CHE 435 Project #1

Air Emission Control

Progress Report

Nina Bragg, Ahmad Hazamuddin, Avery Carlson

January 26, 2016

Objectives

Find height of packing using NTU-HTU method

Develop calibration data

Determine limits of flooding

Max air and water flow rates

Find operating range to avoid flooding column

2
 Theory
NTU-HTU Method

1. Mass balance around

top of column

2. Equilibrium relationship
of dilute system

3. Number of gas transfer

units

4. Height of column

Note: xb is 0 because pure water inlet

3
Theory
NTU-HTU Method

4
Scope of Work
Planned Tasks

Task 1: Design Basis

Review Project Safety Information
Equipment and Process Method Overview
Task 2: Water and Air Flowrate Calibration
Task 3: Ammonia Experiments
Task 4: Analysis of Data and NTU Calculation
Task 5: Report
Outline and Rough Draft
Revise Report
Finalize Report

5
Timeline
Gantt Chart

1/13 1/17 1/21 1/25 1/29 2/2 2/6 2/10 2/14 2/18

Review Process Safety Information

Design Basis and Process Method Overview

Water and Air Calibration

Ammonia Experiments

Analysis of Data and Calculations

Outline and Rough Draft

Oral Progess Report

Revise Report

Finalize Report

6
Experimental Design
Equipment set up

Consists of:-
Packed column absorber 5L, 4.3 kg of ceramics Raschig rings.
Three rotameters Ammonia, water, air
Gas sample tap
Ammonia analyzer trace amount of ammonia in air in in the sample stream
How It Works
Water from the top, air and ammonia from the bottom
Absorption of water on ammonia

7
Experimental Design
Water flow rotameter calibration
Allow some time for water seal
Take time taken for 1000 mL of water to fill up the flask
Relationship of pressure drop and air flow rate
Allow some time for water seal
Record the pressure drop
Range of flow rates that lead to flooding
Water flow rate is held constant
Air flow rate is increased by 0.5 SCFM until flooding occurs
Waiting time of 5 minutes between air flow rates

8
Experimental Design
Ammonia absorption
Ammonia rotameter as constant variable
3 different air flow rates with 3 different water flow
rates
Avoid combination of flow rates leading to flooding

Procedure
The water is first flown to form a water seal
Air flow rate is set
Allow some time to achieve steady state
Effluent water at the bottom exit line is taken for
titration
Data to be taken
Ammonia reading at the analyzer
Pressure drop across the column
Amount of acid to neutralize NH4OH
9
HOG Calculation Method
Solute balance around the top of the
column:

Because the entering liquid is pure

water, XB is equal to zero.

The equilibrium relationship is

determined using Henrys Law
constant, H.

10
 HOG Calculation Method

The equation for To determine the
height of each
the number of transfer unit, the
transfer units height of the overall
(NOG) is given by column is divided
by the number of
the following transfer units.
integral
11
Plan Going Forward
Data Gathering

Continue ammonia absorption experiments.

The amount of ammonia in the gas stream determined from the
analyzer is the value for yB.
Calculate NOG for the air and water flow rate combinations.
Calculate HOG.
Perform error analysis.

12
Current Results
Trial 1: Air Flow vs Pressure Drop
12
10
8 f(x) = 1.23 exp( 0.39 x )
6 R = 0.93
Pressure Drop
4
2
Determination of Max Air Flow Rate 0
1 2 3 4 5

Air Flow (SCFM)

Air Flow Rate (SCFM)

Trial 2: Air Flow vs Pressure Drop
25

2.25 2.75 3.25 3.75 20

f(x) = 1.29 exp( 0.45 x )
Water Flow Rate (cc/min) 15 R = 0.96
Pressure Drop
10

0
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6

Air Flow (SCFM)

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 Statistical Calculations

Trial 2
Trial 1
Gas Flow Pcalc-
Gas Flow Pcalc- Pcalc Pexp
Rate % Error
Rate Pcalc Pexp % Error Pexp
Pexp (SCFM)
(SCFM)
1 2.03 2.46 -0.43 21.13
1 1.83 2.08 -0.25 13.67
2 3.19 3.16 0.03 1.02
2 2.72 2.69 0.03 0.92
3 5.02 4.35 0.67 13.33
3 4.03 3.44 0.59 14.61
4 7.89 6.45 1.44 18.25
4 5.98 5.05 0.93 15.52
5 12.40 11.39 1.01 8.18
5 8.87 10.92 -2.05 23.12
6 19.50 25.00 -5.50 28.20

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