Objectives

Equipment and Materials

 Turn on the switch of the

equipment.
Turn on the compressor and the
pump.
Allow the gas to run a flow rate
of 170 L/min for 15 minutes to
remove any water in the column.
Adjust the three-way glass clocks
so that the gas flowing out of the
pressure taps should only be
directed to the left manometer.

 After 15 minutes, reset the gas

rate to 20 L/min.
Measure
the
differential
pressure (mm H20) across the
upper and lower packed beds.
Repeat the steps, increasing the
gas flow rate by 10 L/min until it
reaches 140 L/min.

Pressure
drop
in cm H20

 Reset the gas rate to 20 L/min.

Open the liquid control valve and set the
liquid rate to 1 L/min.
Observe the gas flow in the irrigated packed
beds.
Measure the pressure drops at various gas
rates and liquid rates and fill out the table.

24 .8 cm H2O

Objectives

h (cm Hg)
AFR
(L/min)

Liquid Flow Rate (L/min)

0

6.5

20

0.6

0.2

0.2

1.8

0.8

30

0.6

0.2

0.2

2.2

1.2

1.8

2.2

40

0.4

0.2

2.4

1.6

2.4

3.4

3.8

50

0.6

0.2

2.6

2.6

2.4

5.6

7.6

9.6

60

1.2

0.6

0.4

2.6

3.2

10

11.6

18

70

1.4

0.8

0.4

4.8

9.4

17.2

18.6

27.8

80

1.7

1.2

4.4

7.6

13

27

39

90

1.4

5.6

10.4

18.6

100

2.6

1.4

3.2

7.2

12.4

25.6

110

2.8

1.6

4.8

8.8

17

120

3.2

5.8

11.2

20.4

130

3.4

3.2

6.6

13.4

24.8

140

3.8

7.4

15.5

h (mm Hg)

Liquid Flow Rate (L/min)

AFR (L/min)

6.5

20

18

10

10

10

20

30

22

10

12

20

18

22

40

10

24

16

24

34

38

30

50

10

26

26

24

56

76

96

60

12

26

32

50

100

116

180

70

14

30

48

94

172

186

278

80

17

10

12

44

76

130

270

390

90

20

14

20

56

104

186

100

26

14

32

72

124

256

110

28

16

48

88

170

120

32

30

58

112

204

130

34

32

66

134

248

140

38

40

74

155

Gas Flow
Rate(L/min)

ft3/s

Gas
Velocity
(ft/s)

Liquid Flow
Rate (L/min)

Liquid Mass
Velocity (lb/hrft2)

ft3/hr

20

0.011763

0.220256

30

0.017644

0.330385

0.035288

41.23199

40

0.023525

0.440513

0.070575

82.46398

50

0.029406

0.550641

0.105863

123.696

60

0.035288

0.660769

0.14115

164.928

70

0.041169

0.770897

0.176438

206.1599

80

0.04705

0.881025

0.211725

247.3919

90

0.052931

0.991154

6.5

0.229369

268.0079

100

0.058813

1.101282

0.247013

288.6239

110

0.064694

1.21141

120

0.070575

1.321538

130

0.076456

1.431666

140

0.082338

1.541794

P (Pa)

Liquid Flow Rate (L/min)

AFR (L/min)

6.5

20

58.86

19.62

19.62

176.58

78.48

98.1

98.1

98.1

196.2

30

58.86

19.62

19.62

215.82

98.1

117.72

196.2

176.58

215.82

40

98.1

39.24

19.62

235.44

156.96

235.44

333.54

372.78

294.3

50

98.1

58.86

19.62

255.06

255.06

235.44

549.36

745.56

941.76

60

117.72

58.86

39.24

255.06

313.92

490.5

981

1137.96

1765.8

70

137.34

78.48

39.24

294.3

470.88

922.14

1687.32

1824.66

2727.18

80

166.77

98.1

117.72

431.64

745.56

1275.3

2648.7

3825.9

90

196.2

137.34

196.2

549.36

1020.24

1824.66

100

255.06

137.34

313.92

706.32

1216.44

2511.36

110

274.68

156.96

470.88

863.28

1667.7

120

313.92

294.3

568.98

1098.72

2001.24

130

333.54

313.92

647.46

1314.54

2432.88

140

372.78

392.4

725.94

1520.55

()
=

Liquid Flow Rate (L/min)

AFR (L/min)

20 0.780412 0.260137

6.5

0.26013737 2.341236 1.040549 1.300687 1.300687 1.300687 2.601374

30 0.520275 0.173425 0.173424913 1.907674 0.867125 1.040549 1.734249 1.560824 1.907674

40 0.650343 0.260137 0.130068685 1.560824 1.040549 1.560824

2.211168 2.471305

1.95103

50 0.520275 0.312165 0.104054948 1.352714 1.352714 1.248659 2.913539 3.954088 4.994637

60 0.520275 0.260137 0.173424913 1.127262 1.387399
70 0.520275

0.2973 0.148649925

2.167811 4.335623 5.029322 7.804121

1.114874 1.783799 3.493273 6.391947 6.912222

80 0.552792 0.325172 0.390206054 1.430756 2.471305 4.227232 8.779636

90 0.578083 0.404658 0.578083043 1.618633 3.006032 5.376172
100 0.676357 0.364192 0.832439582 1.872989 3.225703 6.659517

110 0.662168 0.378382 1.135144885 2.081099 4.020305

120

0.6937 0.650343 1.257330619 2.427949 4.422335

130 0.680359 0.640338 1.320697414 2.681416 4.962621

140 0.706087

0.74325

1.37501181 2.880092

12.6817

10.33117

P (lb/ft2)
AFR (L/min)

Liquid Flow Rate (L/min)

3
4

6.5

20

1.228622

0.409541

0.409541

3.685867

1.638163

2.047704

2.047704

2.047704

4.095408

30

1.228622

0.409541

0.409541

4.504949

2.047704

2.457245

4.095408

3.685867

4.504949

40

2.047704

0.819082

0.409541

4.91449

3.276326

4.91449

6.962194

7.781275

6.143112

50

2.047704

1.228622

0.409541

5.32403

5.32403

4.91449

11.46714

15.56255

19.65796

60

2.457245

1.228622

0.819082

5.32403

6.552653

10.23852

20.47704

23.75337

36.85867

70

2.866786

1.638163

0.819082

6.143112

9.828979

19.24842

35.22051

38.08729

56.92617

80

3.481097

2.047704

2.457245

9.009898

15.56255

26.62015

55.28801

79.86046

90

4.095408

2.866786

4.095408

11.46714

21.29612

38.08729

100

5.32403

2.866786

6.552653

14.74347

25.39153

52.42122

110

5.733571

3.276326

9.828979

18.0198

34.81097

120

6.552653

6.143112

11.87668

22.93428

41.77316

130

6.962194

6.552653

13.51485

27.43923

50.78306

140

7.781275

8.190816

15.15301

31.73941

Liquid Flow Rate (L/min)

AFR (L/min)

average

6.5

20

0.6325

0.7465

0.7465

0.5114

0.6008

0.5761

0.5761

0.5761

0.5

30

0.6763

0.784

0.784

0.534

0.6211

0.6008

0.5443

0.556

0.5338

40

0.6523

0.7465

0.8084

0.556

0.6008

0.556

0.5176

0.5055

0.5314

50

0.6762

0.7287

0.8262

0.5719

0.5719

0.5807

0.4878

0.4555

0.4313

60

0.6762

0.7465

0.784

0.5921

0.5691

0.5199

0.4459

0.4306

0.3871

70

0.6762

0.7336

0.7973

0.5933

0.5413

0.4684

0.4065

0.3988

0.3606

80

0.6698

0.7247

0.7062

0.5657

0.5056

0.4485

0.3758

0.3421

90

0.665

0.7025

0.665

0.552

0.4849

0.4238

100

0.6481

0.7133

0.6255

0.5359

0.4769

0.4024

110

0.6504

0.7093

0.5913

0.5244

0.4537

120

0.6454

0.6524

0.58

0.5075

0.4438

130

0.6475

0.654

0.5745

0.4968

0.432

140

0.6435

0.6379

0.5701

0.4891

0.658415 0.713838 0.696846154 0.540777 0.525158 0.508511 0.479143 0.466371 0.457367

dry packings
(L=0)

Gas flowrate

Packing
factor

Gas
Loading
Factor, Gf

Liquid
Loading
Factor, Lf Pd (H20/ft) PL (H20/ft)

Re (p)

Pt (H20/ft)

20

379.4407

2662.72

0.524666

84.37632

0.524666

30

273.3963

2260.216

0.378035

143.69

0.378035

40

327.2885

2472.971

0.452553

178.3624

0.452553

50

273.6022

2261.067

0.378319

239.4093

0.378319

60

273.6022

2261.067

0.378319

287.2912

0.378319

70

273.6022

2261.067

0.378319

335.1731

0.378319

80

287.0845

2316.106

0.396962

375.6305

0.396962

90

297.6104

2358.184

0.411516

416.5294

0.411516

100

337.7236

2512.085

0.466982

440.5839

0.466982

110

331.9694

2490.592

0.459026

487.8308

0.459026

120

344.6038

2537.544

0.476496

524.6751

0.476496

130

339.2407

2517.721

0.46908

571.7842

0.46908

140

349.5281

2555.61

0.483305

608.8586

0.483305

P vs NRe,p
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

AFR

log G
L=0

L=1

L=2

L=3

log (P/Z)
L=4
L=5

20 58.68386 1.768519 -0.27155 -0.74867 -0.74867 0.205568 -0.14661

L=7

0.251325291

-0.0497 0.029477 0.251325 0.205568

0.292717976

40 117.3677 2.069549

-0.0497 -0.44764 -0.74867 0.330507 0.154415 0.330507 0.481774 0.530079

0.42741655

50 146.7097 2.166459

-0.0497 -0.27155 -0.74867 0.365269 0.365269 0.330507 0.698483 0.831109

0.932566528

60 176.0516 2.24564 0.029477 -0.27155 -0.44764 0.365269 0.455445 0.649265 0.950295 1.014753

1.2055678

70 205.3935 2.312587 0.096423 -0.14661 -0.44764 0.427417 0.631537 0.923423 1.185824 1.219808

1.394340091

80 234.7354 2.370579 0.180744

-0.0497

L=6.5

-0.0497

30 88.02579 1.94461 -0.27155 -0.74867 -0.74867 0.292718

-0.0497

L=6

-0.0497 0.029477 0.593748 0.831109 1.064239 1.381659 1.54136

90 264.0774 2.421731 0.251325 0.096423 0.251325 0.698483 0.967329 1.219808

100 293.4193 2.467489 0.365269 0.096423 0.455445 0.807628 1.043717 1.358535
110 322.7612 2.508881 0.397453 0.154415 0.631537 0.894778 1.180744

120 352.1032 2.54667 0.455445 0.427417 0.713723 0.999513 1.259925

130 381.4451 2.581432 0.481774 0.455445 0.769839

1.0774 1.344747

140 410.787 2.613617 0.530079 0.552355 0.819527 1.140627

log (P/Z) vs log G

2

1.5
L=0
L=1

L=2
L=3
0.5

L=4
L=5
L=6

L=6.5
1.5

-0.5

-1

1.7

1.9

2.1

2.3

2.5

2.7

L=7

Liquid Flow
Rate

Packing
Factor

Gf

Lf

312.6559

2417.057

0.43232

0.43232

205.5321

1959.717

7.789674

0.284334

0.001192

0.285526

234.0564

2091.288

15.3928

0.323948

0.002151

0.326099

758.6429

3765.064

20.33994

1.050329

0.244396

1.294725

856.5372

4000.615

26.72541

1.186333

0.408767

1.595101

976.5186

4271.632

32.87301

1.353029

0.706105

2.059134

1237.063

4807.834

38.29156

1.714607

1.848951

3.563558

6.5

1374.395

5067.682

40.92594

1.905265

2.837778

4.743042

1481.771

5261.919

43.64652

2.054464

3.86141

5.915874

Pd (H20/ft) PL (H20/ft) Pt (H20/ft)

Pt (H20/ft)

Gf

Lf/Gf

0.43232

2417.057

0.285526

1959.717

0.003975

0.326099

2091.288

0.00736

1.294725

3765.064

0.005402

1.595101

4000.615

0.00668

2.059134

4271.632

0.007696

3.563558

4807.834

0.007964

4.743042

5067.682

0.008076

5.915874

5261.919

0.008295

Pt vs Gf
7
6

Axis Title

5
4
3

2
1
0
2000

2500

3000

3500

4000
Axis Title

4500

5000

5500

6000

1.
What
are
the
characteristics that a packing
should have for it to be
employed in mass transfer
operation?

1. The characteristics of a packing

should not react with the fluids, be
able to withstand the upcoming
streams without breaking, have low
weight, have a good porosity without
having a very large pressure drop, and
have a good contact between the two
streams.

2. Explain the mechanism of gas flow

through a packed bed with liquid
flowing counter-currently.

2. A very simple mechanism in gas absorption

using the packing column is to have liquid flowing
from the top of the column down to the bottom
while the gas is being pumped from the bottom of
the column to the top. The packings inside the
column make the two streams take complicated
paths which greatly increase the surface area and
its spreading. The increase in surface area also
increases the separation of the solute particles in
the gas solution and makes it transfer to the

3. Differentiate between static

and dynamic or operating
holdup. How does this affect
the pressure drop through a
packed bed column?

3. A holdup is the ratio of the volume of the fluid and the volume of the packing
inside the packed bed. There are two kinds of operating holdups: Static and
Dynamic.
Static operating holdup is where the flow of the fluid is not drained from
the packing while its supply line is stopped. It is measured by the ratio
of the volume of the fluid and the volume of the packing.

Dynamic operating holdup is the continuous flow of the liquid and

being drained by the packing while its supply line is stopped. It is also
measured by the ratio of the volume of the fluid and the volume of the
packing.
The total holdup is equal to the sum of the total liquid holdup static
and dynamic holdup. Because of the holdups, the calculation for the
pressure drop will be inaccurate. Therefore, Leva (1954) added a
correction factor for the determination of pressure drop.

4. Define loading and

channeling?
Give
the
relevance of these two
factors in packed column
operation.

4. Loading is the start of the flooding event where the

liquid starts to accumulate in the packings.
Channeling is an event where there is less liquid
flowing in an area in the packed column and more
liquid flowing in another area in the packed
column, which results to poor mass transfer.

Channeling can also be the cause of the flooding

event. Poor mass transfer in the area can result to
the start of loading which can lead to flooding in
the packed column.

5. How does the packing factor

obtained from the flooding
velocity differ from the one
estimated empirically with the
use of the correlation of Lobo
et al?

5. Equation for packing factor obtained

from Lobo et. al (1945) was simplified
empirically from various experiments with
different packings and different fluids
used on dumped tower packings. They
used charts and derived from those
equations the packing factor. Equation for
the packing factor using flooding velocity.

Porosity was found by using the Ergun equation, datum from

the experiment, and properties of water and air at standard
conditions. However, there is still a possibility of a large error
because of the temperature and pressure which have slight
fluctuations throughout the experiment, purity of water (which
is assumed to be 100%), purity of air, and the inerts from the
packings. Using the porosity found, packing factor is
calculated using the equation from Lobo et. al. and. There are
some difficulties in the experiment like inaccuracy in reading
the mercury manometer, and fluctuations in the mercury
manometer.

Also, inaccuracies in reading the flow rate of gas have

occurred due to the lack of measured bars in the flow rate level.
There are also difficulties in computations because some of the
variables are assumed like the density of water and air and the
viscosity of water and air. The temperature and pressure were
assumed to be at standard conditions and are constant
throughout the experiment. Also, pressure drops are dependent
with the liquid and gas rates which prove difficult in obtaining
porosity. The effects of liquid holdups were found to be the
cause of increased pressure drop in the packed column. Very
large liquid holdups cause flooding in the packed column.

THANK YOU
FOR
LISTENING!

QUESTIONS?