Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association

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Predicting the Performance of VOC Condensers

Stephen M. Hall

To cite this article: Stephen M. Hall (1990) Predicting the Performance of VOC
Condensers, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 40:3, 404-407, DOI:
10.1080/10473289.1990.10466696

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/10473289.1990.10466696

Published online: 06 Mar 2012.

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 CONTROL TECHNOLOGY
Predicting the Performance
of VOC Condensers
Stephen M. Hall
Life Sciences, Inc.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are commonly released from process vents and equipment
leaks. These discharges are a threat to the environment, and cost manufacturers millions of
dollars in added raw material costs. For these reasons, one may be confronted with the task of
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evaluating alternatives for reducing VOC emissions from a process plant.

There are two basic approaches for reducing VOC emissions: a) changing the process, or b)
installing control equipment.
Methods for changing the process include replacing highly volatile solvents with less
volatile ones, making piping changes to reduce the number of vents, tightening the process to
eliminate open tanks and leaks, altering process temperature and pressure conditions, etc.
Equipment that is applicable to VOC emission control includes incineration, carbon
adsorption, scrubbing and condensation.
This article addresses the application of condensers to process vents. A computer
spreadsheet model is described, providing a quick screening which indicates whether a vent
condenser might be a viable option for controlling emissions. The template provides, for each
of a range of condensing temperatures, estimates for the amount of VOC that will be
condensed, the condenser size and the tons of refrigeration required.

Organic vapors are routinely condensed in the chemical pro-
cess industries. Equipment ranging from distillation col-
umns to dry cleaning machines incorporate condensers to
eliminate the vast majority of emissions from those unit
operations. But the type of VOC emissions that are com-
monly collected in ductwork using elephant trunks and oth-
er air pickup devices—often called "fugitive" emissions—
are tricky to control using condensation. Similarly, process
vents containing large quantities of non-condensibles, such
as air, behave poorly.
The reason condensers are sometimes a poor choice is that
fugitive emissions, from an open tank for example, are mixed
with large quantities of air. Condensing VOCs from air is
much different than condensing essentially pure vapor
streams. In a condenser that is operated at atmospheric
pressure, where there is a large quantity of air, only VOCs
that are present in excess of their saturation concentrations
can be condensed. VOCs below the saturation concentra-
tions are swept through the condenser by the air stream; as
will be shown, this can be a very significant quantity.
Condensers Work Well on Certain Vents
On the other hand, with process vents that are essentially
pure VOC, condensers can eliminate most of the emission.
Here's why. Consider a source of VOC, such as the top vapor
stream from a distillation column. This stream is 100 per-
cent VOC at its boiling point. If the vapor pipe were sudden-
ly enclosed at each end, trapping the VOC at one atmosphere
pressure, then cooled to some lower temperature, the VOC
would condense and the vapor space would go to a partial
vacuum condition. At equilibrium, the vapor space pressure
would be equal to the vapor pressure of the liquid at the
lowered temperature.
Returning to the distillation column example, the vapor in
the overhead pipe reaches the condenser and is cooled to
some lower temperature. As VOC is condensed, a partial
vacuum wants to form. But now, if the condenser is vented to
the atmosphere, air is admitted to bring the total pressure to
atmospheric. There remains in the vapor some VOC, the
amount of which is proportionate to the vapor pressure of
the VOC at the condensing temperature divided by the total
pressure; this is the saturation concentration of the VOC in
air. The reason that very little VOC is vented through the
vent pipe to atmosphere is that the condenser operates un-
der equilibrium. As fresh VOC enters as vapor, an equal
amount is condensed and sent back to the column as liquid.
The material balance is closed so there is no driving force to
send VOC out the vent pipe.
Copyright 1990—Air & Waste Management Association

404 J. Air Waste Manage. Assoc.

 Non-condensibles Change the Balance
Alter the example by introducing non-condensible air into
the vapor stream to the condenser. The air is pushed through
the condenser, and takes VOC with it because, as was just
shown, there will be some VOC left uncondensed. The air
sweeping through the condenser becomes the driving force
to send VOC out the vent pipe. So the challenge in designing
this type of condenser is to minimize the volume of air and
minimize the partial pressure of VOC by minimizing the
temperature. However, there is an economic tradeoff (lower
temperatures result in higher refrigeration requirements), as
the spreadsheet template makes clear.
In 1978, the EPA published guidelines that suggested cer-
tain condenser outlet gas temperatures, depending on the
vapor pressure of the condensing VOC (see Table I). Howev-
er, the guidelines fail to account for molecular weight or
initial concentration (i.e. non-condensible flow rate) each of
which has great bearing on how much VOC is condensed.
Predict Saturation Concentrations
Raoult's law predicts the mole fraction of components in
the gas phase above an ideal liquid. For a pure liquid A, with
air at atmospheric pressure above it, Raoult's law says the
composition of the gas phase above the liquid will be:
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Mole Fraction A = (Vapor Pressure of A)/(Total Pressure)
Mole Fraction Air = 1 - Mole Fraction A
This is the saturation composition. If more of component
A is present than the saturation composition, then conden-
sation is expected to occur.
Each compound in an ideal gas mixture will occupy identi-
cal molar volumes. One pound-mole of component A will
occupy 359 cubic feet at standard conditions (760 mm Hg
pressure, 0° C temperature), as will one pound-mole of com-
ponent B, one pound-mole of nitrogen and one pound-mole
of oxygen. However, the mass of each component's mole is
proportional to the molecular weights of the materials.
Therefore, higher molecular weight materials have higher
mass per unit volume. This leads to the conclusion that of
two compounds with equal vapor pressures, the one with the
higher molecular weight will have a higher saturation con-
centration in terms of mass. So, if it is desired to reduce VOC
emissions by condensation, the emission of the higher molec-
ular weight material will be more difficult to reduce to a
certain absolute value (in weight units).
The EPA guidelines fail to account for initial concentra-
tion (i.e. non-condensible flow rate) of the vapor, before
cooling. If the concentration is much higher than the satura-
tion concentration at the cold condensing temperature, con-
HTF Supply Vent to Atmos.
e Condensed VOC
Reclaim
tTTtt HTF Return
Figure 1. System sketch.
March 1990 Volume 40, No. 3
Table I. Recommended outlet gas temperatures.8
(i) —25° C when condensing VOC of vapor pressure greater than
40 kPa (5.8 psia)b
(ii) —15° C when condensing VOC of vapor pressure greater than
20 kPa (2.9 psia)
(iii) 0° C when condensing VOC of vapor pressure greater than
10 kPa (1.5 psia)
(iv) 10° C when condensing VOC of vapor pressure greater than
7 kPa (1.0 psia)
(v) 25° C when condensing VOC of vapor pressure greater than
3.5 kPa (0.5 psia)
a
EPA OAQPS Guideline Series, Control of Volatile Organic Emis-
sions from Manufacture of Synthesized Pharmaceutical Products,
EPA-450, 2-78-029, December 1978.
b
Vapor pressures as measured at 20° C.
densation is expected to occur. However, if the initial con-
centration is low, perhaps below the saturation temperature
at the cold temperature, little or no condensation will be
expected.
Process Description
The spreadsheet template is modeled after a process such
as the one depicted in Figure 1. Volatile organics (VOC) are
released from process equipment, and collected by a hood or
fume pickup. An exhaust fan directs the VOCs, together
with the dilution air, through a condenser. Cold heat trans-
fer fluid (HTF) condenses VOCs for recovery and reduction
of emission to the atmosphere.
Calculation Method
The model assumes ideal behavior to predict the satura-
tion composition of the gas at various temperatures. Vapor
pressure and total pressure are used along with Raoult's law
and molecular weight for the prediction. The user inputs the
actual composition of the gas. By difference, actual composi-
tion minus saturation composition, the amount of VOC con-
densed is computed. Of course, if the actual concentration of
VOC is below the predicted saturation concentration then
no condensation will occur.
Let's walk through the model's computations. See the
spreadsheet output "Theoretical emission from vent con-
denser," (Figure 2) for Row and Column references.
Rows 4 through 9. The engineer determines the total flow
rate into the fan (point 1 in Figure 1) in units of standard
cubic feet per minute (scfxn). The total quantity of VOC that
is picked up is estimated in units of pounds per hour (also at
point 1). The name of the VOC, or a representative com-
pound, is input into the model.
Columns A and B. A series of temperatures are selected,
corresponding to a possible range of exhaust temperatures
(at point 2, after the condenser). For each temperature, the
theoretical vapor pressure for the VOC is calculated using
the Antoine equation:
where A, B and C are the Antoine coefficients for the VOC,
and t is the temperature. The Antoine coefficients (and
molecular weight and heat of vaporization properties) are
found in a chemical data section of the template; entries
should be constructed for the compounds most often en-
countered. Data are tabulated in the literature for many
substances (see R. C. Reid, J. M. Prausnitz, and T. K. Sher-
wood, The Properties of Gases and Liquids, 3rd edition,
McGraw-Hill, New York, 1977).
405
 CONTROL TECHNOLOGY
Column C. Assuming a total absolute pressure of 760 mm
Hg, and using Raoult's law, the saturation concentration of
the VOC in air, at each temperature, is predicted.
Columns D, E and F. The actual concentration of the VOC
is calculated from the initial data. By difference (actual-
saturation concentrations), the amount that can be con-
densed is calculated. Note that if the initial concentration is
less than the saturation concentration, nothing will be con-
densed.
Condenser Size and Heat Load Approximated
Columns H and I. Having calculated the amount of VOC
condensed, and knowing the inlet and outlet temperatures
for the condenser, rough approximations for the condenser
size and heat load can be made. The model makes use of the
general heat transfer equation:
Q = UAAT
where Q is the amount of heat transferred (Btu/hr), U is the
overall heat transfer coefficient (Btu/hr-sq.ft.-° F), A is the
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gas stream is used to compute the amount required to cool
from the inlet temperature to the outlet temperature. For
this part, the entire gas stream is assumed to be air with a
heat capacity of 0.25. Then, the heat of vaporization of the
VOC is used, together with the predicted condensation
amount, to compute the heat transferred during the phase
change. The two components are summed to arrive at a total
U is estimated by the engineer. Experience with condens-
ers provides a range of U values that are normally encoun-
tered. See Table 10-10 in Perry's Chemical Engineers'
Handbook (6th ed.) for typical values. When cooling air
streams at atmospheric pressure, Design U values of 10 to 50
are suggested. Since this model is meant as a screening tool,
the inaccuracy of guessing U is unlikely to affect the conclu-
sions drawn from the results. But for comparison, the exam-
ple problem was run on a commercial heat transfer program;
the rigorously calculated U was very close to the U of 20 that
is assumed in the example spreadsheet calculation.
For the log-mean temperature difference, assumptions are
made with respect to the temperature of the heat transfer
fluid, then the log-mean AT is calculated directly. The inlet
temperature of the HTF is assumed to be 10° F colder than
the condensing temperature. Further, it is assumed that
there is a 5° F approach, so the HTF undergoes a 5° F change
in temperature. Thus, all four temperatures are known and

area of the heat transfer surface (sq.ft.) and AT is the log-

mean temperature difference between the air stream and the the log-mean AT is easy to calculate:
heat transfer fluid (° F).
Rearranging: (7\ - T4) - (T2 - T3)
A = QKUAT)
Q is estimated in two pieces. First, the heat capacity of the

A B C D E F G H 1 J
1
2
3
4 Ethyl Alcohol
5
6
7 Exhaust Rate.t h«fnr« finnrifl riser, scfm .. 4 800
8 Operating Hours ner Year . 1,000
9 Uncontrolled Solvent Emission. Ib/hr 2,100
1 0 Temperature at r.nnriflnsflr I nlflt den C 30
1 1 Assumed Heat Transfer Coefficient, Btu/hr-sq.ft.-degF 20
1 2
1 3
1 4 Condenser Predicted Predicted Calculated Condensed Emitted Yearly Estimated Estimated
1 5 Temperature Vapor Pressure Sat. Amount Uncontrolled Emission Condenser Sz Refrigeration
1 6 deqC mmHg Ib/lb air Ib/lb air Ib/hr Ib/hr Ib/yr sq. ft. tons
1 7 -40 0 0.0008 0.096 2083.5 16.5 16,542 1,592 125
1 8 -30 1 0.0021 0.096 2054.8 45.2 45,188 1,628 115
19 -20 2 0.0051 0.096 1987.9 112.1 112,110 1,660 104
20 -15 4 0.0078 0.096 1928.9 171.1 171,113 1,670 98
21 -10 6 0.0117 0.096 1843.7 256.3 256,322 1,669 91
22 -5 8 0.0172 0.096 1722.6 377.4 377,434 1,651 83
23 0 12 0.0249 0.096 1552.8 547.2 547,172 1,602 74
24 5 17 0.0356 0.096 1317.8 782.2 782,181 1,500 62
25 10 23 0.0503 0.096 995.7 1104.3 1,104,272 1,309 48
26 15 32 0.0703 0.096 557.8 1542.2 1,542,220 957 30
27 20 44 0.0973 0.096 0.0 2100.0 2,100,000 335 9
28 25 59 0.1337 0.096 0.0 2100.0 2,100,000 220 4
29 30 78 0.1828 0.096 0.0 2100.0 2,100,000 0 0
30 35 103 0.2495 0.096 0.0 2100.0 2,100,000 0 0
Figure 2. Theoretical emission from vent condenser.

406 J. Air Waste Manage. Assoc.

 Limitations
The effect of water vapor in the air stream is neglected. At
very low condensing temperatures, water will condense and
freeze. This is more of a practical problem than a failure of
the model. Freezers and dehumidifiers deal with it by peri-
odically warming their coils above the freezing point to shed
themselves of ice. In a real installation, it may make sense to
install desiccant beds or condensers in series, at successively
lower temperatures, to gradually rid the air stream of water
vapor as well as VOC.
Only one VOC is allowed in the model; when more than
one compound is present, it is necessary to use a representa-
tive compound in the calculations.
Example
A granulated pharmaceutical intermediate is dried in a
fluid bed dryer. The exhaust fan is rated at 4,800 scfm
capacity. It is estimated that 2,100 lb/h of ethyl alcohol are
evaporated from the product, at a temperature of 30° C. The
dryer operates 1,000 hours per year.
The data are input into the spreadsheet template. It is
seen that, to obtain 90 percent recovery of the ethyl alcohol,
the exhaust gas must be cooled to approximately minus 15
degrees C; 98 tons of refrigeration are required. The yearly
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emission to atmosphere would be about 170,000 lb of ethyl
alcohol.
Computer System Requirements
The spreadsheet template described can be constructed
using the most popular spreadsheet programs: Excel, Lotus
1-2-3, Quattro, VP-Planner Plus, SuperCalc, Wingz, etc.
The main difference between them is how the physical prop-
erty lookup function is handled: Excel looks for the closest
match to the compound name that is entered whereas Lotus
requires an exact match.
There are three distinct areas on the template: input/
output section, intermediate calculations and chemical data
section.
The input/output section contains the user's inputs and
the primary calculated outputs as described and depicted in
this article.
CONTROL
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
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In Clean Coal Technology Round 3
The U.S. Department of Energy on December 21 selected
13 Clean Coal Technology projects, adding more than $1.3
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The 13 projects picked by the Department will join 27
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Technology Program now has projects underway or planned
in 19 states.
The new projects are:
AirPol Inc., Teterboro, NJ—AirPol will join with its par-
ent company, FLS miljo of Copenhagen, Denmark, the Ten-
March 1990 Volume 40, No. 3
The intermediate calculations section is used to break the
more complex calculations into digestible pieces. This area
of the template is not printed out. For example, it contains
the log mean temperature difference calculation.
The chemical data section is a lookup table containing the
Antoine coefficients, molecular weight and heat of vaporiza-
tion for a variety of compounds. The user need only enter the
name of a compound contained in the table; the template
model retrieves the appropriate properties for use in the
calculations.
Conclusions
Spreadsheet programs are useful for performing a wide
variety of engineering calculations. They offer many advan-
tages over stand-alone software (e.g. software written in
BASIC, PASCAL, FORTRAN or C) including: ease of use,
flexibility, low cost and computer compatibility.
Vent gas condensation is an excellent application for solu-
tion by spreadsheet template. The problem is easily modeled
(no iterative calculations), is dependent on several indepen-
dent variables and begs for comparing "what i f scenarios.
Furthermore, rigorous solutions, typically obtained from
complex programs running on timesharing computers, are
very expensive. The spreadsheet provides a quick screening;
if the results are positive, the costly rigorous solution can be
pursued more confidently.
Stephen M. Hall is a project manager for Life Sciences,
Inc., 1818 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. The author
will provide a disk to readers, with the complete condensa-
tion template, for $10. Send to Stephen Hall, P.O. Box 309,
Voorhees, NJ 08043. Specify Excel (for Macintosh) or Lotus
1-2-3 (for PC compatible). Data for approximately 100 com-
pounds are included in the templates. This paper was sub-
mitted for peer review on August 14,1989. The revised manu-
script was received October 26,1989.
nessee Valley Authority and other future sponsors to dem-
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Rubio, Sales Manager, AirPol Inc., 32 Henry Street, Teter-
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Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Allentown, PA, and
Dakota Gasification Company, Beulah, ND—The two firms
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& Chemicals, Inc., Allentown, PA 18195, (215) 481-7584.
407