NtoG = 12.77

Given, KY a= 95 kmol/(h)(m³) (∆y).

Average gas flow rate G = (G1 + G2) / 2 = 66.57 kmol/m²-h.

𝐺 𝐺
HtoG = ∗ =
Ky a𝑦𝐵 Ky a

HtoG = 66.57 / 95 = 0.7007 m

Packed height = HtoG × NtoG = 0.7007 × 12.77 = 8.948 m

Q2.Solutions:
Solvent rate:
𝐾𝑔 8500 𝐾𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝐿𝑠 = 8500 2
= = 35.4 2
𝑚 .ℎ 240 𝑚 .ℎ
Concentrations:
𝑦1 = 0.03, 𝑌1 = 0.0395 ; 𝑦2 = 0.0005, = 𝑌2 ;
𝑥1 = 0.152, 𝑋1 = 0.1792; 𝑥2 = 0.0008 = 𝑋2 ;
Material balance:
𝐺′𝑠 = (0.0395 − 0.0005) = (35.4)(0.1792 − 0.0008)
𝐾𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐾𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐾𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝐺′𝑠 = 161.9 ; 𝐺′𝑠 = 𝐺 ′1 (1 + 𝑌1 ) = 168.3 ; 𝐺′2 = 𝐺 ′ 𝑠 (1 + 𝑌2 ) = 162 ;
𝑚2 . ℎ 𝑚2 . ℎ 𝑚2 . ℎ
Liquid rate at the bottom:
𝐾𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝐿′1 = 𝐿′ 𝑠 (1 + 𝑋1 ) = (35.4)(1.1792) = 41.74
𝑚2 . ℎ
Equilibrium Line:
𝑦 = 0.19𝑥, 𝑚 = 0.19
Absorption Factor at the top:
𝐿′2 (35.4)
𝐴′2 = = = 1.15
𝑚𝐺′2 (0.19)(162)
Absorption Factor at the bottom:
𝐿′1 (41.74)
𝐴′1 = = = 1.305
𝑚𝐺′1 (0.19)(168.3)
Taking geometric mean,
1 1
𝐴′ = (𝐴′1 . 𝐴′ 2 )2 = (1.305 ∗ 1.15)2 = 1.225

(the arithmetic mean=1.227, which is virtually the same as the above)

1 0.43
(a)𝐻𝑡𝑜𝐺 = ( 𝐻𝑡𝐺 + 𝐻𝑡𝐿 ) = (0.33 + ) = 0.68𝑚
𝐴′ 1.225

𝐻𝑡𝑜𝐿 = ( 𝐴′𝐻𝑡𝐺 + 𝐻𝑡𝐿 ) = (1.225)(0.33) + (0.43) = 0.83𝑚

(b)𝑆′ = 1/𝐴′ = 1/1.225 = 0.816

𝑙𝑛𝑆′ ln (0.816)
𝐻𝐸𝑇𝑃 = (𝐻𝑡𝑜𝐺 . ′
) = ((0.68) ) = 0.75𝑚
𝑆 −1 (0.816 − 1)