Lecture 10.

Absorption and Stripping (2)

[Ch 6]
[Ch.
Rate-Based
Rate Based Method for Packed Columns
- Height equivalent to a theoretical plate (HETP)
- Operating line based on material balance
- Two-film theory
- Determination of column packed height
- Relation between NTU, HTU & Nt, HETP

Packed Columns
Packed column : a vessel containing one or more sections
of packing
- Liquid flows downward as a film or as
droplets between packing elements
- Vapor flows upward through the wetted
packing contacting the liquid
packing,

Packed columns are continuous,

diff
differential-contacting
ti l
t ti d
devices
i
: do not have physically distinguishable,
discrete stages
better analyzed by mass-transfer
models than by equilibrium-stage
equilibrium stage
concepts

Theoretical Plate
In practice, packed-tower performance is often presented
on the basis of equivalent equilibrium stages
Height equivalent to a theoretical plate (HETP)
HETP

l
packed height
T
number of equivalent equilibrium stages N t

HETP concept has no theoretical basis

: HETP is difficult to g
generalize and is a function of the type
yp of
packing, the system being separated and the hydraulics of the
column Experimental or vendor-supplied values are used
[Example] Bioethanol recovery from a CO2-rich vapor
Number of equilibrium plate : 6.1 (from equilibrium-stage method)
1.5-inch metal Pal rings are used for random packings : HETP = 2.25 ft
lT = HETP Nt 2.25 6.1 13.7 ft

Operating Line
Absorber
Lin, xin

Stripper
Vout , yout

Lin, xin

x
Ll

x
Ll

Vin, yin

Material balance

Vout , yout

y
Vl

y
Vl

Lout, xout

xin Lin yVl xLl youtVout

Vin, yin

Lout, xout

xLl yinVin xout Lout yVl

g dilute solutions, Vl Vin Vout V and Ll Lin Lout L

Assuming
Operating line

L
L
y x yout xin
V
V

L
L
y x yin xout
V
V

TwoTwo
-Film Theory (1)
A concentration gradient
exists in each film
Physical equilibrium at the
interface
Volumetric mass transfer
coefficient,
ffi i t ka
k is
i commonly
l
used
kg mol
ka
s m3 packing mol fraction
a : mass transfer area per
unit volume of packed bed

Gas

Interface

Liquid

Bulk gas phase

composition

y or p
yI or pI
x*

c*

xI or cI
Bulk liquid phase
composition

x or c
y*

p*

TwoTwo
-Film Theory (2)
At steady state absorption, without chemical reactions,
(
(rate
of solute mass transfer across gas film))
= (rate of solute mass transfer across liquid film)

r k y a ( y yI ) k x a( xI x)

ka
( y yI )
x
( x xI )
kya
Mass transfer resistance in g
gas
phase is very low yI y
: Liquid-film controlling process
M
Mass transfer
t
f resistance
i t
iin liquid
li id
phase is very low xI x
: Gas-film controlling process

Liquid-phase
driving force

(y, x) A

( x*)
(y,
*)

Gas-phase
driving force
B

(yI, xI)
D

(y*, x)

Rate of mass transfer can be increased by promoting turbulence and/or

increasing dispersion

TwoTwo
-Film Theory (3)
Mass transfer in terms of overall driving force

r K y a ( y y * ) K x a ( x* x)
y* : fictitious vapor
p mole fraction in equilibrium
q
with x in bulk liquid
q
x* : fictitious liquid mole fraction in equilibrium with y in bulk vapor

1
1
1 yI y *

K y a k y a k x a xI x
1
1
1 x* xI

K x a k x a k y a y yI
1
1
K

K ya k ya kxa
1
1
1

K x a k x a Kk y a

yI y* ED

K
xI x BE

x* xI CF 1

y yI FB K
For dilute solutions when the equilibrium
curve is a nearly straight line

RateRate
-Based Method (1)
Determination of column packed height
: commonly
l iinvolves
l
overallll gas-phase
h
coefficient,
ffi i t Kya
Liquid has a strong affinity for the solute
(mass transfer resistance is mostly in the gas phase)
Differential material balance for a solute
Vdy K y a ( y y* ) Sdl
K y aS
V

lT

dl

K y aSlT
V

Packed height

V
lT
K y aS

yin
yout

dy
y y*

Vout
yout

Lin
xin

Cross section, S

yin
yout

y
V

dy
y y*

x
L
dl

y+dy x+dx
V
L

Vin
yin

Lout
xout

lT
l

RateRate
-Based Method (2)
By Chilton and Colburn,
lT H OG N OG

H OG

V
K y aS

N OG

yin
yout

dy
y y*

O
Overall
ll h
height
i ht off a ((gas)) ttransfer
f unit,
it HTU

Overall number of (gas) transfer units

units, NTU

Integration of NTU

yin
yout

dy
y y*
yin
yout

N OG

dy
(1 KV / L) y yout ( KV / L) Kxin

y* Kx
L
L
y x yout xin
V
V

ln{[( A 1) / A][( yin Kxin ) /( yout Kxin )] (1/ A)}

( A 1) / A

L /( KV ) A

Relation between NTU, HTU & Nt, HETP

When the operating and equilibrium lines
are straight
t i ht and
d parallel
ll l

HETP H OG
N OG N t
Wh
When the
th operating
ti and
d equilibrium
ilib i
lilines
are straight but not parallel

ln(1/ A)
(1 A) / A
ln(1/ A)
Nt
(1 A) / A

NTU N t

HETP H OG
N OG

NTU N t