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Calculate Saturated-Cas
l,oads for
r/acuum
Systems
Use this procedure tu
find
the amount of noncondensable gas
saturated uitb condensable gas being discbarged.
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COMMON PROBLEM
in designing vacuum
systems for chemical
processing applications
is the calculation of load
requirements. This is es-
pecially true when dealing with ex-
isting process equipment. One of
the key factors is an accurate deter-
mination of operating conditions.
The calculation of load is rela-
tively straightforward. To illustrate
the appropriate procedure, we will
look at a representative case: a dis-
tillation column with an overhead
reflux condenser. (The reflux con-
denser may 0r may not be followed
by a vent condenser, see Figure l.)
The operating parameters needed
to size the vacuum system are
l. the load going to the vacuum
system from the reflux or vent con-
denser (if present) in mass flow
terms,
2. the pressure of the load, and
3. the temperature of the load.
The load can be considered as the
amount of noncondensable gas sat-
urated with the condensable gas be-
ing discharged from the reflux or
vent condenser.
First calculate the pressure and
temperature of the gas going to the
vacuum svstem. In a new system,
this can be cletermined from the
condenser design. For an existing
system, actual measurements can be
taken.
C)nce this information is known,
the nontondensable gas load must be
EDWARD B. MYERSON, STOI(IS VACUUM, INI
calculated. Unless a reaction occurs glands. The procedure is as follon's:
or some carrier gas is injected into l. Evacuate the systern to about
the system, the amount of noncon- 125 mm Hg abs.
densable gas in the process stram 2. Isolate the system from the vac-
can be considered equivalent to the uum source and turn off the vac-
amount of air leakage into the uum source.
equipment. There are several meth- 3. Record the time required for a
ods of determining air leakage. change in pressure (the pressure
They include change must be large enough to al-
l. a rate-of-rise test to find the air low for an accurate time reading);
leakage of an existing system (1), do not allow the system pressur to
2. measurement using an air-leak- rise above 380 mm Hg abs.
age meter (1), 4. Given the system volume
,
the
3. determination via standard pressure change, and the elapsed
charts based on system size and op- time, calculate the air-leakage rate
erating pressure (1) or, (at 70"F') via:
4. calculations based on system
size, fittings, openings, and operat- L
--
O.39'lVLPlt (1)
ing pressure (2).
The rate-of-rise method yields a
reasonable representation of the air
leakage of a system. The test, how-
ever, can only be done on a system
that can be taken off line, emPtied
of process fluids, and then evacu-
atecl to a pressure of 125 mm Hg
abs. or less. The test should be per-
f<rrmed
with all agitators and other
rotating
equipment running to du-
plicate any leakage through seals or
5. Repeat the test with the vac-
uum system running to eher'k for
the tightness of t he isolation valve. I I
the leak rate is similar, then the valve
is tight.
Another rnethod for finding the
noncondensable-gas flow rate of att
existing system is to use an air-lcak-
age meter to measlrre the
gas flo$'
rate at almospherir: pressure. All
o
the gas from the vacuurn s)'stc:11
must go through the air-leakagc
meter. If any water, \rater vap()r, ot.
cortdcnsable gas arc prescnt. usc t'i
ther a separator or a surface-tvpc af-
ter condenser ahead of thc rnetcr
to
remove as much of them as possiblc.
Measure the ternperaturc eif the
gas
going to the rneter and cleclur:t thc
saturation
anl()unt frorn the readirrg.
The other rnctl'rods of calcrrlating
I
I
s
(.ttt-lrtr
rt hrr,tttlHtrr. I'R(x.R!s5
noncondensable-gas
florv rate are
empirical and. thus, not as rigorous'
ir-leakage curves are
Published
bv the Heat Exchange lnstitute, see
Figure 2. To use thse t'urves. both
system volumc and operattng
I)res-
sure data are reqtrired. \\'hcn using
ordinary shaft sels, add up tn 5 lbih
to allon' for additional leakage'
The final method is basecl on both
system size and the number and
sizes of flanges, ports, etc. The pro-
cedure coniists of two stePs
(2)'
First, estimate the air-leakap;e
rate
according to vesset size using the fol-
lowing equations:
Lr =
l'2ArDL.P'26
(for 100 to l0 tcrr)
be understood;
the concePt states
that the total pressure is equal to the
sum ofthe paitial pressures' and the
total pressure times the mole frac-
tion of a gas is equal to its
Partial
Dressure.
'
T., .alculate the saturation
of a
noncondensable
with two condensa-
bles, first calculate the partial pres-
sure of the noncondensable:
NOMENCLATURE
D
:
seal diarneter
(in.);
S
:
flow of saturated vapor (lb/h);
L
:
air leakage into s1'stem
(lb/h):
L, - specific leak rate tlb/h/in.):
Ll, = leaLage rate ol fittirrgs. ralre:'
seals, etc., (lb/h/in
)
M
:
molesl
Mu,
:
molecular weightl
N
:
low of noncondensables
(lb/h):
P
:
pressure (torr, lnm Hg abs ):
= rinre
(mlll)r
l'
:
sl'stem vrtlume (tr):
W
:
mass flow
(Ib,,,/h)l
avg
= average
c = condensablest
i = comportent ii
n
:
n()Ircotrdertsablcs:
p
= partial:
t
:
t{)tal:
\'
:
\'ap()r (cottclerrsables at tcllPer-
ature ].).
(6)
FT
{, l}lc.
iows:
rbout
i vac-
'
vac-
for a
'isure
to al-
iing);
ire to
",
the
psed
"rate
(l)
'vac-
k for
ve. If
valve
q thc
of an
-leak-
flow
\ll of
stenr
kage
{)r, or
se ei-
prc af-
ier to
'sible.
:c gas
t the
rling.
ating
Lr
:
1i'DLsPosa
(for 10 to I torr)
(7)
The total air leakage is:
L,:L+[Lr
(8)
Once the air-leakage
rate and non-
conclensable-gas
flow have been de-
termined,
the saturation can be eas-
ilv calculated.
For a simple problem
o air or other dry gas saturated with
Vstuum
Syslem
Its*, tJ.,*m ryrlem lor dirtillotion column wilh ovetheod telux condenser'
L
:
O.l 06pl^,06
(2) a single condensable.gas,
the satura-
(forTti0tol00torr)tionamountlS(.al(.ulateovla
S
:
'Mzu,P,lMw"(P -
P')
(9)
L
:
0.072po.o26yoorr
(3)
(for 100 to l0 torr) When there is more than one non-
condensable,
the average
molecular
f
:
0.026P{'{r34y006
(4)
weight of the noncondensables
(for r0 ro I rorr)
(+)
"Hfii:
* :1^l: i::iil:
weight is t alculaterl b1
'fht'
nt'xt step is to determittc
the air
leakace frt.'ln atl valves, 'ittings,
u',,*
:
ll(14',lLIu/1\t'
,eals, t..
'I-his
is done for each item
+ ... + \4t,lN1trt,lW,)
(10)
usilrg thc frrllorn ing equati('n\ and
f inrling the sllctific leakage rate. L.,
For applicati.ns
in'ol'ing
rnore
frorn
-lablc
1 :
than one'condensable
and at least
one n()n('ontlensablc,
the technique
L,
:
3.98ri'Dls
(5)
is sorncwhat clif{erent' lt reqtrires
(for 760 to 100 torr; that the concept of partial prejsut'c
Toble l. Eslimoles
or
speciic leok roles.
ComPonenl
Stotir Seols
Threoded
(onnedions
(onvenlional Gosket Seols
0-tings
Thermolly
(ycled
Goskels
r< 200'F
200 < r< 400'f
I > 100"
Rolary Seols
Potking Glonds
lilethonicol Seols
lsolotion
lolves
Plug
(ock
Bolt
Globe
Gole
Throllling Yolves
Aaess Porls
Yiew Vtlindows
Specillt leol
tole (lb/h/in.)
0.015
0.005
0.002
0.005
0.018
0.03?
0.25
0.t0
0.01
0.02
0.02
0.01
0.2s
0.02
0.015
\l\R( ll l!)l)l
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tigure 2. ir-leokoge volues or commerciolly lighl syslems'
P,: Prn * P*r * P*:
-l-he
partiaf pressure of a condensrtbLe
when saturated is equal to the vaPor
pressure of the condensable at the
saturation temperature in a mixture
of multiple condensables. So,
P,",
:
P,*r
(12)
the n,
Fu,,
-
P,
-
P,,*,
-
P,sr (13)
Next. calculatc the number of rnolcs
of noncondensablcs:
( I I
)
Third, calculte the total number of
moles
Present:
Pr"lP,: M,IM,
(15)
M,: M"(P,lPu,,)
(16)
vent condenser to the vacuum sls-
tern because both the air leakagc
and the saturatcd \aPor loads arc
knon'n. along r+ith thc prcssrrre arrd
temperature. To fi nish vacuuln-svs-
tem-sizine sim pl,v involves determin-
ing the nutnber, tvpe, and size o lhe
required pumps.
r
LtTERATtTRE CITEI)
l.
"Starrdarrls
ir Steanr
.fct
Vat'rtrtttt
Systcnrs."
,1tlr
Etl.. Hcat Exchange
II'rstitrrtc,
(.lcr
cllrrd
1
I {)8t11.
2. Rvans,
J.
L., and D, L. RoPer'
"Prrxtss
\';rt'ttunr Systettt l)esigtt
ancl
()pcrirtiorr."
l\'lc(irau-Hill^
Ncu \irrk (ll)tl(i).
then,
Fourth, calculate the number of
moles of each condensable present:
h,ilM,
:
P,;1P, ... (17)
Finallr,
calt ulate the salttrali()ll
am()unt
of each condensable:
l{"'
:
t14.75t''"
(18)
'I'his
procedure applies regardlcss
o{'the quantity of condensables
present.
It allows for the dett'rmitra-
iion o' the load frorn the refltrr or
lr|,,: W,,lhLu"
( l4)