Design of Ammonia Stripping Tower

Stripping is a physical separation process where one or more components are removed from a
liquid stream by a vapor stream. Ammonia stripping is a simple process used to lower the
ammonia content of a wastewater stream. Some wastewaters contain large amounts of ammonia
and/or nitrogen-containing compounds that may readily form ammonia. It is often easier and less
expensive to remove nitrogen from wastewater in the form of ammonia. Ammonia (a weak base)
reacts with water (a weak acid) to form ammonium hydroxide. In ammonia stripping, lime or
caustic is added to the wastewater until the pH reaches 10.8 to 11.5 standard units which
converts ammonium hydroxide ions to ammonia gas according to the following reaction:
NH4+ + OH − H2 O + NH3
Here, we design the tower with packing of ceramic Raschig ring. The packing factor for 6.35mm
ceramic Raschig rings is 1600. The dimensionless Henry's law constant for ammonia at 40°C, H
is 0.001436. The minimum air-to-water ratio corresponds to the condition when the
effluent gas from the stripper is in equilibrium with the incoming water. It is represented as
follows:
Q C −C
( 𝑎 )𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 0 𝑒
𝑄 HC0
The influent concentration of waste water is assumed to be 211 mg/L and the target
concentration is 0.5 mg/L. The minimum air-to-water ratio under these conditions is calculated
to be 695. Now, we need to calculate the cross-sectional area for the packed tower. In order to
calculate this value, the actual air-to-water ratio, the air pressure drop at half the value for
flooding, the gas loading rate, and the liquid loading rate are required.
The air-to-water ratio was calculated with the following equation:
Q S
( 𝑎 )𝑚𝑖𝑛 =
𝑄 HAmmonia
Where S is the stripping factor (in this case is 2) and HAmmonia is the dimensionless Henry's law
constant for air-ammonia at 40°C. The air-to-water ratio is calculated to be 1390.
Raschig rings with a diameter of 6.35 mm are reported to have a pressure drop of 4 inches of
water per foot at flooding. The pressure drop used will be half of that value (1630 Pa/m2 m).
In order to determine the gas loading rate, the x-value for the Eckert gas pressure drop is
calculated.
GM Q ρg 1.13
=( 𝑎) ( ) = (1390)( ) = 1.59 kg(air)/kg(water)
LM 𝑄 ρl 992.2
ρg = 1.13 kg(air)/m3
ρl = 992.2 kg(water)/m3
L ρg
x=GM (ρ −ρ )0.5
M l g
x=0.0212
The corresponding y-value to this x in Eckert Gas Pressure drop chart is about 0.15 for a 2-inch
water pressure drop.
With this value in hand, the gas loading rate, is calculated.
𝑦ρg (ρl −ρg ) 0.5
GM =( )
Cf µ0.5
l
Cf = 1600 (packing factor)
µl =0.653 x 10−3 kg/mg.s

kg
GM = 0.468 2
m .𝑠
The water loading rate, LM is now calculated from the relation:
G
LM = Q𝑎 Mρg = 0.296 kg/m2
( )( )
𝑄 ρ l
With the values for the liquid flow rate and the liquid loading rate, the column area is now
determined as:
Qρ
A= l
LM
−4 2
A=9.1 x 10 m
Calculating the diameter,
D= 0.034 m = 3.4 cm

Now, we need to calculate the length of the column for which the mass transfer coefficients must
be determined.
The liquid phase mass transfer coefficient is calculated from the wetted surface area of the
column:
𝜎𝑐 0.75
(Re)0.1 (𝐹𝑟)−0.05 (𝑊𝑒)0.2 )
𝑎𝑤 =𝑎𝑡 (1-𝑒 (−1.45( 𝜎 ) )

LM
Re=
𝑎𝑡 µl
2
(LM ) 𝑎𝑡
Fr= 2
(ρl ) 𝑔
2
(L )
We= ρ M
𝑎 𝜎l 𝑡
𝑚2
On calculating; 𝑎𝑤 =106𝑚3
Liquid phase mass transfer coefficient:
 L µ ρ
𝑘1 =0.0051(𝑎 Mµ )2/3 (ρ 𝐷 )−0.5(𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑝 )0.4(µ gl )−1/3
𝑤 l l 𝑙 l
We can calculate 𝐷𝑙 using the Hayduk-Laurie correlation:
13.26 𝑥 10−5
𝐷𝑙 =(µ 1.14 (𝑉 )0.589
w) 𝑏

𝑉𝑏 is the molar volume of ammonia at the boiling point. This is determined through the LeBas
method to be 26.7 cubic centimeters (c𝑚3 )/mol.
The viscosity of water at 40°, µ1 is 0.563cP
𝑐𝑚2
𝐷𝑙 = 3.11 𝑥 100−5 𝑠
The liquid phase mass transfer coefficient, 𝑘𝑙 is calculated as 8.4 x 10−5 m/s.

Now, we have to calculate the gas phase mass transfer coefficient, From Wilke-Lee modification of
the Hirsch-Felder-Bird-Spotz correlation:
1 1 1 1
((1.084−0.249√𝑀 + ))(𝑇 1.5 )√𝑀 −𝑀 )
𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎 𝑀𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝐴 𝐴𝑖𝑟
𝐷𝑔 = 𝑘𝑇
𝑃𝑙 𝑟(𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎−𝑎𝑖𝑟 )2 𝑓(Ɛ )
𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎−𝑎𝑖𝑟
Molecular separation at collision for ammonia:
𝐿
𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎 =1.18(𝑉𝑏,𝐴 )1/3 =1.18(0.0257 )1/3 = 0.353nm
𝑚𝑜𝑙
Molecular separation at collision for air:
𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑟 = 0.3711 𝑛𝑚
Molecular separation at collision for ammonia and air:
1
𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎−𝑎𝑖𝑟 = 2 (𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎 + 𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑟 )
𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎−𝑎𝑖𝑟 =0.362 nm
Energy of molecular attraction for ammonia:
Ɛ𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎
=1.21 𝑇𝑏𝑜𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔,𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎
𝑘
𝑔.𝑐𝑚2
k=1.3804 x 10−16 𝑠2 .𝐾

𝑇𝑏𝑜𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔,𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎 =239.8 K
Ɛ𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎
=290
𝑘
Energy of molecular attraction for air:
Ɛ𝑎𝑖𝑟
=78.6
𝑘
Ɛ𝑎𝑖𝑟−𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎
=√(290)(78.6)=151
𝑘
Collision function:
𝑘𝑇 𝑇 313
= = =2.07
Ɛ𝑎𝑖𝑟−𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎 Ɛ𝑎𝑖𝑟−𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎 151
𝑘
𝑘𝑇
ee=log10 (Ɛ )=0.316
𝑎𝑖𝑟−𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎
ƹ=(-0.14329-0.48343(ee) + 0.1939(ee)2 + 0.13612ee2 - 0.20578ee4 + 0.083899ee5 -
0.01149lee6 )
ƹ=-0.274
𝑘𝑇
f(Ɛ )=10ƹ =0.532
𝑎𝑖𝑟−𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎

1 1 1 1
((1.084−0.249√𝑀 + ))(𝑇 1.5 )√𝑀 −𝑀 )
𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎 𝑀𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝐴 𝐴𝑖𝑟
𝐷𝑔 = 𝑘𝑇
𝑃𝑙 𝑟(𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎−𝑎𝑖𝑟 )2 𝑓(Ɛ )
𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎−𝑎𝑖𝑟
𝑐𝑚2
𝐷𝑔 =2.41 at 0.1 bar
𝑠
Gas Phase Mass Transfer Coefficient:
G µ𝑔
𝑘𝐺 =5.23(𝑎𝑡 𝐷𝑔 )(𝑎 Mµ )0.7(ρ )1/3(𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑝 )−2
𝑡 𝑔 g 𝐷𝑔
𝑚
𝑘𝐺 = 0.22
𝑠
Overall Mass Transfer Rate Constant:
1 1 1 1 1
= + = + =137 s
KL 𝑎 kl 𝑎 kg aw 𝐻 (8.4 𝑥 10−5 )(108) (0.22)(108)(0.001436)
K L 𝑎 = 0.00730 𝑠 −1
Now, we calculate the length of the column:
𝑐
𝑄 𝑠 1+( 0 )(𝑆−1)
𝑐𝑇0
L=𝐴K 𝑎(𝑠−1)ln( )
L 𝑆
L=0.37 m

Thus, the removal ammonia can be achieved at the target level with the column of height 0.37 m
and diameter 3.4cm.

Submitted By:
Arvind Kushwaha
116CH0105