Rating of an Existing Absorption Tower

Calculating:
- No. of Transfer Units.
- Flooding velocity and Loading velocity.
- Diameter of the column.
- Height of the packed tower.
- Pressure drop across the entire tower.

Packed Tower Specifications:
1 Raschig rings, dumped packing. ( a/
3
= 158 )
Composition of Inlet and Outlet Gas Streams:
Inlet Gas Composition
Dry
(mol%) Outlet Gas Composition
Dry
(mol%)
Flow Rate =662 Nm
3
/hr Flow Rate
Dry
=503 Nm
3
/hr, Flow Rate
H20
=3
Nm
3
/hr
H
2
45.70 H
2
60.18
N
2
19.67 N
2
25.90
Ar 02.22 Ar 02.92
CH
4
08.32 CH
4
10.96
NH
3
24.09 NH
3
00.04

Average M.Wt. at inlet gas stream =
{(45.70 x 2)+(19.67 x 28)+(39.9 x 2.22)+(8.32 x 16)+(24.09 x 17)]
100
=12.7361
Average M.Wt.at outlet gas stream =
{(60.18 x 2)+(25.90 x 28)+(2.92 x 39.9)+(10.96 x 16)+(.04 X 17)]
100

=11.384
Now, since Inlet gas flow rate =662 Nm
3
/hr,
Molar flow rate =
PIow utc n Nm3hr
22.4
=
662
22.4
=29.553 Kmol/hr.
Similarly, Molar flow rate at outlet =22.4553 Kmol/hr.
Gas flow rate at inlet, G
in
=(Molar flow rate x Avg. M.wt.) =(29.533 x 12.7361) =376.397 kg/hr.
Gas flow rate at outlet, G
out
=(22.4553 x 11.384) =255.632 kg/hr.
Avg. Gas flow rate =
GIn+Gout
2
=316.0145kg/hr.

Composition of Inlet and Outlet liquid streams:
Mass flow rate of inlet liquid stream (water), L
in
=680 kg/hr.
Amount of NH
3
absorbed from gas stream =(Mass flow rate of NH
3 in
in gas Mass flow rate of NH
3 out
in
gas )
=[{[
24.09 X 662
100 X 22.4
x 17] -{[
.04 X 503
100 X 22.4
x 17}] kg/hr
=120.666kg/hr.
Given, water flow rate at outlet liquid stream =843 Nm
3
/hr =37.633 Kmol/hr =677.394 kg/hr.
Total Liquid mass flow rate at outlet, L
out
=120.666 +677.394 =798.06kg/hr.
Avg. Liquid flow rate =
LIn+Lout
2
=739.03 kg/hr.
Calculating Average Gas Stream Composition:
Assuming half of NH
3
available for absorption remains in the gas stream,
NH
3
absorbed ={(24.09 x 662)-(.04 x 503)}/(2 x 100) =79.63 Nm
3
/hr. =NH
3
remaining in the gas
stream.
Also, the Temperature and Pressure inside the packed tower are assumed to be the mean of the inlet and
outlet conditions.
T =60
0
C ; P =16.68 atm
Calculating Avg. Density of the Gas stream at these conditions:
Assuming ideal gas behavior of the component gases at these conditions,
From Ideal Gas Law, we know that,
PM =RT
Where, P Pressure (atm)
T Temperature (K)
M Molecular Weight (gm)
R Gas constant =0.082057 (L atm K
-1
mol
-1
)
- Density (gm/L)

Densities of the various components are:

Composition (Nm
3
/hr), F
i Density (kg/m
3
),
i
H
2
303 01.2200
N
2
130 17.0912
Ar 15 24.4160
CH
4
55 09.7664
NH
3
79.63 10.3760


g,avg
={(E F
i
x

i
)/EF
i
} =7.4160 kg/m
3
.


Calculating Average density of the Liquid stream:
Molar flow rate of H
2
O =37.633 Kmol/hr.
Molar flow rate of NH
3
=(79.63/22.4) =3.555 Kmol/hr.
Average density of outlet stream at 16.68atm , 60
0
C ~ 1000kg/m
3
.
(since
water
=1000 kg/m
3
and
NH3
=10.376 kg/m
3
.(shown in the table above))

l,avg
= 1000 kg/m
3
.


Calculating the Flooding and Loading Velocities:
Now that we have the Average gas and liquid stream flow rates and densities, we can calculate the
flooding and loading velocities using below figure


(Note : FPS unit system was used in drawing the curves)
Calculating the value on the x - coordinate i.e.,
L
u
(
g
/
L
)
0.5
we get,
L
u
(
g
/
L
)
0.5
=
739.03
316.0145
(7.4160/1000)
0.5
=0.20139
Curve A of figure gives the Flooding curve for dumped raschig rings.
The line x =0.20139 intersects the curve A at y =0.8 (in fps system)

u
2

0.2

l
g
c
X
u
s
3
=0.8

Where : G is in lb/hr,
is in lb/ft-s,
is in lb/ft
3
,
And g is in ft/s
2
.
Also, we have :
u
2

0.2

l
g
c
X
u
s
3
=
v
g
2

0.2

l
g
c
x
u
s
3
=0.8 (for Flooding)
Here,
=

l
in

l
cut
~ 1
at 60
0
C =0.5 cp ( water) =0.5 x 10
-3
pa-s.

g
=7.4160 kg/m
3
.

L
=1000 kg/m
3
.
g
c
=9.8m/s
2
.

u
s
3
=158.
V
g
=0.4845 m/s .
Flooding Velocity = 0.4845 m/s.

Also, from figure , we see that curve C gives the Upper Loading values.
X =0.20139 intersects the Upper Loading curve at y =0.6
Again from :
u
2

0.2

l
g
c
X
u
s
3
=
v
g
2

0.2

l
g
c
x
u
s
3
=0.6 ;
we get V
g
= 0.4196 m/s as the loading velocity.
Taking the operating velocity as 40% of the flooding velocity, we get :
(V
g
)
operating
=0.4 x 0.4845 =0.1938m/s.
(V
g
)
loading
=0.4196m/s.
Calculating the Diameter of the Packed Tower:
Volumetric Flow rate of gas in the tower =
Muss ]Iow utc o] gus
Ag.dcnst o] gus stcum
=
316.0145
3600 X 7.4160
=
0.011837m
3
/s
Cross sectional area =
voIumctc PIow Rutc
0pcutng vcIoct
=
0.011837
0.1938
=0.0610m
2


t
2
4
=0.0610
D =0.2788m =10.98 in (ID)
Taking the closest suitable standard diameter, i.e., 10
We have, ID of tower = 10.02 (for a standard 10 tower)
Internal Area =0.546 ft
2
.
Superficial Velocity =
0.011837
0.3048
2
X 0.546
=0.233m/s.
Percentage Flooding =
0.233
0.4845
x 100 =48.16%
And Percentage Loading =
0.233
0.4196
x 100 =55.6%

Calculating Height of Transfer Unit:
Average Mass Flux of gas stream through the tower =G =
u

cg
Coss scctonuI Acu

G =
316.0145
0.546 x 0.3048
2
=6229.948 kg/m
2
-hr =1273.317 lb/ft
2
-hr
Average Mass Flux of Liquid stream through the tower =L =
L

cg
Coss scctonuI Acu

L =
739.03
0.546 x 0.3048
2
=14569.3 kg/m
2
-hr =2977.771 lb/ft
2
-hr



Extrapolating the graph of L vs. G for 1 Raschig rings, we get ,
H
OG
=0.7 ft.
Correcting the height of Transfer Unit for inert gases in system:
(H
OG
)
with inerts
=
u
moI.wt
NH3-incrts
,
K
G
c

x P

Where : G =Average Mass Flu x of the gas stream =1273.317 lb/ft
2
-hr.
K
u
u

=K
u
u
0
(
]]ust
incrts
]]ust
cir
)
0.56
mol/hr-ft
3
-atm ;
where K
u
u
0
is the average mass transfer coefficient for NH
3
-air mixture.
P =Average Pressure in the tower =16.68 atm.
Now,
K
u
u
0
=
u
moI.wt
NH3-cir

,
H
OG
0
x P
=
1273.317
28.4
,
0.7 x 16.68
=3.8456 mol/hr-ft
3
-atm.
Also, Diffusivity (D
v
) of a mixture of two components A and B having Mol.Wts. M
a
, M
b
and volumes
V
a
and V
b
respectively at temperature T and pressure P is given by :
D
v
=
0.0069 1
3
2
,

_
1
M
c
+
1
M
b
P ( v
c
1
3
,
+ v
b
1
3
,
)
2

Here, T =60
0
C =600
0
R
M
a
=17 (for NH
3
)
M
b
=29.16 (for air)
P =16.68 atm
V
a
=26.7 for NH
3
[from table 9.28, Ludwig Vol.02]
V
b
=29.9 for air

D
v
of NH
3
through air is given by:

D
v
=
0.0069 600
3
2
,
_
1
1
+
1
29
16.68 (26.7
1
3
,
+29.9
1
3
,
)
2
= 0.051157 ft
2
/hr.
Also,
Diffusion coefficient of NH
3
through 3:1 N
2
-H
2
mixture :
M
a
=17 for NH
3
M
b
=11.2 for inert gas mixture
V
a
=26.7 for NH
3
V
b
=0.75(14.3) +0.25(31.2) =18.5 for 3:1 N
2
-H
2
mixture
D
v
=
0.0069 600
3
2
,
_
1
1
+
1
11.2
16.68 (26.7
1
3
,
+18.5
1
3
,
)
2
=0.075267 ft
2
/hr.
K
u
u

=K
u
u
0
(
]]ust
incrts
]]ust
cir
)
0.56

K
u
u

=3.8456 x (
0.075267
0.051157
)
0.56

=4.774 mol/ft
3
-hr-atm.
(H
OG
)
with inerts
=
u
moI.wt.
NH3-incrts
,
K
G
c

x P
=
1273.317
11.2
,
4.774-16.68
=1.43
H
O6
actua|
= 1.43 ft.
Also, we have, No. of Transfer units =5.25 (previously calculated)
Total Height of the packed tower =Z = E
0u
uctuuI
x No. of Transfer Units
=1.43 x 5.25 =7.506 ft.
In the construction of NH
3
absorption tower, we give a gap of H
OG
between successive beds to
accommodate for the gap required for water to spread through the entire packing.
Z
actual
=2(Z) ~ 15ft.
Pressure Drop per unit length of packing for 1 Raschig rings in a dumped packing
=
1"E
2
0
t pocking
, .
=
249 Po
t
, .
AP
totuI
=Z
actual
x
AP
lcngtb
, =15 x 249 =3735 pa =0.037atm
Total Pressure Drop across the tower = 0.037 atm.