Tutorial: Gas absorption
a) It is desired to remove 95% of acetone from a gas stream containing 10 mol% acetone, (!")#$
in air dr% b% scrubbing &it' pure &ater in pac(ed to&er filled &it' metal ring (r)#*f
+1
, -9 m
+1
).
T'e gas and &ater enter t'e to&er at 15 m
"
,s and * (g,s, respectivel%. T'e &ater possesses specific
gravit% of 1 and viscosit% of #.5 / 10
+"
(g,m.s. T'e process is to be operated isot'ermall% at "00(
and total pressure of 101." (0a. Given t'at
Pflood = 0.115 Fp
0.7
, ( 1 in. H2O/ ft of packing = 817 Pa/ m of packing)
i) 1(etc' and label t'e sc'ematic diagram of t'e absorption to&er
ii) 2etermine t'e mass flo&rates of t'e feed gas and e/tract
iii) T'e mass velocit% of t'e gas at flooding point
iv) T'e diameter of t'e to&er at flooding point
b) 3n absorption column is used to absorb 95% of t'e sulfur dio/ide in a gas containing 10.0 mol%
sulfur dio/ide in air at #5 and 101."#5 (0a. T'e total inlet gas flo& to t'e to&er is 50.0 (mol,', and
t'e pure &ater flo& sed to absorb t'e sulfur dio/ide is 100 (mol,'. T'e process is to operate
isot'ermall% at #9- 4. 2etermine t'e number of t'eoretical stages re5uired for t'is separation if t'e
tra% column is used. T'e e5uilibrium data for t'e sulfur dio/ide in t'e gas+ li5uid p'ase is given in
Table 1.
Table 1 T'e e5uilibrium data for t'e sulfur dio/ide in t'e gas+li5uid p'ase
6ole 7raction 1$# in 8i5uid, /3
0 0.000#- 0.0009## 0.0005: 0.00190" 0.0019* 0.00#99
6ole 7raction 1$# in Gas, %3 0 0.00:19 0.010:5 0.0155 0.09*" 0.0:-5 0.095
c) T'e absorption process conditions in ;uestion #a) above is ta(en place in a pac(ed column. <o& t'e
process design specifies a li5uid+to+gas flo& rate ratio, 8=,G= of #,1 and t'e use of >ac'ig >ings as
pac(ings. T'e generali?ed correlation for pressure drop in pac(ed column is given in 3ppendi/ 1.
2ata given:
0ac(ing factor f ) 1-9 m
+1
@niversal Gas onstant, >u ) -."19 m
"
A0a,(molA4)
6olecular Beig't 1$# ) :9 g,mol
6olecular Beig't 3ir ) #9.-* g,mol
Ciscosit% of Bater at #5 ) 0.-9"* / 10
+"
(g,mAs
i) alculate t'e gas pressure drop in t'e pac(ings and t'e gas mass velocit% at 50% flooding.
ii) alculate t'e column diameter at 50% flooding.
iii) alculate t'e li5uid flo& rate, 8= in (g,s
d) 3 bubble cap absorption column is used to absorb 90 mol% of 1$# from a gaseous stream b% using
pure &ater. T'e gaseous mi/ture containing 11 mol% 1$# and -9 mol% of air &'ic' enters at bottom
of t'e column. T'e inlet &ater flo& rate is 100 (mol,' &'ile t'e inlet 1$# flo& rate is 9.9 (mol,'. T'e
e5uilibrium data for t'is s%stem can be represented in t'e table belo&.
mol fraction of 1$# in li5uid
p'ase (/) 0.00 0.10 0.#0 0."0 0.90 0.50
mol fraction of 1$# in gas
p'ase (%) 0.00 0.19 0."- 0.5* 0.*: 0.95
i) 1(etc' and label t'e sc'ematic diagram of t'e s%stem
ii) 2etermine t'e molar flo& rate of t'e inlet inert air.
iii) T'e molar flo& rates of t'e e/tract and raffinate
iv) T'e mole fractions of 1$# in t'e e/tract and raffinate
v) T'e number of t'eoretical stages.
vi) 2etermine of t'e pac(ed 'eig't at condition (=/a ) 1.#5 (mol,m
"
.s, (=% a ) 0.0*5 (mol,m
"
.s and
to&er cross+section is 0.*- m
#
.
.
e) T'e limiting (ma/imum) gas velocit% 'as to be determined in designing gas absorption column. 2iscuss
t&o (#) effects to t'e column if t'e flo& rate of gas velocit% is over t'e ma/imum gas velocit% allo&ed.
f) 3 contaminated air stream contained #0 mol% of acetone is flo&ing t'roug' an absorption column. It is
desired to absorb 99.9 mol% acetone &it' &ater in a bubble cap absorption column. T'e gas feed flo&
rate is 50 (mol,' and t'e e/it li5uid flo& rate is :*.9 (mol,'. T'e e5uilibrium data for acetone can be
represented b% t'e follo&ing e5uation:
% ) 1.15/
B'ere:
% ) mol fraction acetone in gas p'ase
/ ) mol fraction of acetone in li5uid p'ase
i) 1(etc' t'e sc'ematic diagram.
ii) 2etermine t'e number of t'eoretical stages.
iii) 2etermine of t'e pac(ed 'eig't at condition (=/a ) 1.#5 (mol,m
"
.s, (=% a ) 0.0*5 (mol,m
"
.s and to&er
cross+section is 0.*- m
#
.