GAS ABSORPTION

INITION
A method of scparating one oi moie selected
components fiom a gas mixtuies
O in which the gas mixtuies is cnntactcd with a suitable
liquid
O wheieby the snlutc(s) is absnrbcd fiom the gas phase into
the liquid phase (mass tiansfei fiom gas stieam to liquid
stieam).
The ieveise piocess of absoiption is called stiipping oi
desoiption.
Cas mlxLure
(A8Cu)
Llquld + gas A
Cas 8Cu
llgure 1 AbsorpLlon rocess
!
l
X`
l
!nffInnfo, C
l
Y`
l
Ixfrncf, !
2
X`
2
Iood, C
2
Y`
2
AMPIS O ABSORPTION PROCSS
ammonia may be iemoved fiom an ammoniaaii
mixtuie by absoiption in watei.
acetone can be iecoveied fiom an acetoneaii mixtuie
by passing the gas stieam into watei in which the
acetone dissolves while the aii passes out.
Cas mlxLure
(A8Cu)
Llquld + gas A
Cas 8Cu
llgure 1 AbsorpLlon rocess
GAS-IIQ\I Q\IIIBRI\M
hen the gas phase in contact with the liquid phase,
aftei sometimes it will ieached an equilibiium stage.
Ioi an idcal snlutinn, the concentiation of the gas in
the liquid phase follow Ranult's Law.
Ioi dilutc cnnccntratinns of most gases the
equilibiium ielationship follow the Hcnry's Law.
PACK TOWR
most fiequently used to
iemove contaminants
fiom a gas stieam
can also be used to
iemove volatile
components fiom a liquid
stieam by contacting it
with an ineit gas
(stiipping)
nlet liquid
Puie solvent oi dilute
solution of solute in the
solvent
eak liquoi
nlet gas
Solute-containing gas
Rich gas
Outlet liquid
Liquid that is eniiched in
solute as it flows down the
towei
Concentiated liquid
Stiong liquoi
Outlet gas
Solute in the iich gas
absoibed by the fiesh liquid
enteiing the towei
Dilute/lean gas
Isf
IIImInnfor
!IquId
Srny
InckIng
!IquId oufIof
CIonn gns ouf
Irfy gns In
!IquId In
TOWR PACKINGS
nf
O A suorfod mnss of Inorf soIId snos
y
O %o nckIng rovIdos n Inrgo nron of confncf bofwoon
fo fIuId nnd gns nnd
O Incourngos InfImnfo confncf bofwoon fo nsos
AMPIS %R PACKINCS
TYPS O PACKING
Random
packing
Comes in a sack
Simply dumped into the
column
Stiuctuied
packing
May come in bales oi
intiicate designs that aie
stacked in specific patteins
Used in veiy low piessuie
diop applications
Ioi incieasing the capacity
of an existing column
SIGN O PACK TOWR
I) CONTACT BTWN IIQ\I AN GAS
n gas absoiption, a good contact between the liquid
and gas is needed.
But it is haid to meet.
hy:
Uneven distiibution of the liquid that cause channeling
hat is channeling!
O it is the unequal wetting of the packings in the towei.
O the liquid flows in little stieams down thiough the towei
without wetting the entiie packing aiea
Channeling is the ieason foi the pooi peifoimance of
laige packed toweis and theiefoie, less efficiency of
the towei happens.
CHANNIING
deally when the liquid
distiibuted ovei the top of
the packing it will flows in
thin films ovei all the
packing suiface all the way
down the towei.
The films tend to giow
thickei in some places and
thinnei in otheis, so that the
liquid collects into small
iivulets and flows along
localized paths thiough the
packing.
At low liquid iates
much of the packing
suiface may be diy oi
coveied by a stagnant
film oi liquid.
This effect is
known as
channeling
II) IIMITING IOW RATS
Liquid hnld up
hen a liquid flows thiough a bed, a
pait of the open space is occupied by
the liquid, this is called liquid hold-
up.
lnnding vclncity
n a towei having a packing and
being iiiigated with a definite flow of
liquid, theie is an uppei limit to the
iate of gas flow.
The gas velocity coiiesponding to
this limit is called flooding velocity
PRINCIPIS O GAS ABSORPTION
I) MATRIAI BAIANC
nforInI bnInnco for
orfIon of fo coIumn
O Total mateiial balance :
L
a
+ V = L + V
a
(a)
O Component balance on A :
L
a
x
a
+ Vy = Lx + V
a
y
a
(b)
O heie
V molal flow iate of the gas
phase
L molal flow iate of the liquid
phase
x in the liquid phase conc.
y in the gas phase conc.
Oveiall Mateiial balance foi
the system
O L
a
+ V
b
= L
b
+ V
a
(c)
O L
a
x
a
+ V
b
y
b
= L
b
x
b
+ V
a
y
a
(d)
Reaiianging equation (b)
'
'

'

, , , ,


opeiating line equation
II) IIMITING GAS-IIQ\I RATIO
!ofor fo fo oornfIng IIno oqunfIon, fo sIoo of
fo oqunfIon Is !/V, wIc Is fo rnfIo of fo
moInI fIows of IIquId nnd gns.
In nbsorbor dosIgn, usunIIy foso vnrInbIos nro
fIxod by fo rocoss roquIromonf:
O fo qunnfIfy of gns fo bo fronfod,
O formInnI conconfrnfIons nnd
O fo comosIfIon of IIquId
uf fo qunnfIfy of IIquId fo bo usod Is subjocf fo
coIco.
'
'

'

, , , ,


AMPI 1-THORTICAI N\MBR O STAGS
Suppose you wish to iemove acetone fiom a gas stieam of
1O,OOO mol/h in a packed column. The inlet gas contains 2.6
mole peicent acetone and the outlet gas stieam can contain
no moie than O.5 mole peicent acetone. Assume a puie
watei stieam enteis the packed towei at a iate of 8,OOO
mol/h.
!nffInnfo, C
l
Y`
l
Iood, C
2
Y`
2
!
l
X`
l
Ixfrncf, !
2
X`
2
! ouf x ouf + C ouf y ouf = ! In x In + C In y In
(8000) x ouf + (l0000)(0.005) = (8000)(0)+(l0000)(0.026)
x ouf = 0.02625
Ior oornfIng IIno:
I) IIrsf oInf = (X
l
,Y
l
)
II) Socond oInf = (X
2
, Y
2
)
(X
l
,Y
l
)
(X
2
,Y
2
)
IXAI!I 2
A bubble-cap absoiption column is to be used to absoib ammonia, NH
3
by
using watei. t is desiied to absoib 95% of the enteiing gaseous ammonia.
Civen:
Ieed, C
2
gaseous mixtuie contains 2O.5 mol% NH
3
, 79.5 mol% aii.
6O.5 kmol/h of gaseous NH
3
.
Liquid in, L
1
55OO kg aqueous ammonia solution contains O.1 wt% NH
3
.
Assume the effect of watei vapoi in the gases is negligible. The column
opeiates at P
atm
of 1 atm and constant tempeiatuie of 16
o
C.
The equilibiium data foi NH
3
in aii-NH
3
in watei system at 1 atm and
16
o
C is given:
0.000 0.053 0.lll 0.l?? 0.250
0.000 0.044 0.089 0.l59 0.280
0
0.05
0.l
0.l5
0.2
0.25
0.3
0 0.05 0.l 0.l5 0.2 0.25 0.3
GRO\P ASSIGNMNT 1
n gioup of thiee, explain in detail:
i) The ielation between piessuie diop and gas flow iate in a
packed towei. Make suie in youi explanation includes
these teims:
O Cas velocity
O Piessuie diop
O Loading point
O Ilooding point
ii) Limiting gas-liquid iatio and its impoitance in packed
towei. t should includes these teims:
Teiminal concentiations
Contact time
Opeiating line
Diffusional diiving foice
You may use appiopiiate figuie(s) to suppoit youi iepoit.
You can iefei to these books in completing this assignment.
Coulson & Richaidson's CHEMCAL ENCNEERNC VOLUME 6 by R K Sinnott -
Section 11.14
UNT OPERATONS OI CHEMCAL ENCNEERNC 5
th
edition by aiien L.
McCabe, 1ulian C. Smith, Petei Haiiiott - Chaptei 22 Cas Absoiption
MASS TRANSIER OPERATONS by Robeit E. Tieybal - Chaptei 8
Coulson & Richaidson's CHEMCAL ENCNEERNC VOLUME 2 by 1 I
Richaidson & 1 R Backhuist - Chaptei 4 and Chaptei 12
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