ABSORBER :

The absorption column is required to absorb nitrous reaction gases thus producing 80% (wt.) nitric acid product (dissolved impurity free basis). This is achieved by the countercurrent absorption of the nitrogen oxide components from the reaction gas into a water/weak acid media. The column specification requires an operating pressure of 950 kPa and an absorption temperature in the range of 10C to 65C.

All streams into the absorber are known, they are: (a) Reaction gas (of known temperature and composition); (b) Weak acid (of known temperature and composition); (c) Make-up water (at design temperature of 7C). The composition and temperature of the red product acid stream is also known, based on 460 kg nitrogen tetroxide being absorbed into the acid.

Reactions : N2O4 2NO2 2NO2 2HNO3 + NO

2NO + O2 3NO2 + H2O

Combined Reaction : 4NO + 2H2O + 3O2 4HNO3

The composition of the tail-gas stream from the absorber can now be calculated. Calculations are based on an overall mass balance, and also on a mole basis for each element Tail-gas composition Nitrogen = (27 050/28 677) x 100 = 94.3% Oxygen = (850/28 677) x 100 = 2.96% lnerts = (432/28 667 ) x 100 = 1.51% Water = (286/28 677) x 100 =1% NO = 0% NO2 = (32/28 677 ) x 100 = 0 .11 % N2O4 = (27/28 677 ) x 100 = 0 .9 % The design specification for the absorber requires that the tail gas leaves the absorber at 10C, make-up water to be supplied at 7C to the top plate, and

inclusion of two independent sets of cooling coils in the column. The first set of coils runs in the top half of the column. The inlet temperature for these coils is 7C and the design exit temperature is 20C. The second set of coils occupy the bottom half of the column using cooling water from the normal cooling-water circuit. Therefore, the inlet temperature is 2OC, and the outlet temperature is 40C. The required flowrate through each set of cooling coils can be calculated if the heat duty is known. Heat duty

= ( n out H out n in H in)

= nitrogen + other gases + nitric acid + water (l) + water (g) + NO + NO2 + N2O4 = [(27 050/28) 29.16 (10 - 65)] + [(1628/30) 30 (10 - 65)] + [(7000 - 2323)/63][(110 (45 - 65)) - 206 5701 + [(2323/63) 110 (45 - 60)] + [(879/l 8) (285 840)] + [(1459/l 8) 75.4 (45 - 7)] + [(3208/18) 75.4 (45 - 60)] + [(211 /18) (241 830)] + [(102/30) ( - 90 370)] + [ (2132/46) ( - 33 800)] + [(1425/92) ( - 26 500)] = (-1 550500) + (-73040) + (-15559500) + (13989200) + (2 834 800) + (-307300) + (-1 566600) + (-410500) = - 2 643 400 kJ

Top-coil section : Heat duty for top-coil section = [Ttout- Ttin) / (Tbout - Ttin)] Heat duty = [(20 - 7)/(40 - 7)] 2 643 400 = 1 041 000 kJ Required flowrate in top-coil section = Heat duty/ [Cp (Ttout - Ttin)] = 1 041 000/ [4.2 (20-7)] = 19100kg

Bottom-coil section :
Heat duty for bottom-coil section = [(Tbout - Tbin)/Tbout - Ttin)] Heat duty = ;(40 - 20)/(40 - 7)] / 2643400 = 1 602 000 kJ Required flowrate in bottom-coil section = Heat duty / [Cp(Tbout - Tbin)] = 1 602 000/[4.2 (40 - 20)] = 19100 kg