Exercise 6.9 Subject: Absorption-stripping system for benzene (B) removal from gas by oil and subsequent stripping of benzene from oil by steam. Given: Plate column absorber and stripper. Feed gas containing 0.06 mol B/mol B-free gas. Absorbent oil containing 0.01 mol B/mol B-free oil. Liquid leaving absorber contains 0.19 mol B/mol B-free oil. 90% of B in the gas stream is absorbed. Liquid leaving stripper contains 0.01 mol B/mol oil. Flow ratio of B-free oil-to-B-free steam = 2.0. Molecular weights are 200, 78, and 32 for oil, benzene, and gas, respectively. Equilibrium X-¥ data given for absorber (25°C) and stripper (110°C). Assumptions: Gas is not soluble in oil and oil is not volatile. Find: (a) Molar flow rate ratio of B-free oil to B-free gas in the absorber. (b) Number of equilibrium stages in the absorber. (©) Minimum steam flow rate in the stripper per mol of B-free oil ‘Analysis: A flow diagram of the absorber-stripper system is shown in Fig. $.10(a), except that there is no makeup absorbent oil because the oil is assumed to be non-volatile. (a) Consider just the absorber. Take a basis of G = 1 mol/h of B-free gas entering the absorber Because ¥., = 0.06 mol B/mol B-free gas, we have 0.06 moV/h of B in entering gas. With 90% absorption, 0.06(0.9) = 0.054 mol/h of B absorbed, leaving 0.006 mol/h of B in the exiting gas. In the entering absorbent oil, Xo = 0.01 mol B/mol B-free oil. In the liquid leaving the absorber, X= 0,19 mol B/mol B-free oil. A material balance around the absorber on the benzene gives YyiG'+X,L'=¥G'+X,L’ Therefore, 0.06(1.0)+001L' = 0.006+0.19L" a) Solving Eq. (1), L’= 0.30 moh of B-free oil, giving LG = 0.30 mol B-free oil to B-free gas. (b) Use a graphical method to determine the number of equilibrium stages in the absorber, using ¥-X coordinates to give a straight operating line. Data for the equilibrium curve of the absorber are given and the operating line is obtained from terminal values of ¥ and X. The results are given in the plot below. As seen, between 9 and 10 equilibrium stages are needed (c) The equilibrium curve for the stripper is shown in the plot below. With the type of curvature in the ¥-X equilibrium curve the minimum stripping gas rate is determined by a straight operating line that passes through the operating point (Yo = 0 , Xi = 0.01) at the bottom of the column, as shown in Fig. 6.11(b) and is drawn tangent to the equilibrium curve, as shown, From Eq, (6-5), the slope of the operating line = LG’ = 3.0 mol B/mol of steam on a B-free basis, Therefore, (Gmo/L' = 0.33. This is compared to the given operating value of LG’ = 2.0 or GL’ = 0.5Exercise 6.9 (continued) Analysis: (continued) (©) Plot of results. 0.07 8 g -moles benzene/mole gas y: is oo = 005000020 X=moles benzene/mote oi (c) Plot of results. 8 Stnpper moles benzene/mole steam ye oo) = 005 010s 0200s 00 x, X, moles benzene/mote oil