Baual, Ann Christine

Evaristo, Carla Rae

Gregorio, Justin Edrik
Vinluan, Justin Timothy

Pressure Drop and Flooding in a Packed Column

I. Introduction

Chemical processes usually occur as mixture of different components in the gas, liquid
or solid phase. Separation processes such as absorption, distillation, liquid-liquid extraction,
leaching, membrane processing, crystallization, adsorption and ion exchange can be used to
separate or remove one or more components from its original mixture by contacting this mixture
with another phase. For the solute/s to diffuse from one phase to the other, the two phases
which are somewhat miscible to each other are brought into more or less intimate contact. The
components of the original mixture reallocate between two phases during contact and these
phases are separated by simple physical methods. (Geankoplis, 2003)

Gas absorption is a unit operation in which soluble components of a gas mixture are
dissolved in a liquid. To make an intimate contact between the gas and liquid which usually
flows counter currently, packing elements are placed in the vertical, cylindrical columns or
towers. These packing elements also serve to provide development of interfacial surface
through which mass transfer takes place. (Perry, 2008)

A packed column are mainly use for counter-current gas-liquid flow for heat and mass
transfer. In a packed column, liquid, driven by gravity flows down through the random structured
packing and is characterized by low pressure drop and high operating range. (Mackowiak,
2010) Most commonly known packing materials are raschig rings, berl saddle, pall ring, intalox
metal (IMTP) and jaeger metal tri-pack. (Geankoplis, 2003) A packing has three important
geometrical characteristics: surface area, size and void fraction (free volume). The volume of
the free space of the packing is packing void fraction which is related to 1m3 of its volume. While
the area related to 1m3 of the volume the packing is its specific surface area. (Kolev, 2006)

One of the important hydrodynamic parameter of the packed bed is the packing pressure
drop which is equal the difference between the pressures at outlet and inlet of the packing.
Pressure drop is usually presented as a function of the gas superficial velocity (Kolev, 2006)
which starts to rise at a faster gas rate. Superficial gas velocity is the gas velocity through a pipe
assuming that there is no obstruction present in the system.

Gas flow rate is directly proportional to the liquid hold-up or accumulation which causes
flooding. The liquid can no longer flow down through the packing and is blown out with air at the
flooding point. The tower cannot operate above the flooding velocity. And the optimum economic
gas velocity is about one-half or more of the flooding velocity. (Geankoplis, 2003)

Ergun Type Equation

The Ergun equation is derived by Chemical Engineer Sabri Ergun in 1952. It is an
estimation of the pressure drop through a packed bed due to rate of fluid flow, fluid properties,
density of packing and physical properties of the packing material (Sandidge, Shin, Vega-
Fuentes, & Williams, 2005). Therefor Ergun modified Reynolds Number Re p that depends on
the superficial velocity s, viscosity , density , void fraction and particle diameter Dp. (Yuan
Jia & Hlavka, 2009)

(1)

Ergun also defined the friction factor fp as a function of pressure drop P, the length of the
packed bed L, particle diameter, void fraction, superficial velocity and density given by equation
(2).

(2)

After several experiments with different packing material with different flow rates, Ergun was
able to formulate the general form of the equation:

(3)

To calculate for the pressure drop, the Ergun equation can be defined as:
 (4)

Leva-type Equation
Max Leva in 1959 created a semi-empirical equation for the prediction of minimum
fluidization velocity umf for gas fluidization as a function of particle diameter D p, density and
viscosity as shown below:

(5)

In order for the Leva equation to be used in liquid phase, it is modified using
experimental data for liquid phase and making an equation fitting the data (Mohammed, 2009).
The modified Leva equation can be written as follows:

(6)

The pressure drop prediction may be estimated by the correlation given by:

Where modified friction factor fm is a function of of particle diameter D p, density , shape

factor , exponent as a function of Re n, void fraction , pressure drop p, length of bed L and
fluid superficial mass velocity G.

Robbins Equation
Robbins correlation for pressure drop in a random particle packed towers are based on a
dry packing factor unlike the most manufacturers published value which is based on packing
factor from wet data (Ludwig, 1997). Robbins generalized equation of pressure drop for random
tower packings is given by:
Where P is the total pressure drop, G f is gas loading factor, Lf is liquid loading factor, Fpd is a
dry packing factor, is density and stands for viscosity.

There are several methods in using Robbins depending on different parameters and requires
careful attention to dimensions. However the use of the equation has been simplified through
the introduction of Fig. 1. (Perry, 2008)

Figure 1: The Robbins generalized pressure-drop correlation. (From L. Robbins Chem. Eng. Progr.
May 1991. p.87)

This experiment aims to determine the void fractions of the packed beds, to determine the
effects of liquid holdups on the pressure drop of the packed column and to determine the
packing factor experimentally with the use of flooding velocity calculations.
 II. Methodology

Preliminary
The dimensions of the packed tower and packings were recorded. The sump tank
containing the water was cleaned and refilled to 75% of its capacity. On-off switch, knobs, flow
meter and drainage valves were closed/turned off while the valve if the return line and all
pressure taps were opened. All liquid in the tubes connected to the pressure taps were also
drained.

Start-Up
The equipment was turned on as well as the compressor and pump. The air flow rate
was set at maximum for 15 minutes to dry the remaining water in the tower.

Pressure Drop of dry and wet packings

Starting from 20 L/min, the air flow rate was increased by 10 L/min until it reached the
maximum flow rate of 140 L/min. The water flow rate was set to zero. After each adjustment, the
pressure drop in the manometer, containing colored water, was measured and recorded.

Unlike the previous process, water flow rate was now increased periodically for all the given
air flow rates. The pressure drop of the manometer was measured and recorded. The air flow
rate increment was stopped whenever flooding occurs in the packed column.

Shutdown
The packed tower was drained of all liquid and the pumped was turned off. Similar to the
start-up process, the air flow rate was set at maximum for 15 mins to allow the packed tower to
dry. The compressor and on-off switch were turned off.

III. Treatment and Discussion of Results

IV. Answers to Questions

These are some of the characteristics that a packing should have for it to be employed in mass
transfer operation: (a) the shape of the packings should avoid stagnant pools of liquid, trap gas bubbles
and violent changes in the direction of the gas. (b) It should improve wetting and liquid distribution. (c) It
should provide more open area for vapor rise. (d) The ratio of tower diameter to random packing should
be greater than ten. (e) It should have highly corrosive service. (f) Due to the possibility of deformation,
plastic packing should be limited to an unsupported depth of 10-15 ft (3-4 m) while metal packing can
withstand 20-25 ft (6-7.6 m). (g) Packing factors. The capacity, efficiency and pressure drop
characteristics vary with packing size and type. The higher surface area, the more efficiency packing.
Packing factors are indicators of capacity. The lower packing factors, the higher capacity. Note that
ceramic packing will be the first choice for corrosive liquids, but ceramics are unsuitable for use with
strong alkalis. Plastic packing are attacked by some organic solvents and can only be used up to
moderate temperatures, so are unsuitable for distillation columns. Where the column operation is likely
to be unstable, metal rings should be specified, as ceramic packing is easily broken.

A packed bed column contains a support plate, a liquid distributor, and a mist eliminator. The liquid
stream flows down the column due to gravity while the gas flows upward, resulting in counter-flow.
Contaminants are transferred from the vapor to the liquid, due to equilibrium or kinetic mechanisms,
with the packing as the contactor.

Total liquid holdup could be determined by the difference between the dry and irrigated column
weight. Dynamic holdup could be found by collecting the liquid draining from the column after
interruption of input liquid while static holdup was then determined by the difference between total and
dynamic hold ups.

The liquid holdup is the fraction of liquid held up in packed column. The volume of liquid holdup
volume is often needed for calculating packed bed support beam loadings as well as for determining how
much liquid drains to the bottom of a tower when the vapor rate is stopped.

Channeling occurs when the gas or liquid flow is much greater at some points than at others. Such
channeling is undesirable, for it can substantially reduce interfacial area and hence mass transfer.
Loading is a requirement for good mass transfer. When loading begins, the flows may slightly decrease,
but the dramatic increase in the gas-liquid area means that the mass transfer is fast.

At low liquid velocities, the liquids physical properties will have little to no effect on the pressure
drop. This probably led to the considerable difference between the data acquired in the experimental
section compared to using the Leva-Robbins equation.

V. Conclusions
 VI. References
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Design of Columns for Gas/Liquid and Liquid/Liquid Systems. Germany: Springer-Verlag
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Perry, R. H. (2008). Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook 8th Edition. United States of
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holdup in packed columns. AIChE Journal,32(11), 1920-1923.