Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology 1
Chapter 9
Nguyen Nhat Huy
nnhuy@[Link]
Objectives 2
Introduce
Basic of absorption
Calculation
After learning
Know the principle of absorption
Calculate the packed tower
Chapter 9. Absorption 3
Contents
9.1. Introduction
9.2. Mass balance
9.3. Packed tower diameter
9.4. Height of packings
9.5. Pressure drop
9.1. Introduction 4
Introduction
Gas → liquid
3 major steps:
Diffusion in gas phase
Absorption into liquid
surface
Diffusion in liquid phase
9.1. Introduction 5
Introduction
Required condition: solubility of the pollutants in
the absorbing liquid.
Choose suitable solution?
Rate of absorption: determined by the rates of
diffusion in both the gas and liquid phases.
How to increase it?
9.1. Introduction 6
Countercurrent flow
The most widely used.
High mass transfer
driving force
Problem of pressure drop
and the liquid holdup.
9.1. Introduction 7
Equipment
Spray chamber Packed tower
9.1. Introduction 8
Equipment
Baffle tray tower Plate column
9.1. Introduction
Physical absorption
The simple dissolution of pollutants into solvent
Absorption of SO2 and NH3 by water
Absorption of benzene by organic solvents
Chemical absorption
The reaction of pollutants and solvent/solution
Absorption of SO2 by alkali or soda solution
Absorption of NH3 by H2SO4 solution
9.1. Introduction
Technical terms
Absorbent
the liquid phase: solvent/solution
Absorbate
absorbed substance: pollutant/solute
Carrier gas
inert gas
Interface
area where absorbate contacts absorbent
Solubility
ability of a gas to dissolve in solvent
9.1. Introduction
A good absorption process
Large gas-liquid interface area
Well mixing of gas and liquid
Sufficient contact time
High solubility of gas in liquid
Choosing
Packed tower?
Chemical absorption?
9.1. Introduction 12
Absorption and desorption
[Link]
9.2. Mass balance 13
Mass transfer rate M (kmol/s)
𝑀 = 𝐺 × 𝑌𝑖 − 𝑌𝑜 G, Yo
𝑀 = 𝐿 × 𝑋𝑜 − 𝑋𝑖
L,
Where: Xi
G and L: molar rate of inert gas
and liquid (kmol/s)
𝑌𝑜 , 𝑌𝑖 : mole ratio of outlet and
inlet in gas phase (kmol/kmol) G,
𝑋o , 𝑋i : mole ratio of outlet and Yi
inlet in liquid phase (kmol/kmol)
L, Xo
9.2. Mass balance 14
Operating line
𝐿
𝑌 = 𝑌𝑖 + 𝑋 − 𝑋𝑜
𝐺
Minimum liquid rate
𝑀
𝐿𝑚𝑖𝑛 = ∗
𝑋𝑜 − 𝑋𝑖
Actual liquid rate
𝐿 = 𝜑 × 𝐿𝑚𝑖𝑛
Where φ = 1.3 – 1.5 for system with liquid
regeneration by desorption
9.2. Mass balance 15
Operating line and equilibrium line
OC: equilibrium line Y* = f(X)
AC: minimum operating line (Lmin)
AB: operating line
9.3. Packed tower diameter 16
Diameter of packed tower
4×𝑄
𝐷=
𝜋×v
Where
Q: volumetric flowrate of gas (m3/s)
v: superficial velocity (m/s)
• the calculated velocity with assumption that the tower is
empty (no packing material)
9.3. Packed tower diameter 17
Flooding velocity (limiting velocity) vf (m/s)
0.16 0.25 0.125
v𝑓2 × 𝜎 × 𝜌𝑔𝜇𝐿 𝐿𝑚 𝜌𝑔
log 3 × = 𝐶 − 1.75 ×
𝑔 × 𝑉𝑡 × 𝜌𝐿 𝜇𝑤 𝐺𝑚 𝜌𝐿
Where
σ: specific surface area of packing material (m2/m3)
ρg, ρL: density of gas and liquid (kg/m3)
µL: viscosity of liquid (mPa.s)
µn: viscosity of water at 20 oC (µn = 1 mPa.s)
9.3. Packed tower diameter 18
Where (contd.)
Vt: packing porosity (m3/m3)
Lm, Gm: mass flow rate of liquid and gas (kg/s)
C = 0.022 for ring packing
Velocity in packed tower
With laminar flowrate
v = 0.75 − 0.9 × v𝑓
9.4. Height of packings 19
Mass transfer rate (kmol/s)
𝑀 = 𝐹 × 𝐾𝑌 × ∆𝑌𝑎𝑣𝑒
Where:
F: total mass transfer area (m2)
𝐾𝑌 : overall mass transfer coefficient
(kmol/[m2.s.(kmol/kmol)])
∆𝑌𝑎𝑣𝑒 : average driven force (in terms of
concentration)
9.4. Height of packings 20
Average driven force
Equilibrium line is straight
line
∆𝑌𝑖 − ∆𝑌𝑜
∆𝑌𝑎𝑣𝑒 =
∆𝑌𝑖
𝑙𝑛
∆𝑌𝑜
Where:
∆𝑌𝑖 = 𝑌𝑖 − 𝑌𝑖∗ : driven force
at X = 𝑋𝑜 (bottom)
∆𝑌𝑜 = 𝑌𝑜 − 𝑌𝑜∗ : driven force
at X = 𝑋𝑖 (top)
9.4. Height of packings 21
Average driven force
Equilibrium line is a curve
𝑌𝑖 − 𝑌𝑜
∆𝑌𝑎𝑣𝑒 =
𝑌𝑖 𝑑𝑌
𝑌𝑜 𝑌 − 𝑌 ∗
The integration is calculated
by numerical method
9.4. Height of packings 22
Phase contact area F (m2)
𝐹 = ℎ𝑝 × 𝑆 × 𝜎 × 𝜓
Where:
S = πD2/4: cross-sectional area of the tower (m2)
σ: specific surface area of dry packing material
(m2/m3)
ψ: wetted surface ratio (ψ = 0 – 1)
a = σ×ψ: specific surface area of wetted packing
material (m2/m3)
9.4. Height of packings 23
Packing height hp (m)
𝑌𝑖
𝐺 𝑑𝑌
ℎ𝑝 = × ∗
= ℎ𝑜𝑦 × 𝑛𝑜𝑦
𝐾𝑌 × 𝑆 × 𝜎 × 𝜓 𝑌−𝑌
𝑌𝑜
Where:
G: molar flow rate of inert gas (kmol/s)
𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝐾𝑌 : overall mass transfer coefficient ( 𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙 )
𝑚2 .𝑠. 𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙
9.4. Height of packings 24
Packing height
Height of transfer unit hoy (m)
𝐺𝑡𝑟 𝐺𝑡𝑟
ℎ𝑜𝑦 = =
𝐾𝑌 × 𝑆 × 𝜎 × 𝜓 𝐾𝑌 × 𝑎 × 𝜓
Number of transfer unit noy
𝑌𝑖
𝑑𝑌 𝑌𝑖 − 𝑌𝑜
𝑛𝑜𝑦 = ∗
=
𝑌−𝑌 ∆𝑌𝑎𝑣𝑒
𝑌𝑜
9.4. Height of packings 25
Mass transfer coefficient in gas phase
𝑆ℎ𝑔 = 0.407 × 𝑅𝑒𝑔0.655 × 𝑆𝑐𝑔0.33
Where:
𝑘𝑔 × 𝑑𝑒 4 × 𝜌𝑔 × v 𝜇𝑔
𝑆ℎ𝑔 = , 𝑅𝑒𝑔 = , 𝑆𝑐𝑔 =
𝐷𝑔 𝜎 × 𝜇𝑔 𝜌𝑔 × 𝐷𝑔
kg: mass transfer coefficient in gas phase
(kmol/m2.s.(kmol/m3)) = m/s
Dg: diffusivity in gas phase (m2/s)
𝑑𝑒 = 4 × 𝑉𝑡 /𝜎 : equivalent diameter (m)
9.4. Height of packings 26
Mass transfer coefficient in liquid phase
𝑆ℎ𝐿 = 0.0021 × 𝑅𝑒𝐿0.75 × 𝑆𝑐𝐿0.5
Where:
𝑘𝐿 × 𝛿 4×𝐿 𝜇𝐿
𝑆ℎ𝐿 = , 𝑅𝑒𝐿 = , 𝑆𝑐𝐿 =
𝐷𝐿 𝑆 × 𝜎 × 𝜓 × 𝜇𝐿 𝜌𝐿 × 𝐷𝐿
kL: mass transfer coefficient in liquid phase
(kmol/m2.s.(kmol/m3)) = m/s
DL: diffusivity in gas phase (m2/s)
L: mass flowrate of liquid (kg/s)
𝛿 = 𝜇𝐿2 /(𝜌𝐿2 . 𝑔) 1 3: thickness of liquid film (m)
9.4. Height of packings 27
Overall mass transfer coefficient Ky and Kx
Overall mass transfer resistance = resistance in gas
phase + resistance in liquid phase
1 1 𝑚 1 1 1
= + and = +
𝐾𝑦 𝑘𝑦 𝑘𝑥 𝐾𝑥 𝑚 × 𝑘𝑦 𝑘𝑥
Where
ky, kx: mass transfer coefficients (kmol/m2.s.Δy=1 or
kmol/m2.s.Δx=1)
m: slope of the straight equilibrium line or average
slope of the curve equilibrium line
9.4. Height of packings 28
Chemical absorption
Where reaction occurs in the solution
The rate of the reaction is very fast
Limiting step: mass transfer
y* ≈ 0, m ≈ 0, H ≈ 0
The main mass transfer resistance is in gas phase
9.4. Height of packings 29
Chemical absorption
Absorption of acidic gases such as SO2, HCl, and
HF by NaOH solution
Number of transfer unit:
𝑌𝑖
𝑑𝑌 𝑌𝑖
𝑛𝑜𝑦 = ∗
= 𝑙𝑛
𝑌−𝑌 𝑌𝑜
𝑌𝑜
Mass transfer coefficient:
𝐾𝑦 ≈ 𝑘𝑦
9.5. Pressure drop 30
Pressure drop of dry packings (Pa)
Ergun equation (1952)
∆𝑃𝑘 𝑑𝑒 𝜀3 150 × 1 − 𝜀
× 2
× = + 1.75
𝐿 𝜌𝑔 × v 1−𝜀 𝑅𝑒𝑝
Where:
L: height of packings (m)
de: equivalent diameter (m)
𝑑𝑒 = 6 × (1 − 𝜀) 𝜎
𝜌𝑔 ×v×𝑑𝑒
𝑅𝑒𝑝 =
𝜇
ε = Vt (m3/m3)
9.5. Pressure drop 31
Pressure drop of wet packings (Pa)
0.405 0.225 0.045
𝐿𝑥 𝜌𝑔 𝜇𝐿
∆𝑃𝑢 = ∆𝑃𝑘 1 + 𝐴1
𝐺𝑦 𝜌𝐿 𝜇𝑔
Trong đó:
Lx, Gy: mass flux of
liquid and gas
(kg/m2.s)
A1: from the chart
based on v/vf ratio
Chapter 9. Absorption 32
Exercise 1
A mass transfer equipment works at absolute
pressure of 3.1 at. Mass transfer coefficients are ky
= 1.07 kmol/m2.h(Δy=1) and kx = 22
kmol/m2.h(Δx=1). The concentration in liquid
phase (x, mole fraction) and gas phase (p*, mmHg)
follow Henry’s law p* = 0.08×106 ×x.
Determine the overall mass transfer coefficients Ky
and Kx.
Compare the mas transfer resistance in gas and liquid
phase
Chapter 9. Absorption 33
Exercise 2
An absorber is used to absorb acetone from air into
water with water flowrate of 3000 kg/h and air
flowrate of 1400 m3/h. Average temperature of the
absorber is 20 oC. Inlet concentration of acetone is
6% v/v and the removal efficiency is 98%.
Equilibrium equation Y* = 1.68×X
Packings is Raschig ring with dimension of 25 × 25
× 3 mm. The velocity is 75% of the flooding
velocity. Overall mass transfer coefficient KY = 0.4
kmol acetone/m2.h(kmol acetone/kmol air). The
packing material is completely wetted. Calculate
the diameter and the height of the absorber.
Chapter 9. Absorption 34
Exercise 3
An absorber is used to absorb NH3 from air with removal
efficiency of 90% at 25 oC. Inlet concentration is 0.03
kmol/kmol air. The NH3 concentration in the outlet
liquid is 0.02 kmol/kmol water. The equilibrium data are
in the table. Determine the number of transfer unit.
X (kmol NH3/kmol nước) Y* (kmol NH3/kmol khí trơ)
0 0
0,005 0,0045
0,010 0,0102
0,013 0,0138
0,015 0,0183
0,020 0,0273
0,023 0,0327
Chapter 9. Absorption 35
Chapter 9. Absorption 36
Exercise 3
X Y* Y ΔY Y-Y* ΔY/(Y-Y*)
X0 Y*0 Y0 0 Y0 - Y*0
X1 Y*1 Y1 Y1-Y0 Y1 - Y*1
X2 Y*2 Y2 Y2-Y1 Y2 - Y*2
X3 Y*3 Y3 Y3-Y2 Y3 - Y*3
X4 Y*4 Y4 Y4-Y3 Y4 - Y*4
X5 Y*5 Y5 Y5-Y4 Y5 - Y*5
X6 Y*6 Y6 Y6-Y5 Y6 - Y*6
Tổng cộng
Chương 9. Hấp thụ 37
Bài 3