Paddayuman, Jofel Kristofer A.

5ChE-C
Equipment Design Packed Column

Introduction

The aroma and flavor of the coffee are some of its unique and distinct characteristics compared
to other beverages. Normally, these aroma components are loss during thermal concentration, so these
desired volatile aroma components are absorbed from the coffee beans which is later added to the
coffee powder through spray drying.

Packed column, is used for continuous gas absorption, which is different from stage-wise plate
column. A liquid flows down a column over the chosen packing and the gas or vapor enters from the
bottom of the column, permitting a counter-current gas absorption.

Having said about the mechanism of a packed column, coffee is indeed applicable for gas
absorption through a packed column and the project aims to design a packed column for the absorption
of aroma laden vapor by water from the later spray drying of coffee end product with these aroma.

Objectives

An absorption column is designed in order to effectively and efficiently absorbs volatile aroma
compounds from coffee beans (roasted and ground).

This equipment aims to process aroma laden vapor steam feed with the flow rate of 56.5
3
m /min, to be absorbed by cooled a coffee extract, which is assumed to be 1.2 times large than the
minimum. The gas absorption is set to a 95% recovery of the aroma solute which is assumed to be
ethanol. The column is designed to operate at 65C and 1.5 atm.

Having these properties of feed and operating condition, the diameter of the column, height of
packing, flood velocity, and final concentrations are sought. The thickness of hemispherical caps and
cylindrical body are used.

Rationale for Equipment Selection

In coffee production, coffee will go through several processes. From the passing of coffee
through percolator tanks to stripping tanks where in it collects extract through steam and to a
condenser that condenses aroma needed. After these processes, not all aroma is condensable, this is
where the packed column gas absorption happens. Packed column is used for the preservation,
capturing, and retaining of the aroma of roasted and grounded coffee, which is applied on the product
later through spray drying.

A packed column is an equipment for the absorption of gaseous compounds by a liquid. In this
process it is very much applicable and needed. Packed column is used instead of any other equipment as
it is efficient and effective in absorbing gaseous compounds. Compared to stage wise columns and other
equipment, it is less costly and it uses smaller space.
 Intalox 1T structured packings is chosen from other packings as metal structured packings are
more efficient in scrubbing the gas and liquid components for gas absorption, due to its angle,
perforation, and leanness. This kind of packing also helps the gas absorption through its larger and
better and uniform liquid distribution compared to random packings.

Feed Specifications

i. 100 % coffee Arabica beans at an average roast color of 55

ii. Cooled Coffee Extract Solution
Flowrate: 1.2Lmin
Viscosity: 7.697 x 10-4 Pa s
Density: 964.643 kg/m3 at 65C
Mildly corrosive (Corrosion Allowance: 1.5 mm)
iii. Aroma laden vapor (Acetaldehyde 40.726%, 59.274% steam)
85 % acetaldehyde & 15 % steam
Flowrate: 56.5 m3/min (Ludwig)
Corrosive (Corrosion Allowance: 8.9 mm) (ChE Rule of Thumb)

Operating Conditions

i. Temperature:
Operating temperature: 65C = 149F
Maximum temperature (Designed temperature): 149 + 50 = 199F = 92.78C
Minimum temperature: 149 - 25 = 124F = 51.11C
ii. Pressure:
Operating pressure: 1.5 atm
Maximum pressure (Designed pressure): 7.35 + 25 = 32.35 psig = 2.2 atm

Assumptions

i. It is assumed that only ethanol is absorbed because the aroma has multiple compounds in it,
such as acetaldehyde, isobutyl acetaldehyde, isovaleryl aldehyde, ethyl butanol, furan, 2-
methyl furan, diacetyl 2,3 pentandione, and ethanol.
ii. There is a 95 % absorption of the volatile aroma (ethanol).
iii. The inlet coffee extract solution rate is 1.2 times the minimum.
iv. Density of the gas is solved through the ideal gas law.
v. Mass transfer coefficient, KGa, for ethanol is solved using the diffusivity of compound with
known KGa in proportion to the known diffusivity of ethanol in water and its unknown KGa.
vi. Inlet liquid feed is assumed to be pure coffee extract: without ethanol initially.
Constraints

i. There are multiple components for the aroma of coffee and the aroma does not have its
own equilibrium data.
ii. Equilibrium data is obtained by VLE-Calc Calculator of vapor-liquid and liquid-liquid phase
equilibria.
iii. There is no overall mass transfer coefficient, KGa value for ethanol-water system.
iv. There is insufficient data the absorption of coffee extract.

Material of Construction

Packed Column

i. Stainless Steel Grade 304

Popular Grade
Clean Finish
Considered as Food Grade
Corrosion Resistant

Structured Packings

i. Intalox Structured Packings

ii. Size or Number: 1T
iii. Area: 310 m2/m3
iv. % Voids: 98
v. Normal Packing Factor, Fpd: 85 ft-1
vi. Manufacturer: Koch-Glitsch

Liquid Distributer

i. System Distributer DT-S

ii. D>800 mm
iii. Unaffected by fluctuations of the liquid flow rate

Support Plate

i. SP 1 Multibeam
ii. D > 1200mm
iii. Allows great gas and liquid superficial velocities in the packing
iv. The construction is very strong at little weight for a given column cross-section.
v. 265mm for carbon steel, stainless steel and special alloys

Liquid Collector

i. For D = 1500 m
ii. Overall Height = 250 m
Gas inlet pipe

i. Cut pipe distributor

ii. For a column diameter between 1 and 2 m
iii. Must be 700 mm. distance between the inlet pipe and the packing
iv. Perforated or slit on the underside
The gas exits downwards from the orifices
Deflected and flows into the packed bed
Brings in the gas by means of a turn to bottom knee pipe

Flash Box

i. To avoid excessive turbulence in the liquid distributor

ii. Separates the vapor and liquid phases ahead of the final distributor.

Material balance and Flow diagram

Ethanol-Steam Out Cooled Extract In

V2 = 0.293811 kgmol/s L2 = L = 0.025 kgmol/s
y2 = 0.03321 x2 = 0
Structured
Intalox 1T
Packings
Rec: 95%
1.5 atm
65C

Ethanol-Steam In Cooled Extract Out

V1 = 0.05103 kgmol/s L1 = 0.025 kgmol/s
y1 = 0.40726 OMB: x1 = 0.441
L2 + V1= L1 + V2
Solute bal:
x2L2 + y1V1=x1 L1 +y2 V2

Equipment Design Theoretical Calculations

From VLE Calc, calculator for vapor-liquid and liquid-liquid phase equilibria, < http://vle-
calc.com/phase_diagram.html?numOfC=2&compnames=1&Comp1=18&Comp2=4&Comp3=2&VLEMod
e=isothermal&VLEType=xy&numberForVLE=100.00>
Minimum Flowrate
Density

Viscosity
Capacity Parameter

Rules of Thumb for Chemical Engineers by Carl Branan

Superficial Gas Velocity

Gas Loading Factor

Diameter of Column

Mass Transfer Coefficient

Height of an Overall Transfer Unit

Number of Transfer Units

Height of Packings

Total Tower Height

Thickness of Shells

From Towler, G. and Sinnot, R. 2008, Chemical Engineering Design and Principles, Table 13.2:
Heuristics

Rules of Thumb Summary Ludwig

i. Packed towers should operate near 70 % of the flooding rate (evaluated from Sherwood and
Lobo correlations Metal packings are limited to 6 - 7.6 m (20 25 ft) unsupported depth.
ii. Design pressure drop for absorbers (foaming systems) is 0.25 in H2O/ft packing
iii. Safety Factor for isothermal Designs (1.5-2.0)
When heat of evolution is not considered
Perrys Handbook

Conclusion

The packed column designed for the absorption of aroma laden vapour (ethanol and steam) by
cold coffee extract (assumed to pure coffee extract without ethanol) is successful because there is an
amount of solute on the exit liquid stream, signifying that the structured packing promoted gas
absorption between the two entering streams. With the value of 44.1 % of ethanol at the liquid output,
there is still room for further absorption.

The packed column diameter and height of packings were solved using the log mean method.
For the packing heights, height of an overall transfer unit is 0.387 m by log mean method. While the
value of the packed columns diameter is 1.39 m and the height of packings is 5.732, using the safety
factor.

The hemispherical caps were also solved by the designed equations. Using the diameter of the
column as the inside diameter of the cap, 1 as the welded joint efficiency for double fully-radiographed
butt joints, maximum allowable stress at the designed temperature, and corrosive allowance of 1.5 mm
due to the steam and cold water used, the thickness was 2.13558 mm. Meanwhile the thickness for the
cylindrical body, at the same properties, was 2.772 mm. Lastly, the flooding velocity was obtained as
1.413 kg/m2 s using the safety factor of 0.7.

Recommendations

It is recommended that with time and money, researches can be done in order to determine the
overall mass transfer coefficient of aroma-steam system. Researches and experiment would also give
way to determining of the best structured packing for the gas absorption system as well as the height
equivalent per theoretical plate or stage (HETP). Lastly, the aroma laden vapour-steam should be
recycled into the packed column in order to obtain a higher mol/mol percentage in the final outlet
liquid.

Innovation

As an innovation to the long running packed column. The structured packings and other
internals such as liquid distributers and collectors can be modified into metals, plastic, or ceramics of
minimal thickness and to decrease its height. In this case, the design be optimized by shortening the
height of the column, squeezing the internals, without sacrificing the efficiency of the gas absorption.
This should also be done in order to make the gas absorption faster and cut on the costs of production,
holding, set-up, and ordering. It also solves the problem of misdistribution of gaseous feed along the
surface. Another solution is the use of a spray header or mister for the liquid and gaseous feed, to
maximize the absorption area and contact between the two feeds.

Equipment Specifications/ Specs Sheets for Summary

Equipment Packed Column

Process Gas Absorption of Aroma from coffee (Ethanol)

Feed Properties Internals
Liquid Stream Cooled water Liquid Distributor System Distributor DT-
S

Flow rate 0.025 kgmol/s Liquid Collector CV1

Composition 100 % water Flash Box Peripheral
Gas Stream Aroma laden vapor Liquid Redistributor System Distributor DT-
S

Flow rate 0.0067 kgmol/s

Composition 40.726 % ethanol, Packing Intalox 1T Structure
59.274 % steam Packings

Vessel Properties Material Metal

Material Stainless Steel Grade Height 5.732 m
304

Head Spherical
Head thickness 1.66277mm
Inside Diameter 321mm
Body Cylindrical
Body thickness 1.826mm
Inside Diameter 321mm
Operating Pressure 7.35 psig

Design Pressure 32.35 psig

Operating 65 o C
Temperature
Design Temperature 92.78C
Support Type Skirt
Material Stainless Steel Grade
304
Total tower height 12.426m
Detailed Diagrams (Internal); Rendered (3D)
References / Appendix for calculations

1. Branan, C. Rules of Thumb for Chemical Engineers. GPP. 3rd Edition.

2. Icarus Reference. (1998) Chapter 8: Towers, Columns. ICARUS CORPORATION.

3. Jones, G., et. al. (1994). Process for the preparation of soluble coffee: CA 1328190 C.

<http://www.google.ch/patents/CA1328190C?cl=en>

4. Klemas, L. and Bonilla, J.A. (2000). Packed Columns: Design and Performance. Academic

Press.

5. Ludwig. (n.d.). Rules of Thumb: Summary .

6. Perry, R. Perrys Chemical Engineers Handbook. 8th Edition.

7. Walas. (n.d.). Rules of Thumb: Summary .

8. VLE-Calc: Calculator of vapor-liquid and liquid-liquid phase equilibria. <http://vle-

calc.com/index.html>