BKF3463 Unit Operation
Tutorial Absorption
Department of Chemical Engineering
College of Engineering
Universiti Malaysia Pahang
1
Tray Absorption Tower
Test 2020-2021-II
The exit gas from an alcohol fermenter consists of air - CO2 mixture containing 10 mol% CO2 and 90
mol% air is to be absorbed in an absorption tray tower. The entering triethanolamine solution to the
absorption tower contains 0.04 mol of CO2 per mole of amine solution. This column with 6
equilibrium trays operates isothermally at 25 ℃ and flows counter currently. The exit liquid
contains 78.2 % of the CO2 in the feed gas to the absorption tower. The equilibrium data is given in
Table 1.
a) Determine the compositions at the exit gas and liquid streams. Find the moles of amine
solution required per mole of feed gas for the absorption to occur.
b) Given the inlet gas flow rate is 100 kg mol/h, calculate the minimum liquid flow, L’min value.
Then, using 1.5 L’min, determine the number of theoretical trays required in this case.
Dr SMS
X (moles CO2 / mole amine Y (moles CO2 / mole air)
solution)
0.01 0.003
0.02 0.008
0.03 0.015
0.04 0.023
0.05 0.032
0.06 0.043
0.07 0.055
0.08 0.068
0.09 0.083
0.10 0.099
0.11 0.120
Dr SMS
Test 2020-2021-I
Figure 1 shows an absorber-stripper system which was used
to treat 45 mol/s waste air stream containing 7.5 mol % of
benzene vapors from a chemical plant. In the first step, a
non-volatile wash oil was used to absorb 87 % of benzene
vapors from the feed stream in the tray absorber. The wash
oil entering the absorber contains 4.5 mol % of benzene.
The flow rate of the wash oil used was 1.8 times of the
minimum solvent flow rate. The wash oil leaving the
absorber was contacted with pure steam in the stripper. The
oil leaving the stripper was returned to the absorber. In the
stripper, a steam rate of 1.6 times the minimum gas flow
rate was used. The equilibrium relationship for absorber is
given as y = 0.145 x and for stripper is y = 1.78 x. By using
Kremser equation, determine the number of trays required
for the absorber and the stripper in this system.
Dr SMS
Test 2020-2021-I
Figure 1: Absorber-stripper system for treating waste air stream
Dr SMS
Final Exam 2019-2020-II
The exit gas from ethanol fermentation process consists of an air-CO2 mixture containing 9 mol% of
CO2 is to be absorbed by triethanolamine containing 0.5 mol% of CO2. The column operates
isothermally at 25°C and the total inlet gas flow to the tower is 45 kmol/h. The exit vapor contains
15.5% of the CO2 in the feed gas to the absorber. The equilibrium data is presented in Table 1.
a) Determine the minimum solvent flow rate.
b) If the flowrate of the solvent is set at 1.5 the minimum, determine the number of theoretical
stages.
c) After few years, the quality of outlet gases from the absorption tower does not comply
anymore with the air discharged quality imposed by the government. The engineers need to re-
design the column with higher number of trays. If the absorption is carried out in a three-
theoretical-plate column and the maximum allowable limit for CO2 discharge is only 10%,
determine the exit liquid composition and the flowrate of liquid products. Assumes that the
inlet flow and compositions remain the same. Draw your graph separately from 1(b).
Dr SMS
Table 1: Equilibrium data
x 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09 0.1 0.11
y 0.003 0.008 0.015 0.023 0.032 0.043 0.055 0.068 0.083 0.099 0.12
8
Test 2019-2020-I
A gas stream entering a tray absorption tower contains 27 mol% ammonia while the rest inert
gases. The tower is designed to operate at 303 K and 1.013 x 105 Pa pressure. Water consisting of
0.005 mol frac. ammonia is used as the scrubbing liquid. The total gas flow coming in is 175 kg
mol/h. It is expected that the ammonia will be reduced to 2.5 mol% at the gas outlet.
a) Calculate the minimum liquid flow L 'min
b) By using graphical method, determine the number of theoretical trays required if operations is
set at 1.3 times the minimum liquid flowrate. Find the values of Xn when y is set at i) 0.13 and
ii) 0.3.
c) Find the values of V1, Lo and LN. Using Kremser equation, analytically calculate the theoretical
trays.
Dr SMS
Test 2018-2019-II
A stripping tray tower is to be used to recover butane from a relatively nonvolatile hydrocarbon oil.
The butane is present in the entering hydrocarbon oil stream at 4.5 mol% and expected to be
reduced to 0.25 mol% by the end of the process. For every 350 kg mol of entering oil, 11 kg mol of
direct steam will be used for stripping. The tower is designed to operate at 149°C and 2.05 x 105 Pa
pressure. The equilibrium relationship is given as y=25x. Steam can be considered inert and will not
condense.
a) Calculate the flow rates of the hydrocarbon oil and steam at the entering and exiting streams of
the stripping tray tower.
b) By using graphical method, determine the number of theoretical trays required.
c) Using Kremser equation, analytically calculate the theoretical trays
Dr SMS
Test 2018-2019-I
Ninety seven percent of ethyl alcohol vapour in an inert gas stream is to be absorbed by
countercurrent contact with pure water in a valve-tray column with an expected overall efficiency of
65 %. The total flow rate of inlet gas stream containing 1.5 mol % of ethyl alcohol is 105 kmol/hr and
the total inlet water flow used to absorb the ethyl alcohol is 150 kmol/hr. The equilibrium
relationship is given as y=0.46x. The column is designed to operate at 20˚C and 101 kPa pressure.
a) By using graphical method, determine the number of equilibrium stages required.
b) Verify your answers in Q1 (a) analytically using Kremser equation.
c) Determine the actual trays needed for the separation.
Dr SMS
Test 2017-2018-II
The exit gas from an achohol-fermenter consists of an air-CO2 mixture containing 10 mol% CO2 is to
be absorbed in triethanolamine solution, containing 0.03 mol of CO2 per mole of amine solution.
The column is operated isothermally at 25 °C and Table 1 shows the equilibrium data for the system.
The outlet gas contains 2.5 mol % of CO2 and the absorption is carried out in a three theoretical
plates.
a) Determine the composition of the CO2 in the exit liquid stream.
b) If the flowrate of the inert triethanolamine set at 90kmol/hr, what is the flowrate of inlet and
outlet gases?
Dr SMS
Test 2017-2018-II
Table 1: Equilibrium Data
Y X
(mole CO2/mole air) (mole CO2/mole amine solution)
0.003 0.01
0.008 0.02
0.015 0.03
0.023 0.04
0.032 0.05
0.043 0.06
0.055 0.07
0.068 0.08
0.083 0.09
0.099 0.1
0.12 0.11
Dr SMS
Test 2016-2017-II
Stripping column was used to remove carbon dioxide from water by passing it counter currently
with a pure nitrogen stream. The nitrogen enters the column at 1 atm and 60°C with the volumetric
flow rate of 2500 ft3/h. The carbonated water contains 9.2 x 10-6 mole fraction of CO2 and flow at
100000 lbm/h. It is desired to produce an outlet water concentration of 2 x 10-6 mole fraction of CO2.
Given the Henry’s constant for CO2 in water is 1200 atm/mole fraction.
a) Determine the number of equilibrium stages required by using graphical method.
b) Determine the number of equilibrium stages required by using Kremser Equation.
Dr SMS
Packed Absorption Tower
FE 21/22-II
A refinery hydrocarbon stream containing 4 mol% of hydrogen sulfide has to be cleaned before the
gas is subjected to further processing. The gas enters the system at 88.35 kmol/h, and 95% of H2S is
expected to be removed by scrubbing with a weakly basic solution containing traces of H2S. The
removal of H2S is done using a 3.5 m diameter of absorption tower at 1 atm and 25 °C. The
concentration of the solute, i.e. H2S leaving the solution, is 0.02 mol H2S per mole of H2S-free liquid.
The overall mass transfer coefficient, K’ya is 1.61 kmol/[Link] frac, and the equilibrium relation is
given by y = 1.4x.
a) Determine the solvent rate entering the column and the concentration of H2S in the solvent
stream.
b) Determine the height of the column.
16
FE 21/22-I
Dissolved sulfur dioxide (SO2) was stripped from water using pure air. 2000 lb-mol/h liquid solution
contains 0.02 mol% SO2 enter at the top of stripping column packed with Metal Pall Rings 1 ½ inch.
Pure air enters from the bottom column at 500°R and 150 lbf/in2. 70% of SO2 was stripped by the air
when operated at 1.8 times of minimum gas flow rate required (1.8 V’min). The equilibrium
relationship for SO2 in the system is given as y = 4.23 x.
a) Calculate the flow rate of pure nitrogen required to perform the stripping process in lb-mol/h
and the outlet composition of the gas and liquid stream.
b) Determine the diameter of the column based on 85% of gas flooding velocity allowable. The
properties of the inlet solution can be assumed similar to the pure water at 30C.
c) Calculate the operating pressure drop.
17
Test 2020-2021-II
A packed bed absorption tower (diameter = 0.5 m and height = 3.5 m) was used to remove
contaminant gas A from the air using pure water. The inlet gas flow rate is 150 kmol/h containing
3.5 mol% gas A. 80% gas A was absorbed by the water when operating at a water flow rate of 1.5
times the minimum water flow rate required. The tower had a specific interfacial area of gas-liquid
contact, a of 100 m2/m3. The equilibrium relationship of gas A in water is given as y = 0.567x, where
y and x are the mole fraction of gas A in gas and liquid phase, respectively.
a) Estimate the overall gas mass transfer coefficient, K’y in unit kmol/[Link] frac.
b) If the gas film resistance is 60%, calculate the gas and liquid film mass transfer coefficient, k’y
and k’x.
c) Determine the interface composition at the bottom tower.
Dr SMS
Test 2020-2021-I
A feasibility study was conducted on the absorption process to absorb sulfur dioxide (SO 2) from feed
gas using pure water. The height of the absorption tower needs to be determined based on height
of transfer unit (HOG) and number of transfer unit (NOG) using overall gas transfer coefficient at
different condition. 20 kmol/h feed gas contains 8 mol% SO2 enters packed bed column at 25C and 1
atm. The SO2 equilibrium in the gas-liquid system is given as y = 43.17 x, where y and x are mol
fraction of the SO2 in liquid and gas phase, respectively. The liquid and gas film coefficients are given
as and , respectively. Based on Table 1, select the parameter of the process based on last digit of
your matric ID and calculate the tower height.
Last digit of matric ID 1 or 2 3 or 4 5 or 6 7 or 8 9 or 0
% of SO2 absorb by liquid 80% 85% 90% 95% 95%
Flowrate of pure water inlet 1.1 x Lmin 1.2 x Lmin 1.3 x Lmin 1.4 x Lmin 1.5 x Lmin
Tower diameter, m 1 1 2 2 2
Dr SMS
Test 2020-2021-I
Table 1
Last digit of matric ID 1 or 2 3 or 4 5 or 6 7 or 8 9 or 0
% of SO2 absorb by liquid 80% 85% 90% 95% 95%
Flowrate of pure water inlet 1.1 x Lmin 1.2 x Lmin 1.3 x Lmin 1.4 x Lmin 1.5 x Lmin
Tower diameter, m 1 1 2 2 2
Dr SMS
Test 2019-2020-I
An outlet from reactor at 40 kgmol/hr (MW = 88 kg/kgmol) consist of 8mol% of toxic gas is sent to
an absorption column for prior to being released to the atmosphere. Water (200 kgmol/hr) is
needed to remove 98% of the entering toxic gas. This process is carried out in a 2m- diameter
packed column loaded with randomly packed 2-inch Berl saddle. From the operational data, the
column will flood when the pressure drop inside the column achieved 0.9 in. H20/ft. The column
pressure and temperature is set at 1.0 atm and 30°C, respectively.
a) Estimates the composition of toxic gas in the exiting streams.
b) With the existing column design, will the feed from the reactor outlet caused flooding in the
column? Also, justify whether the current operational flowrates are safe for the absorption
column.
c) If the flowrate of the incoming gas was increased by 60%, predicts the operational conditions of
the column?
Dr SMS
Test 2018-2019-II
Solute A is to be absorbed from a binary mixture containing 7.5 mol% of A with solvent B in a
packed tower. Based on flooding calculation, a tower diameter of 1.2 m is selected. Total gas flow
rate is estimated at 60 kmol/h. The exit gas must not contain more than 0.2 mol% of solute A.
Solute free liquid B enters from the top of the tower at 40 kmol/h. The gas phase and liquid phase
mass transfer coefficients based on mole ratio unit are: kx =2.05 kmol/[Link] fraction and ky =1.75
kmol/[Link] fraction. The equilibrium line equation is Y=0.63X. Specific interfacial area of gas-
liquid contact, a is 71 m2/m3.
a) Calculate packing height required for the desired separation based on the overall gas transfer
coefficient.
b) Compare the answer in (a) using analytical equations.
c) Determined the flux for the gas phase across the packed tower in kmol/s.
Dr SMS
Test 2018-2019-I
A packed column is used to remove toluene (MW=92.14) from gas stream by contacting with pure
water at 20˚C, while the operating pressure of 1.1 atm is maintained throughout the column. The
initial concentration of the toluene was 60 ppm (weight basis) to be reduced to 2 ppm at the outlet
gas stream. The equilibrium relationship of the toluene is given by PA = 256x where PA = the partial
pressure of the toluene in gas phase (atm), while x = the mole fraction of toluene in the liquid
phase. The column was filled with Berl saddle packing 1-inch to optimize the liquid-gas contact area.
State all your assumptions, determine:
a) The minimum liquid rate in kgmol/min for a 10 kgmol/min of gas flowrate.
b) Calculate the overall number of transfer unit (N OG) for a liquid rate twice the minimum.
c) Determine the height of packing required for the separation in (b) if the cross-sectional area of
the tower is given as 0.211 m2 and K’x = K’y = 2.51 x 10-3 kg mol/m.s.
Dr SMS
Test 2017-2018-II
An absorption tower is designed to recover 90% of CO2 from air stream using water as a solvent. The
entering air contains 9 mol% of CO2 with the gas flowrate of 5000 ft3/min at 60 °F and 1 atm. The
column is 120 inch in diameter and to increase the contact area, the column is packed with 2 inch
ceramic Berl Saddle packings. It may be assumed that the equilibrium relation for this system is Y =
1.75X, where the Y and X are mole ratios of CO2 in gas and liquid respectively. The molecular weight
of CO2 and air is 44 and 28.97 respectively.
a) Determine the maximum possible concentration of CO2 in the water solution and the minimum
water flowrate in lbmol/s.
b) Using 1.4 times the minimum, calculate flowrate of the outlet water solution and its
composition.
c) Determine the tower height using K’y = 0.375 lbmol/[Link] frac
Dr SMS
Test 2017-2018-I
A packed tower with a given diameter of 0.803 ft2 was designed to absorb SO2 from an air stream by
using pure water. The entering gas contains 3.5 mol % SO2 and the absorption occurs at 27°C and
1.0 atm abs pressure. The process applies a design ratio of GL/GG of 2/1.5 and the use of Gempak 2A
packing. Given the molecular weight of SO2 is 64.066 and assuming that approximately all of the SO2
is absorbed.
a) Determine the gas mass velocity in lbm/s. ft2 at flooding.
b) Calculate the pressure drop in unit in H2O/ft and the flow rate of feed gas and pure inlet water
in lbm/h at 65% of the flooding velocity.
Dr SMS
Test 2016-2017-I
Air containing 1.6 mol% sulfur dioxide is scrubbed with pure water in a packed column of 1.5 m 2
cross sectional area and 3.5 m height with 2 inch plastic Hy-Pak. The column is operated at
atmospheric pressure. The inlet gas flowrate is 0.062 kmol/s, the inert water flowrate is 2.2 kmol/s
and the outlet SO2 concentration is y = 0.004. The equilibrium relationship is y = 40x.
a) Determine the amount and composition of the exit products and calculate the L/Lmin ratio.
b) Determine the overall mass transfer coefficient, Ky.
Dr SMS
Thank You
Dr SMS
