\te r

CHAPTER 9

Absorption
': fk

\'lj\

Hill

developedin Chapter8 The most common use of the massfransfercoeffcients processes like gas absorptionand is the analytical descriptionof large-scaleseparation liquid-liquid extraction. These mass transfercoefficientsdescribethe absorptionof a solutevapor like SOz or NH3 from air into water. They describethe extractionof waxes from lubricatingoils, the leachingof copperfrom low-gradeores,and the efficiencyof the distillation xyleneisomers. of they describehow fast theseseparations Mass transfercoefficientsare useful because which establishes maximum the a occur. They fhusrepresent stepbeyondthermodynamics, using diffusion coefficients, separations arepossible.They are a stepshortof analyses that enough are basis.Mass transfercoeffcients accurate which havea more exactfundamental equipment, and they providethe resultsfrom industrialseparation to conelateexperimental basisfor designingnew equipment. but are by All industrialprocesses affected masstransfercoefficients to differentdegrees. is an example of what is called "differential Gas absorption,the focus of this chapter, directly on masstransfercoefficients.Distillation,the focusof the contacting"and depends contacting"and is lessinfluenced next chapter,is an exampleof what is called"stage-wise by mass transfer. Extraction and adsorption,the subjectsof Chapters 11-12, may be effectedin either differentialor stagedcontactors. is This understanding usually is absorption the key to all fbur operations. Understanding all simple terms. All chemistryand the cloudedby presenting ideascompletelyin algebraic everystepof limits areimplied ratherthanexplained.As a result,novicesoften understand we of the analysis havea poor perspective the overallproblem. To avoidthis dislocation, but and the liquid solvents to begin,in Section9.1, with a descriptionof the gases be absorbed that absorbthem. A few of theseliquids dependonly on the solubility of the gas; many of more liquids reactchemicallywith the components the gas. we Once this chemicalproblemis stated, turn, in Section9.2, to the physicalequipment of by used. This physicalequipmentis simple,but it is constrained the fluid mechanics the largely by gas and liquid flowing past eachother. Theseflows are complicated,described empirical correlations.The best strategymay be to follow the turnkey procedureto solve the fluid mechanics. In Section9.3 we turn to the simple caseof dilute absorptionand in Section9.4 to the parallel caseof concentrated absorption.For the dilute solution case,we assumea linear isotherm, that is, that a solute's solubility in liquid is directly proportionalto its partial case, pressurein gas. This leads to a simple analytical solution. For the concentrated we do not assumethe isotherm is linear and we recognizethat the liquid and gas flows changewithin the equipment. Now the solution requiresnumerical integration. These two sectionsmirror our earlier discussionof diffusion, where the simple case of dilute and diffusion in Chapter2 gaveway to the concentrated more generalresultsin Chapter3. case. Understanding dilute caseis the key to the concentrated the

245

246
9.L The Basic Problem

9 / Absorptiott

9l'T:,B.

pa is the lights' When you drive by a chemicalplant at night, the most impressive you look more closely,you can often see They outline every piece of equipment. When The tallestare the thin distillationcolumns,which are described threetypesof silhouettes. columns,which arethe subject in the next chapter.The next tallestarethe fat gasabsorption chargedwith chemicalreactors, are of this chapter.Ironically, the shortestsilhouettes the to reagents make the desiredproducts. This relative size has a moral: while the chemical plant would not exist without the the chemical reactors,the biggestexpense- the biggest equipment will often be in andgasabsorption, on centers distillation equipment equipment.This separation separation is The analysisand the designof theseoperations the two most importantunit operations. centralto the entirechemicalindustry' than gasabsorption.I believethat this I havefound that distillation is betterunderstood ethanolfrom water: Disknowsthat distillationis how you concentrate everyone is because is few know what gasabsorption for' tillation is how you turn wine into brandy. In contrast, What happens gases? anyway?What liquids absorbthe What specificgasesare absorbed, environmental of to the lquids afterwards?I find this ignoranceironic because increased air pollution, yet concerns. Gas absorptionis the chief method for controlling industrial remain ignorantof its nature' interests many with environmental that we In this section,I want to begin to removethis ignorance'I want to list the gases I most often seekto removeand to give rough limits for the inlet and exit concentrations. without equations; want to explainwherethesegasmixturesoccur. I will do so qualitatively, are more than enoughequationsin later sections.I do want to make one point now there the about cost. ln thesesystems, cost of absorptionis usually log linear' It coststwice as to remove 997oas it doesto 907o,and it coststwice as much to remove 99'97cas tt much legislation' cost shouldbe a key in environmental doesto remove997o. Thts increasing

Prtrce.:

Ammrrntrn-.. C o a lS a . H r g hB t u ; .
LLr\\ BIu :- j

Ethrlenen-r.: F l u es l r d e . , . Hr drtrqen n'.. \atural sr. :: Orlde:ulu:. R e n n e qd e - , S rn g a : t , , r . -

9.1. The
:11\ture ilnd l - r.-h nprh ,n.
'''--"' t -""'t Lr.rffilCIi\ r- .l

- LrflCehIftltl-. l;rI. f\ tf.l I

::l!'ITed trr;. .: .' nlA\ ba I

::o,iuce rtrliJ

T h e r eS : : . i , : n t r a t e dl : .
-:ihtrilte .

9.1.1 Which GasesAre Absorbed of aimsat separation acidicimpuritiesfrom mixedgasstreams' Mostgasabsorption Theseacidic impuritiesincludecarbondioxide (COz), hydrogensulfide(H2S),sulfur dioxide (SOz),and organicsulfur compounds.The most importantof theseare CO2 and H2S, inof which occur at concentrations five to fifty percent. The organic sulfur compounds alcoholswith a sulfur atom which are like clude carbonyl sulfide (COS) and merceptans, for is stink: For example,butyl merceptan responsible in placeof the oxygen. Merceptans the stenchof skunks. Other impurities vary widely. One common impurity is water,which can be removed by either absorptionor adsorption. Another is ammonia (NH:), which is basic, rather (NO*) are of than acidic. Sulfur trioxide (SOr), prussicacid (HCN), and nitrogen oxides removedfrom some of concem because their high chemicalreactivity. Oxygen must be to and nitrogencan be absorbed upgradenaturalgas. reagentstreams, The occurence of these streamsand the targetsfor their removal are summarizedin of Table 9. I -l . The ubiquitouspresence H2S reflectsthe fact that fossil fuels' especially more containlargeamountsof sulfur. Moreover,as the world becomes coal and petroleum, gas,which This is particularlytrue for SO2in flue the industrialized, targetswill decrease. o i s t h e s o u r c e l ' a c i dr a i n .

l "i - , 1 . 1 . 1 1 1 p 1 - r1 1 -::llinC

-:'i*L

!rll_1 .

: \ \ J : . , i -

..-..::l\ 3 rl. Q ,r; '.-- . - ' j \ : \ \ r i j

rl)Itotl

9.1 / The Basic Problem

141

Table 9. 1- 1. Gas treating in major industrial processes

:-:-lights. :lensee -:..ribed - r' .ubject with .:_:e,i : 1 l r u tt h e .: rn the -.,'rption, S : : , r l i o n is , hitthis - . : i f :D i s . :r is fbr.
': nn ' 'l f r ' e"n q "

Process Ammonia manufacture Coal gas High Btu gas Low Btu gas Ethylenemanufacture Flue gas desulfurization Hydrogen manufacture Natural gas upgrading Oil desulfurization Refinery desulfurization Syn gas fbr chemicalsfeedstock

Gasesto be removed co2, NH3, H2S

Common targets (7oAcid gas) <16 ppm CO2 500 ppm COz; 0.01ppm H2S 100ppm H2S <l ppm H2S, I ppm CO2 90Varemoval <O.lVcCO2 < 4 p p m H 2 S ; < l 7 oC O z 100ppm H2S l0 ppm H2S <500 ppm CO:;<0.01 ppm H2S

co2,H2s, cos
HzS H2S,CO2 SO: Coz H2S,CO2,N2, RSH HrS

co2,H2s, cos co2,H2s

9.1.2 What Are the Absorbing Liquids? The choice of a liquid absorbent dependson the concentrations the feed gas in mixture and on the percentremovaldesired.If the impurity concentration the feedgasis in high, perhaps to fifty percent,we canoften dissolvemostof the impurity in a nonvolatile, ten nonreactive liquid. Such a nonreactive liquid is called a physical solvent. If the impurity concentration lower, around one to ten percent,we will tend to use a liquid capableof is f'ast,reversiblechemical reactionwith the impurity. Such a reversiblyreactiveliquid is refened to as a "chemical solvent." If the impurity concentration the feed is lower still, in we may be forced to use a liquid that reactsirreversibly,an expensive alternative that may producesolid waste. Thesegeneralizations may be clearerif we considerthe caseof H2S. If we havea concentrated feed stream,we can dissolvethe H2S in liquids like ethyleneglycol or propylene carbonate, which are physical solvents. At lower feed concentrations H2S, we would of commonly use aqueoussolutionsof alkylamines. One common exampleis monoethanol amine H2NCH2CH2OH As you can see, this is like ammonia but with one proton replacedwith ethanol. Such species react reversiblywith acid gaseslike H2S, so their aqueoussolutionsare chemical solvents.Finally, if the HzS is presentonly in traces,we can removethesetraceswith an aqueous solutionof NaOH. This will producea wastestreamof NaHS, which is discarded. Gasabsorption processes producea liquid containinghigh concentrations theimpurity. of Ths commonly is removed- stripped- by heatingthe liquid so that the impurity bubbles out. Often, this removal is accelerated pumping an inert gas - a sweep stream by through the hot liquid. Recently,chemical companieshave been borheredby the high cost of heating the large volumes of absorbingliquids. To avoid thesecosts,they have begunusing absorbants whosechemicalreactivityis pressure sensitive.Because swingsin pressure be lessexpensive can than swings in temperature, expectthe switch to pressure I sensitive absorbants will continue. Both temperature pressure and swingsyield a concentrated impurity requiringdisposal. The disposal againillustratedby the exampleof H2S. The H2S is normally strippedfrom is

::ntental . . , : t \ r ny e t . r - ihatwe I ::.,ltCtnS.

: .--lJtlOflS,

: lnl now t :- :.,rce as '-.tiasit

'.rt1tlO.

-:. .tfilllS.

d -.:.rr iox- . , ; l dH 2 S , : .ndsin- ::rr atom , ' . i b l ef o r

,:' :i lllOVed

:-:.. rather , ,,areof

:: :ll SOme - ,:r-1zed in : . recially
'-';': lTOfe

. - : - .r i h i c h

248

9 / Ahsorption

Gos in Liquid oul

the A towerusedfor gasabsorption. gasmixtureenters bottomof the Fig. 9.2-I . A packed by towerandflowsout the top. Partof'thismixtureis absorbed liquid flowingcountercurrently, from toP to bottom. stream is burned: amines by heating; the concentrated HzS stream is split into two. The first
a

H2S +

io,

--, Soz* Hzo

This productgas is reactedcatalyticallywith the remainingH2S: SOz*2H2S+35+2H2O into solid sulfur, which can be sold. This "Claus process"has been The H2S is converted the key to sulfur recoveryfor almosta century. into a liquid' Thus gas absorptioncenterson removing an impurity from a gas stream will discussthe analysisand design of equipmentfor this ln the reit of this chapter,we liquids' will be entirely on physical solvents,that is, on nonreactive task. our discussion in almosttwenty times lesscommonthan absorption is in Gas absorption physicalsolvents on liquids. We focus our discussion physicalsolvents chemicaliolvents,that is, in reacting they are much simpler;we will explorechemicalsolventsin chapter 16. because

EquiPment 9.2 AbsorPtion

in packedtowers at Gasabsorption an industrialscaleis most commonly practiced seton its end and a like that shownin Fig. 9.2-I . A packedtower is essentially pieceof pipe materialor "tower packing." Liquid pouredinto the top of the tower trickles filled with inert countercurrently down throughthe packing;gaspumpedinto the bottom of the tower flows gas contactbetweengas and liquid achievedin this way effectsthe upward. The intimate absomton. The mass Analyzing a packedtower involvesboth masstransferand fluid mechanics. tower' This the detailedin the following section,determines height of the packed transf'er, that often reactions of as masstransfri s described molr flows, partly because the chemical area the describedin this section,determines cross-sectional occur. The fluid mechanics, of the a consequence as is of the packedtower. The fluid mechanics described massflows,

ft-DcJ
f l f f , . - *

.-r:

;ll

h "

rE*
n{!H lry&6. pJltr-.-

:--

,trptton

9.2 / AbsorptionEquipment

249

P L--J
Raschig Ring Pall Ring

%@
A \4
Bing Nunsr

@@
- .,f the -::iUrrently,

goalsof the packing.Thesepackings aim to resolve conflictng Fig. 9.2-2.Sx typesof random fast flow and largeinterfacialareas.

physics that control the process. To describe the physics, we discuss the tower packing, the flows themselves, and the estimation of the tower's cross section.

:' :--. burned:

9.2.1 Tower Packing in The fluid mechanics the packedtower is dominatedby the inert materialin the packedtower. This material can be small piecesdumped randomly or larger structures carefully stackedinside the tower. Randompacking is cheaperand more common; strucbut ruredpackingis more expensive more efficient. The efficiencyis typically improvedby aroundthirty percent,a significantgain when producingcommodity chemicalsat very low packingsvary widely, we will stressthe more common structured margins. Still, because randompackingshere. Typical random packings, shown in Fig.9.2-2, replacethe crushedmaterial used in early chemical processing. These packings try to permit both high fluid flow and high interfacialarea betweenthe gas and the liquid. These goals are in conflict: High fluid flow implies a few large channelsthrough the tower, and high interfacial area requires with eighty years developed many small channels.Thus tower packingsare compromises, Berl saddlesare describedas firstthe of empiricism. Sometimes, Raschigrings and the generation. the Nutter and and packings, Intalox saddles Pall rings aresecond the _seneration All aim at the samegoal: fast flow with big area. rings are third generation. 9.2.2 Tower Flui.d Mechanics The liquid and gas flows throughtheserandompackingscannotbe arbitrarily set but mustrestwithin a narrow,empiricallydefinedrange.To seewhy this rangeis important, imagineyou havea tall glassfilled with ice. You blow air into the bottomof theglassthrough a straw,and you pour cola into the glassat the sametime. You watch what happens. If you pour the cola at a very slow rate,it won't flow evenly downwardthroughthe ice but will run down in only a few places. Such a flow, called "channeling,"occurs when the gas or liquid flow is much greaterat some points than at others. Such channelingis reduceinterfacialareaand hencemasstransfer. lt is undesirable, it can substantially for random usuallyminor in crushedsolid packing and is minimal in commerciallypurchased packing,exceptat very low liquid flows.

' - - h a sb e e n -:,,uhquid. - ::it tbr this -: .: liquids. --.,irption in . - , : r o l v e n t s

', \3d towers : t \ e n da n d .i er trickles : .- :: r-c urrently t : : , ' J r sh eg a s The mass ,uer. This - . thatoften . : , : r o n aa r e a l o - --::rcef the -

250

9 / Absorption

-'

1,

If you now pour the cola faster (rememberto keep blowing), you get a casewhere the cola flows through all the ice more evenly,with your breathbubbling up through ir. The conditionswheretheserelativelyevenflows begin is calledloadingand is a requirement for good masstransfer.When loadingbegins,the flows may slightly decrease, the dramatic but increase the gas-liquid areameansthat masstransferis fast. Yorr almost alwayswant in to operatea packedtower in this loadedcondition. However,if you now begin blowing much harder,you will push in so much air that the cola can't flow into the column, but splashes backward,out of the top of the glass. This conditionis called"flooding." It not only reducesmasstransferbut also decreases cola the that is flowing into the glass. Thesesamethree conditions- sfinnnsling,loading, and flooding - can exist inside of any packed tower. You will want to use liquid flows that are high enough to avoid channelingand achieveloading. You will want to use gas flows that are low enough to avoid flooding. But you will also want flows that are large enoughfor a specifictask, for example,largeenoughto treat 6000ft3/min of flue gas. You must choosethe packing and the shapeof the packedtower to allow theseflows without floodine.

CD

(\ ^
or

u_

9.2,3 Tower Cross-Sectional Area At this point, we should restateour objective. We aim to analyzeindustrialgas absorptionin packedtowers. This analysisdependsmost strongly on massbalances and rate equationsgiven in subsequent sectionsof this chapter. It also dependson the fluid mechanics within the tower, which is the subjectof this section. In most cases, absorption the processthat interests will have specifiedflows of gases us and liquids. Theseflows must load but not flood the tower. We achievethis by changing the tower's cross-sectional area.This changes gasand liquid fluxes,that is, the amount the of fluid per cross-sectional per time. By increasing cross-sectional area the areaat constant flows, we decrease fluxesandthe velocitiesof the gasandliquid flowing pasteachother. the The empiricalcorrelations mostoften usedfor estimating tower crosssections shown are in Fig. 9.2-3. This figure is tricky, a mixture of dimensionless dimensionalquantities. and The abscissa, often called the flow parameter dimensionless: is
- l ^ ' \ l

u '',1 Pt

L' fO; 1 -

"

' l l

I t,p, u f l
r I

'/' (e.2-t)

Ll?cu'6 1

whereL'(: pluv) andGt(: p6u6) arethe massfluxesof liquid andgas,respectivery; pl and p6 are the corresponding densities;and u7-and u6 are the superficialvelocities. Two points about this abscissa merit mention. First, while L' andG' are massfluxesand hence dependon the tower's cross-sectional area,their ratio L' f G' doesnot dependon this area. Second,the flow parameter a measure relativekinetic energy: It is the square is of root of the ratio of the liquid's kinetic energyto that in the gas. The ordinatein Fig. 9.2-3 is more difficult. First of all, it is dimensional,not dimensionless. In particular,the gas flux G' is given in poundsper squarefoot per second;the p6 densities andpL are given in poundsper cubic foot; the viscocity trris that of the liquid, expressed centipoise;ry' is the ratio of the density of water to the density of the liquid; in the gravitationalconstantg,. is 32.2; and the packing factor F is roughly inverselyproportional to the packing'ssize. Valuesfor F are listed for common packingsin Table 9.2-I .

rl)tLon

9.2/ Absorytictn Equipment

251

. :'..'rrthe : rr. The r : l . n tf b r ri:Jt-natic

' ,:i : WA[t : rhat the ,,.' This r - : h ec o l a , :-: inside - . , a\,oid :: .ugh to - ..1.k.for . -r l l l ! a n d

0.20

o ct)

0.10 0.060 (5 0.040 0.020 0.010 0.006 0.004 0.002 r0.001 0.01 0.04 0.1 0.4 1.0 4.O

q c,
I

l'|. (\

L/G (po/p.)1/2
Fig 9.2-3.Correlation estimating for towercrossseotional area.The conelation impliesa mixtureof specific units,asexplained the text. in

Table9.2-1.Packing.factorsFandareaspervolume(pert'ot)forrandompackings

-.:nrl gas
-:" -c'S Olld

Nominal packing size (in.)

::ta fluid , ' ' gases

n - "r " o I n"O '

| 1/4
Raschig Rings rCeramic) Raschig Rings ' li32 in. Metal) RaschigRings i/16in. Metal) Berl Saddles Ceramic) PallRings \ letal) Pril Rings Pastic) lntaloxSaddles Ceramic) H1 Pak Rings \letal )

I t/2 93 (38) 83 (41) 65 (44) 40 (3e) 40 (3e) 52 (60) 29 (12) 65 (28) 37 (1e)

: r .tlnount
:i ,,rllSt0lt

580 (ril) 300 (128) 410

380 (100) t70 300

( rr 8 )
240 (142)

255 (80) r55 (84) 220 (72)

t79 (58)
tl)

(s7)
t10 (76) 56 (63) 55 (63) 92 (78) 45 (69)

(63) 144

. ,,.h other. ::.' \hOWn -.,,rntities.

n0
(82) 8l (104) 95 (104)

e . 21 ) ; - : . . 1 ) ,p I . ' .'.. Two .' J hence

- :l\ afea. :::' fOOt Of

200 (r90)

145 (102)

57 (31) 45 (32) 2'7 (31) 26 (3I ) 40 (36) 26 (33)

-)L

(21)

l8 17 (26) 22

(3r)

I6

\irtr'.'The per areas volume givenin parentheses are (abstracted Strigle, fom lagT).

: dimen. : - , r n dt:h e 'r-'1iquid, -: iquid; : . fropor. , -t 9 . 2 - 1 .

This melangeof mixed metric and English units is a historicalartifact born in the largely \nrerican development the petrochemical of industry. The physical significance the ordinateis also obscure.we recosnizethat it is domiof :.ited by the ratio
(G)2 F Pc QtSc

)o o 'l
p1.q.(packing size)

(e.2-2)

252

9 / Absorpton

\lrsorption r

as This suggests the ordinatecanbe regarded the ratio of the kinetic energyin the gas that to the potentialenergyin the liquid. The other factors,like p0 2, arejust later empiricisms. The history of correlationin Fig. 9.2-3 is curious. The original form, due to Sherwood Shipley and Nolloway (1938), was limited to the flooding curve. The curvesat constant pressure drop were addedby Leva (1954). More recently,many have quarreledover the would be physicalsignificance form, correctlyfeeling that somethingwith a better-defined prefrable.While I agree,I recognizethat Fig. 9.2-3 is the startingpoint for most who are w o r k i n go n a b s o r p t i od e s i g n . n area,we must first know the gas To use Fig.9.2-3 to find the tower's cross-sectional and liquid flows and hencethe flow parameteron the figure's ordinate. After we choose drop in the tower. In a packing from the myriad available,we want to choosea pressure practice,absorbers are designedto operateat pressuredrops of 0.2 to 0.6 conventional drop will minimize foaming. Alternatively,we can inch H2O per foot. The lower pressure performanceat flooding and arbitrarily chooseto operateat a gas calculatethe column's flux equal to half the flooding value. In both this method and the previousone, we must make sure to design the tower for the point where the maximum flows of gas and liquid this is normally at the tower's bottom; for stripping,it's normally at occur. For absorption, the top. thoughcomUsing Fig. 9.2-3 for estimatingthe tower'scrosssectionis straightforward plicated. Rememberthis figure has two major limitations. First, it implies that at large gas flows, the cross sectionalarea should vary with liquid density and velocity. In fact, of it should be independent these. Second,this figure is largely basedon iquid and gas for like thoseof water and air. Thesetendto give optimistic predictions densitydifferences (i.e., smallerthan optimal tower crosssections).Thus in nonaqueous systems nonaqueous systems,like those involving ethyeneand propylene,you may need different methods. with the methodsin this section,and then discussyour case Again, make early estimates with equipmentsuppliers.

F : : h el l i n c h R

(c')(9

u
G':0.

Thu: the tower I .7 of -5 feet. For t Horrever,while t is a considerab

9.3 Al

We nor we will wantto t to use our analr we case, will bu allowedestimat To simplift c from a gas into Becau clearest. e both constants key equations:

Example 9.2-1: Estimating a tower cross-section You are planning to reducethe two in percentcarbondioxide in 23 poundsper secondof a naturalgasstreamusing absorption 40 poundsper second.You want to useeither 1j inch diethylamineflowing out at aqueous drop of Raschigrings or I j inch Pall rings. In eithercase,you want to designfor a pressure 0.25inch H2O per foot, so that foaming is minimized.-Underthe operatingconditions,the the of densities the gasand the liquid are 2.8 and 63 lbs/fti, respectively; liquid's viscosity is 2 centipoise. areabe? What shouldthe tower's cross-sectional the Solution This problemillustrates routineuseof Fig. 9.2-3. We frst calculate the flow parameter:

(1) a solu (.2) a solu (3) a solu

Thesethree ke' respe equation. r W eb e g t n t : a smali tou e on

>o 1 I rr'. \
G {

L, P;
G'\ p,

4otbs/sec E.Slbtlftt

xtbvr*V 63lbr/f

From Fig. 9.2-3,the capacityfactor is thus

'.\hL-re and l rr the r t-r1unt:

( G ' f n Pp o z
Pc PL.8c

: 0.015

\D\orptrcn

9.3/ Absorptionof a Dilute Vapor

253

: \ i n t h eg a s :piricisms. Sherwood
,rt cOlSt&tlt

For the I 2 l n c n Raschigrings, the packingfactor F is given in Table9.2-1 as 93, so

(Y ( c ' ) ( e 3 )\ r "
\ o J , /

iJ over the -: \\ ould be ,rt$ho are :,,\\ the gas - '',,. choose ::.' lowef. In : r ) . 1t o 0 . 6 : , : ' l \ .w e c a n
::,:i3 Ct O $0S '.:'. \\e [lUSt

:0.015

2.8(63)32.2 G ' : 0 . 9 0 l b s / f t :s e c to of Thus the tower has a crosssection (2310.90:)26fe. This corresponds a diameter of 5.7 feet. For rhe Pall rings, the packingfactor is 40, so the diameteris smaller,4.6 feet. However.while thereis little differencein the tower diameterfor thesetwo packings,there changein the tower height,as shownin the next section. is a considerable

,. .:ndliquid . -rlrnally at ::. Jughcom::.1t at large - :t, In fact, -i..J and gas :: i:ctions for - -.,rnqueous :r:ti nethods. -.. \ our case

9.3 Absorptionof a Dilute VaPor

in We now returnto the analysisof gasabsorption a packedtower. In many cases, we the ri'e will want to usethe analysisto estimate tower's height. In othercases, will want coefficients.In any resultsas masstransfer to use our analysisto organizeexperimental that in described the earliersection,a description we case. will build on the fluid mechanics allowedestimatingthe tower's crosssection. To simplify our analysis,we will begin with the caseof a dilute solutevapor absorbed fom a gas into a liquid. This focus on the dilute limit makes the physical significance the clearest.Because vapor is dilute, the molar gas flux G and the molar liquid flux L are within the tower. With this simpliflcation,we then needthree everywhere both constants key equations: ( 1) a solutemole balanceon both gas and liquid, (2) a soluteequilibrium betweengas and liquid, and (3) a solutemole balanceon either gasor liquid. Thesethree keys are traditionally called an operatingline, an equilibrium line, and a rate equation,respectively. on We begin with a mole balance the solutein both gasand liquid. We makethis balance on a small tower volume AAz locatedat position z in the tower:

: i - . J e t h et w o in : .,.'(rrption
, l

- .:r'f l;

llCll

': - - .rr dioPof ':irtions,the . -i.\iscosity

: 'r:.t calculate

entering entering 7 solute \ / solute \ leavingI leaving| : ( minus minus I in liquid / \ in gos / \
G A ( - v l . + n-. ) ' 1 . ): L A ( x 1 4 6 , - r l , )

(e.3I)

rvhere,v and x are the mole fractionsin the gas and liquid, respectively.When we divide bv the volume ALz.,we find dv G--: d:. dx L , oz

(9.3-2)

) </1

9 / Absorption

9.3/ Absor

Rearanging, d x G d y L

(e.3-3)

We nog with the eqL

subjectto (at z : 0), ,y : .r'o ,l : .trO

i =

(e.3-1)

where/ is rf
t -

wherethe subscript0 indicatesthe streams the bottom of the tower. Rememberthat the at gasis entering and the liquid is leavingat this position.Integrating, G r:-ro*7(l'-.ro)

(e.3-s)

The impona

The first key equation,which is nothing more than a mole balance,is calledthe "operating line." The second equation analyzingabsorption an equilibriumrelationfor the solute key for is in the gas and in the liquid. Because soluteis dilute, this has the form the \'* : mx

t -

(e.3-6)

where m is closely relatedto a Henry's law constant. This relation, briefly discussed in Section8.5, is a frequentsourceof error because units of the constantare not carefully the considered. Remember alsothat -'),* doesnot exist at the sametower positionasx. In fact,x is the actualliquid mole fraction,-y*is the gasmole fractionwhich would be in equilibrium with that liquid, and ,r,is the actualgas mole fraction. This secondkey equationis called the "equilibrium line." The third key relation,the rate equation,is found by anothersolutemole balanceon the differentialvolume A Au but on the sas onlv: solute / \ _ / soluteflow \ accumularior \ / \ i n m i n u so ) In symbolic terms,this can be written as 0: G A ( . y 1 - . ' ! [ + a : ) - K 6 a ( A L z . ) ( c r- c i ) . / solurelosr \ \ b y a b s o r p t i o/n

(e.3-1)

(e.3-8)

in which d represents packing areaper volume and K6; is the overall gas phasemass the transfercoefficient. Valuesfbra.inft2/ff.aregiveninparenthesesforavarietyofcommon packingsin Table 9.2-l (in the previoussection). The concentration is that in the bulk c1 gas,and the concentration is the value that the gas would have if it were in equilibrium cf with the liquid. Again, we divide this equationby the volume AAz and take the limit as this volume goesto zero; we also recognizethat the tota molar concentration of the gas c is constant.Thus c1 equalsc,tr, equalsc-.1,*, cf and

: o : - r # - K 6 a c ( y - , r ' *-)r # -

K , a (- . r ' * ) y

(e.3-e)

This rate equation,a mole balanceon that part of the solutethat is in the vapor,is the third key in our analysis.

rl)tton

9.3/ AbsorptionoJ a Dilute Vapor 'We

255

e 3-3)

now completeour analysisby integratingEq. 9.3-9. To do so, we first combine it with the equilibrium line in Eq. 9.3-6 and rearrange result: the

r:I,d,:-h f*:-h l:,:^ 1,,',

(e.3r0)

e.3-4)
i : r h a tt h e

where / is the tower height. Vy'e further combinethis with the operatingline, Eq. 9.3-5

':-*1.,"

ay

l j ' - * l x } + t ( ,c - , 1 0l ) l v

(e.3- l ) l

rl l-5) :aratlng ::!'\0lUte

The importantresult can be written in a variety of usefulforms:

(v ,:r,uLt,;T,/ o - ' r : s l ( - ' \ ,,"(,;=i] \ l

G K,,a

e.3-6) . - . \ \ e d i n : ,.:rcfully I: f act.,r -...:Lrbrium ': :. called " , : o nt h e

,"{+-x)] t',+l
\ ' L /

(9.3-12)

e.3_7)

Solving for the height / is as easyas plugging in the numbers. This result merits reflection. First, although the analysisrepeatedlyexploits the assumptionof dilute solution, the extensionto concentrated solutionsshould be relatively straightforward.Second,we have implied masstransferof a solutevapor from a gas into a liquid; such a processis called gas scrubbing. We can repeatthe identical analysisfor masstransferof a vaporfiom a liquid into a gas;sucha reversed process calledstripping. is Third, we havewritten the proceeding equations terms of gas-phase in mole fractions;we could write completelyanalogous equations liquid-phasemole fractions: for

, : * [ (
i9.3-8)
I:'.:.t ll1OSS

, trlllllOll

" :hc bulk .--.,.rlbrium . - : l i m i ta s i the gas

Note that the overall masstransfercoefficientis different in thesetwo equations.Understandingthe difTerence betweenthe coefficients takescare. Equations l2 and9.3-l3 arethebasisof mostmodemanalyses diluteabsorption. 9.3of They are especiallyappropriate chemical solventsbecause for reactionsof the absorbing solutecan be incorporated into the overall masstransfercoetcient. However,especially in the older literature,a relationlike Eq. 9.3-12 is sometimes rearranged as

+)'"e:#)l
D G

(e.313)

l : H T U. N T U
r9.3-9) - :hethird

(e.3-14)

where HTU is a height a transfer defned of unit as HTU :

G

"a

Kca

( 9 . 3l-5 )

256
and NT U is a "number of transferunits" given by

9 / Absorption

NTU: I
:

[]rt

dtt

J,,

.'l

-)"

I l _ _

MU

^ln

\ v,-,,,n )

/lo

-rnxs\

( 9 . 31 6 ) -

Other definitions of HTU and NTU can be basedon other forms of the overall mass transfercoefficients.The useof "transferunits" is a rough parallelwith the useof "stages" in distillation or the term "theoreticalplates" in chromatography. As such, it seemsa in historicalgenuflection the more recentabsorptionanalyses the directionof the older by equilibrium theoriesof distillation. The use of HTUs and NTUs doeshave a soundphysicalinterpretation.The NTUs are of of a measure the difficulty of the separation, the distancethe final streamswill be from is equilibrium. If the NTUs are large, the separation hard. The HTUs, on the other hand, give an idea of the efficiency of the equipment. A small HTU is a sign of a good tower, implying, for example,a largesurface the areaper volume. Moreover,because overallmass of transfercoefficientoften depends the velocity, the HTU can be largely independent on flow over the practicalrange: It tendsto be between0.3 meterand 1.0meters.Learn to use F,q.9.3-12and the idea of an HTU interchangeably.

ll

Fi

Example 9.3-1: Carbon dioxide absorption A packedtower usesan organicamine to absorbcarbondioxide. The enteringgas,which contains L26molTo CO2, is to leavewith only 0.04molToCO2. The amineenterspure,without COz. If the amineleft in equilibrium with the enteringgas (which it doesn't),it would contain0.80 molToCO2. The gas flow is and 2.3 gmol/sec.the liquid flow is 4.8 gmol/sec,the tower'sdiameteris 40 centimeters, the overall masstransfercoefficienttimes the areaper volume K,,a is 5 . 10 5gmol/cmrsec. How tall shouldthis tower be? Solution We first make an overall carbon dioxide balanceto find the exitins liouid concentration: GA(Yo-)t): LA(xs*x1) smol 2 . 3: . i 0 . 0 t 2 6 sec "ro: 0'00585 N e x tw e f i n d t h ee q u i l i b r i u m o n s t a n t c smol _ 0 . 0 0 0 4: ) . 8 " 4 ( x o_ 0 ) sec

F*m-

R r',-' f t : . r : :- ' " ' bun:

htt*:,'

n--

'nb'fr

lo: mr : 0.0216 n(.0080) m : 1.58

if !!u -:

)rplon

q .l / Absorption of a Dilute Vapor

257

\ow we insertthe values giveninto Eq. 9.3-12: 2.3gmol/sec

r7T

s l ;+ t 4 0 c m l|2 . l o - t- : L I e . 3I-6 ) :32m

mol

CmiSeC

L\'-

'( fl=*-)
4.s /

0.0126 1 . s 8 ( 8 5 ) 0.005 - t .s8(0) 0.0004

)l

fhe simplicity thiscalculation typicalof dilutesolutions. of is

:':ill mass : .tages" : r e e m sa : ::l!'Older \TUs are be fiom ::-.:'r hand, J tower, ::.rllmass ::rJent of
::ll tO USO

Erample 9.3-2: oxygen stripping you are testinga new packedtower to strip oxygen :rt)m water using excessnitrogen. The oxygen-freewater is to be used in microelectric :nanufacture.Your tower is small, about 2 metershigh and 0.6 meter in diameter,filled 'i ith I inch Hy-Pakrings. You expectthe valueof lnG for oxygenis large andthe dominant .ransfr coefficient the liquid witl be 2.2 .10 3 centimeters second.The waterflow in per :' to be 300cm3/sec. How much oxygencan we removewith this tower? Solution To begin,we recognize that because nitrogengas flow is in excess, the andy7 arezero,and(L I mG) is much lessthanone. As a result,Eq. 9.3_ becomes l3

,: L f,-/*o\l K oL ' " ; / l \

From Thble 8.2-2 andthe fact that masstransferin the liquid is controlline. Kr:k*:kr'l

- -:llilDe tO

--.:r with e - - : Ii b r i u m - - , . t l o wi s ::.. .rndhe t r . nl sec.

'-. -ritino

FrornThbf 9.2-1,a is 60ft27ft3, 2.26cm2 e or /cm3. Thus

200cm:

3oot'3.. sec

[ (60 cm)22.2.l0-3cm . secc7_ L

l* al
xt)

1 : o.ol
-r0 '\'e'reremovingover ninety-eight percentof the oxygen. An interesting exercise to check is rL' nitrogenflows implied by this calculation.

Erample 9.3-3: Alternative forms of absorption equations show that Eq. 9.3-l2 can -.' rewrittenin the form

:;;f(+"(
,_G I

! LI

CI G. l

H ClL .t

)l

fre u6 and u1 are the superficialvelocitiesof gas and liquid, where K5 is defne<i re by Nr:Kc(ctc-cic) rJ the Henry's law constantH is given by ci-.: Hc17

258
Solution G : ccuc
L: CTUL

9 / Absorption

9.1/ Absor:

We frst recognize that

We then in where c6 and cL are the total molar concentrations gasand liquid, respectively' rewrite Eq. 9.3-6 as (1.,
cG SO

c|L
cL

H :

MCC CL

-----:

tr,-

.-

I . -:

8.2-2, from Table Finally, Ko : K,-lcc result' gives desired the of the Inserting values m, K,.,G, andI intoEq.9.3-12
'

ir.i

tr-

9.4 Absorption of a Concentrated Vapor concenIn this section,we want to extendthe precedinganalysisto the caseof a packedtower. As tratedvapor. As before, we plan to accomplishthis absorptionusing a tower packing and on liquid and gas fluxesthat before,we must decideon an appropriate though now for will avoid flooding. As before,we dependon a variety of mole balances' solutions. concentrated for our analysis we Beforewe developthesenew massbalances, canbenefitby looking at on differentway. This analysisdepended threekey equations' a dilute vaporin a somewhat a balanceon both liquid and gas (seeEq' 9.3-3): A first key equationcamefrom d y : L d x G this easilY: We integrated
I

(9.41)

t':yo+_(x-xo) G

(.9.4-2)

key equationis the This mole balance,shownin Fig. 9.4-1, is the operatingline. A second equilibrium condition (seeEq. 9.3-6): !*:mx

(9.4-3)

line. Finally, This thermodynamicrelation, also shown in Fig' 9'4-1, is the equilibrium from a massbalanceon the gas alone,we found (seeEq' 9'3-1)
G ': *.o / ' ) t t J,. ."-r dY

(9.4-4)

height i ' to we combined Eqs.9.4-Zthrough9.4-4 andintegrated find the towef's on the operating we ln contrast, could havemadeuseof the graphin Fig. 9.4-I . We begin line at the point line at the point (x1,r'i) and move vertically until we hit the equilibrium

\.. \orptlon

9.4 / Absorption of a ConcentratedVapor

259

O p e r o t in g line \

\\'e then

Fig. 9.4- L Designing an absorption tower for a dilute vapor. The height of the tower is closely related to the area of the trapezoid shown. However, fbr a dilute vapor, this area is easily calculated analytically using the equations of Section 9.3. The equilibrium line shown here is based on thermodynamics, and the operating line reflects mole or mass balances.

ii Concentr)$ er. As dures that

.:h now for for nalysis

r'QUatlOlS.

(9.4-1)

(.rr,yl ). From thesepoints,we know for ,y1 )1. We repeatthis procedure a lot of valuesof r . We then usetheseresultsto integrateEq. 9.4-4 by either graphicalor numericalmeans. We thus find the tower height /. At first glance,this methodof calculation usingoperating andequilibriumlinesmay seem archaic,an anachronism from the daysof sliderules. Certainly,this methodwas developed to circumventthe elaborate integrals that areoftenencountered the analysis large-scale in of masstransferprocesses. Theseintegralscan now be routinely handledwith computers. Still, operatingand equilibrium lines remain a focus of everyone'sthinking. This is not just the result of mental inertia or academicsloth. Instead,this focus has remained raluablebecause operatingline summarizes massbalanceand the equilibrium line is the a a statement basedon the secondlaw of thermodynamics.Such a split can make thinking rbout separation processes easierand more rational. We want to extendthis analysisto absorption concentrated in solutions.We begin with a mole balanceon both gas and liquid. The result is a parallelto Eq. 9.3-2:

s:-itGyt+?rtxl
az clz.

(e.4-s)

(9.4-2) is rtron the (9.4-3) :. Finally,

ri hereG6 is the flux of the nonabsorbing gas. For example,if we are using water to absorb SO3out of air, Gs is the flux of air. Similarlv. Before,the flux of gas G and that of liquid L were nearly constantbecause absorbing the \pecieswas alwaysdilute. Now, however,we expectthat

G : G \ l lr lr ' l "n -

(e.4-6)

(9.4-4)

L : L n\fl f- l* / "
r operating ,t thepoint

(e.4-7)

'r here Ls is the flux of the nonvolatileliquid. When we combine these equationsand

260

9 / Absorption

9.4/ Absorptior

The towerhei tiom Fig. 9..1-l madeduring the review. First. * liqur. nonvolatile liqurd i i q u i d :t h e gas.These apprt il-.r') 2inthe
l E q u i l i b r i u mi n e

X Theheightofthetoweris Fig.9.4-2.Designinganabsorptiontowerforaconcentratedvapor. to againrelated the areaof the figureshown.This heightis ofien moreeasilyfoundgraphically linesreflect andoperating of The curvatures the equlibrium thananalytically. oi numerically solutions. the fact thatboth gasandliquid areconcentrated integrate, we find

Jiflerentsetoi rr : t a l . .1 9 7 5\:l c C :,ictors and aren, The second k, rquately xprLe .:r.rt masstransi ,3rtalnli do dc'p - I rrnl\ a ftrstap

;m.*(*-*)
or 9.4-3:

I yo \ | ____:___ L o l . r Gr\l-* \l-',,)

.ro \ l-ru)/

(9.4-8)

vapor,the analogof Eq. 9'3-5 This mole balanceis the operatingline for a concentrated becomesmall. However,in or 9.4-2. It reducesto theseequationsas the concentrations general,its shapeis more like that inFig.9'4-2. to of The next step is the specification a new equilibnum relation analogous Eq. 9.3-6

: -y* .)*(:r)

e'4-9)

r:ntple 9.{-1:

as This relation is often not written in an analyticalform, but simply presented a table or results. The importantpoint is that .y* and f are no longer directly graph of experimental proportional,relatedby a single, constantcoefficient. Instead,they vary nonlinearly,as exemplifiedby the equilibrium line in Fig. 9.4-2. The final stepis a mole balanceon the gasin a differentialtower volume: d O:-*(Gt) -K"a(y-.r.)

(9.410)

We combinethis result with Eq. 9.4-6 to find

o:-

Gn,'f -r,uty-1.'l
( l - ) ' ) ' 11:

( 9 . 4 - l) r

where K., is the overall coefficientbasedon a mole fraction driving force. Rearranging,

':lu'o':*l:'

dv-

: HTU.NTU

(9.4-t2)

to reduces Eq. 9.3-11or 9.4-4 for dilute solutions, solutions This resultfbr concentrated w h e r et I - r ' ) i s a b o u tu n i t Y .

rt) tloll

9.4/ Absorptionof a Concentrated Vttpor

261

J\\ CT IS

:.,'rhically . rcflect

The tower height/ can be found by integrating F,q.9.4-12, using valuesof ,r'and .r'*read fom Fig. 9.4-2. The integrationis straightforward is limited by two key assumptions but made during the analysis. These assumptions can have subtle implications and so merit review. First, we are assumingabsorptionof a single vapor from an inert gas into a nonvolatile liquid. The gasis inertin the sense thatonly negligible amounts dissolve the in liquid;the liquid is nonvolatile the sense in thatonly negligible amounts evaporate the into approximations cas.These underlie Eq.9.4-6andleadto thefactors involving( t - r')-l and ( I - t)-2 in the analysis. passing, shouldmentionthatsometextbooks a slightly In we use differentsetof assumptions so useslightly differentequations (King, I 97 I ; Sherwood and et al., 1975;McCabe and Smith, 1975;Treybal,1980). diff'erences caused these The are by luctors and are not often important. The secondkey assumptionin this analysisis that a mass transfercoefficientcan adr'quatelyexpressthe masstransferin a concentrated solution. In other words, it implies that mass transfercoefficientsare independent concentration of differences, though they certainlydo dependon variables like the Reynoldsand Schmidtnumbers.This turnsout to he only a first approximation. general, In

Nr: K,A-) K(A))2 ... + +

(e.4l3)

(9.4-8)

' l - r U < - \ J '.-' LY|.

',\eVer, in Fq. 9.3-6 t9.4-9) . ., table or -:r directly ':t.arly, as

,rhere K{. is a new correctionfactor fbr concentrated solutions. The reasonwhy masstransfercoefficients may not be accurate concentrated in solution . because masstransferitself createsconvection. Such convectionis like that causedby j i t f s i o n , a s e x p l a i n e d i n d e t a i l i n S e c t i o n 3 .E.x t e n s i o n s om a s s t r a n s f e r c o e f f i c i e n t s t o l f llore concentrated solutionsor, more strictly,to situations fast masstransf'er outlined of are :t Section13.5. Howevel theseextensions not often usedin practice,evenwhen they are -re known in principle. Instead,practicingengineers tend to use empirical correlations of :,tual experimental data.Theseareusuallyreliable.

1 iq.4- 0)

( 9 . 4I I ) r.rnglng, t9.4-12) : .rrlutions,

F-rample9.4-1: Ammonia scrubbing A gasmixture at 0"C and I atmosphere flowing at l0 m3/sec, and containingthirty-seven percentNH3, sixteenpercentN2, and forty-seven . rrtent H2 is to be scrubbed with watercontaining little sulfuricacidat 0'C. The exit gas a .:\)uld conta'none percent NHr and the exit liquid 23 mol% NH3. Designa packedtower to caffy out this task. The tower shoulduse2-inch Berl saddles, ' r r e h a v ea s u r f a c e r e ap e r v o l u m e 1 0 5 m 2 / m 3( c f . T a b l e9 . 2 - l l . I t s h o u l d p e r a t e t h a o a - lr percentof flooding. Pilofplant data suggestthat the overall gas-sidemass transfer - :licient in this tower will be 0.032meters per second; this valueis largerthan normal - r-rLlse the chemicalreactionof ammoniawith water. of In this design,answerthe following specificquestions:(a) What is the flow of purewater -: , thetop of the tower?(b) What towerdiameter shouldbe used?(c) How tall shouldthe .,. be? r'r Solution (a) We first fnd the total flow AGs of the nonabsorbed gases(i.e., of ". .rnd 2): H A G s , : g "" 1.20 3/sec m

m3/kgmot \ zz.+

: 0.0338kgmol/sec

9 / Absorption

9.4/ Absorptiort,

We then find the ammoniatransferred:

' \ absorberd "'' \zz.l+mrTkgmol/ \ ) : 0.0195 kgmo/sec waterflow ALs: Fromthis.we findthedesired / 0.11\ kgmol/sec) ALo- t ) (o'0195
\v.tJ /

/ N H . \ / l I. _ n 0 m 7r / s e c \ / 0 ' 0 1 -( 0| ' 0 3 3 8 k g m o l / s e | c t \ 2 2- I |

0.99

: 0.0652 kgmol/sec (b) The risk of flooding is greatestat the bottom of the tower where the flows are on it by flooding is determined fluid mechanics, depends mass Moreover,because greatest. molecular we To make this conversion, first find that the average flows, not molar flows. weight of the gasis 11.7. Then we seethat / total flow \ I \ of gas /
f

I I .7 kg / 0.0338kgmol/sec\ l | 0.63 kgmol \ /

Fig. 9.'1--r

: 0.628kg/sec so molecularweight of the liquid stream(neglectingany HzSO+)is 17'8, The average / toralflow \ \ of liquid / 17.8kg ( 0.0652kgmol/sec \ 0.77 kgmol \ /

fr - d - : -

4 d : 0

: 1.51g/sec k Thus kg/sec I .51 /liquid flow \ r'l^ l t t P c / P t : 0.628 kg/sec \ gasnow /
: 0.055 we find that that the valuesfound in Fig. 9.2-3 are not dimensionless, Remembering / g a sf l u x \ ' o ' 1 7 aP t g ' P

. re tower's diame (c) Th, HTU :

Jffi

\ainoooing): a-

: :rndthenumbe - .\n astheopera : rnthefigure.\' :r lt - 0.37to NTU : ' . :r Eq.9.3-14 t:(HTt

:@
or / gasflux \

I t3z.2r on ( oz.+\to.o32ot ) fir t,t

t"/

shouldbe half this value' or we Because want to operateat ffty percentflooding, our flux about 1.15kg/m2-sec.We now can find the tower's diameter:

"ttililt

: z'zokglm2sec

: (0.4

- - emsof stripp . :brium line.

t' )[ IO11

9.4 / Absorption of a ConcentratedVapor

263

-.!\\'s arg

''. .rtl lnass

".'iecular

o.1

0.3 Examole 9.4.1.

Fig.9.4-3. Absorption concentrated of ammonla values shown are for The

s 2 _ 0 . 6 2 8k g l s e c 4 1 . 1 -k g / m 2 s e c 5 d:0.84m The tower's diameteris about 2.7 feet. (c) The calculation the tower'sheightcan beginwith 8q.9.4-12. From this, of HTU G,, ,--K6;ac

kgmol/secl/ I 41 t0.0338 [ (tt Q.84m)21 (0.032 ( m/sec) I 05 m2 ) (l kgmol 22.4m3) /m3 I : 0.41m
l:nal

Tofindthenumber transfer of unitsNTU, we firstplotvalues ) versus using 9.4-8, of x Eq. .hownastheoperating in Fig.9.4-3.V/ealso line ploty* versus.r, shown theequilibrium as rnein thefigure.Wethenread values .t,*versus.y fixedx,andintegrate 9.4-12 off of at Eq. :rom-)0: 0.37to yr - 0.01.Theresult is NTU : 13 :romEq.9.3-14 I : (HTU)(NTU) : (0.41m)(13):5.3m

r aue,or

?roblems stripping gases very similarexcept theoperating fallsbelowthe of are that line :;uilibrium line.

264

9 / Absorption

9.5 Conclusions
process chemica in gas an This chapteranalyzes absorption, importantseparation commonly is effectedin packedtowers manufacture and pollution control. Gas absorption llled with inert packing that gives a larger interfacialarea betweengas and liquid. The downward. The liquid is gas rises through the tower; the liquid trickles countercurrently like For example,acid gases being absorbed. binding the solutes often chemicallyreactive, into aqueoussolutionsof amines. However,the analysisin this chapter H2S are absorbed in liquids; reactiveliquids are discussed Chapter 16. implies nonreactive and on masstransfer. The on The analysisof gas absorptiondepends fluid mechanics rangeof gasandliquid fluxes,which areadjusted the determines acceptable fluid mechanics areaof the tower. The masstransfercoefcientsdetermine by changingthe cross-sectional andhencetheheightof the packedtower. This heightcanbe estimated the rateof absorption by either algebraicor geometricmethods.The algebraicformulationis simplefor the case on of a dilute solute,a casedetailedin Section9.3. This casedepends threekey relations: an overall mole balance,a thermodynamicequilibrium, and a rate equation. This dilute way to leam about absorption. caseis the easiest systems. for is of The geometricanalysis absorption suitable eitherdilute or concentrated the on It alsodepends the samethreekey relations.Almost perversely, overallmole balance equilibriumis calledthe equilibrium line andthe thermodynamic is now calledthe operating rewrittenin termsof neu coefficients has sometimes themasstransfer line. The rateequation of HTUs, heightof transferunits,which are measures the efficiencyof the quantities called thel physicalinsight; simultaneously, provide occasional packedtower. Thesenew terms from trying to learn about gas absorption. inexperienced the are effectiveat discouraging br don't give up. Work hard on the dilute limit; be encouraged If you are inexperienced, geometricanalysisare more complicated,but limit and the the fact that the concentrated involve no new ideas. Further Reading Prcgress (6) 55. 90 Engineering V. Chemicul Kaiser, (1994). Prot:esses, York: McGraw-Hill. New Separation King,C. J. (1971). 90 Progress (2) 23. Engineering T. Chemical H. K. Kister, 2., Larson, F.,andYanagi, ( 1994). 87 Progress (2) 32. Engineering Chemical Kister, 2., andGill, D. R. ( 1991). H. Serle.s,50,51. Progress Symposium Engineering Chemical Leva, (1954). M. ed., Engineering,3rd New oJ'Chemical J. W., McCabe, andSmith, C. (1975).Unit Operutions York:McGraw-Hill. 5th Handbook' ed.,NewYork: Engineers C. R. Perry, H., andChilton, H. (1973).Chemical McGraw-Hill. Progress (5) 87. 87 Engineering L. Chemical Robbins, A. (1991). New MassTransJr. York:McGraw-Hill R. T. Sherwood, K., Pigtord, L., andwilke, c. R. (1975). and Industrial Engineering F. G. T. Sherwoorl, K., Shipley, H., andHolloway, A. L. (1938). 30, Chemistn 765. Houston: GulfPublishing. and Random Packings PackedTow'ers, Strigle. F.(1987). R. ed. Operatktns,3rd NewYork:McGraw-Hill' MassTransfer Trevbal. E. (1980). R.

l[m
l|fini!!:' tlhru; ]

:.

r . - . "
n{Um _' : rc:"....1 r5l!::

hu
lu*r'-'

mu -: 'l:ror .r- - u , . ilm0.:-* hl "" :

,tr- " " :

nmrbulrfi'r;'

. .: :::
l :*:,:-

lJ llaf

,di E,"l mfll "": ,ill li "., F'ttg: -:'- --ro:dflilu:-r

Ii:*

;'--

i "llluour -. ,u:u:"'.'!|f,ij[-: llirirl,r rfu/ult ,--' -.

'nur ', '

r'---

!ffb,