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Interphase Mass Transfer

Applied to Packed Columns

Topic 3

©UST Ch.E. Department

Lecture Objectives
• To be able to apply the principles of
interphase mass transfer to Gas Absorption
▫ Equilibrium Relations
▫ Graphical Representation
▫ Overall Mass Transfer Coefficients
• To be able to obtain properties of packings
▫ Types of Packings
▫ Packing Characteristics
• To be able to calculate the following for a
packed column:
▫ Flooding Velocity
▫ Column Diameter

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Interphase Mass Transfer

Application: Gas Absorption (Binary System)
A solute moves from the gas through the liquid.
Gas Liquid
For the Gas Phase:
NAG
y NAG = ky (y – yi)

yi For the Liquid Phase:

NAL NAL = kx ( xi - x)
xi
At the interface:
x (xi , yi) is an equilibrium point
i
interface
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Equilibrium Relations

• Ideal System (Ideal Gas, Raoult’s Law)

y = PAo /P x PAo= vapor pressure
P = total pressure
• Dilute System (Ideal Gas, Henry’s Law)
y = HA /P x HA= Henry’s Constant
P = total pressure
• Common Solubility Data
y = PA/P x = [CA/MA]/[CA/MA+100/18]
PA = equilibrium partial pressure
CA = weight solute/100 wts water; MA = MW

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Graphical Representation

Basic Lines Needed: Equilibrium and Operating Lines

Operating Line Equation Analysis:
V’ (Y – Y2) = L’ (X – X2) Linear in Y vs X
y x
V’ - Y2 = L’ - X2 Non-linear in y vs x
1-y 1-x
Equilibrium Line Analysis:
a) Linear in y vs x for ideal and dilute systems
b) Non-linear in y vs x using HB data
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Graphical Representation

At steady state:

NAG = NAL
y1
Operating Line ky(y – yi) = kx(xi - x)
y
y Tie Line
Equilibrium Tie Line Equation:
yi Line
y2 kx y - yi
- =
ky x - xi
x2 x xi x1 = slope of tie line
x

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Overall Mass Transfer Coefficients

• The use of interface compositions is tedious
due to tie line construction.
• Overall Mass Transfer Coefficients are
introduced using a driving force based on
difference between actual composition and
equilibrium composition.
• A capital symbol is used to represent the
overall mass transfer coefficient.
▫ NAG = Ky (y – y*)
▫ NAL = Kx (x* - x)
where y* is based on x and x* on y
©UST Ch.E. Department

Graphical Representation

NAG = ky (y – yi)

y
NAG = Ky (y – y*)

yi
NAL = kx (xi - x)
y*
NAL = Kx (x* - x)
x xi x*

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Graphical Representation
Relationships:
NAG = ky (y – yi) = Ky (y – y*)
NAL = kx (xi - x) = Kx (x* - x)
From the Graph:
y – y* = (y – yi) + (yi – y*)
y – y*
y Slope EL = m = i
xi - x
yi (yi – y*) = m (xi – x)
y* NAG NAG m NAL
= +
Ky ky kx
x xi x* 1 1 m
= +
Ky ky kx
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The Packed Column

Gas Out Liquid In
Packings – solid materials used to
2 provide contact between the gas
and the liquid in the column
Common Types of Packings (See HB 14-54,55):
Packings

a) Rings (Raschig, Pall)

b) Saddles (Berl, Intalox)
c) Tellerettes
May also be random or structured (14-56)
Packing Characteristics
1 a) Material
b) Size
Gas In Liquid Out c) Surface area per volume (a)
d) Packing Factor (Fp)
©UST Ch.E. Department

Metal
PR
RR BS

Plastic Ceramic IS
PR
Plastic SIS
First and Second Generation Packings ©UST Ch.E. Department

Plastic
CMR

IMTP

Third
Generation
Packings

Metal RSR
Metal NR
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Structured
Packing
Setup
(Flexipac,
Mellapak Plus)
Fourth
Generation

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Determination of Flooding Velocity

Flooding Velocity (GF)

This is the mass velocity of the entering gas
sufficient to cause liquid accumulation in the
packed column which will lead to “flooding”.
The design of the column should be such that
the mass velocity of the entering gas should be
lower than the flooding velocity to avoid flooding.
Gv1 = f GF
Gv1 = entering gas mass velocity
f = fraction, taken as 0.62 if not specified
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Flooding Line

CP

FG ©UST Ch.E. Department

Determination of Flooding Velocity

• Procedure
1. Obtain liquid density (L) and viscosity(L), gas
density(G) and packing factor(FP)
2. Calculate the ratio of flow of entering liquid to
entering gas (L/G) from problem data.
3. Calculate FLG = (L/G)(G/L)0.5
4. Obtain CP from Fig. 14-55/14-58 (HB) using FLG
and pressure drop of 1.5 in Hg
5. Solve UF =CP[(L- G)/(L FP)]0.5[L/L]0.05 using
appropriate units in the HB
6. GF = UF G

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Determination of Column Diameter

• Procedure
1. Solve Gv1 = f GF
2. Solve entering mass rate of gas (wV1)
wV1 = V1 MV1
3. Cross Sectional Area, S = wV1/Gv1
4. Diameter = [4/ S]0.5

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Example

9000 L/min of a gas mixture containing 22% NH3,

78% Air by mole shall be treated in a packed
absorber using No. 1 plastic Intalox saddles. 95%
of the ammonia is to be absorbed using a water
rate which is 1.5 times the minimum. Operating
conditions are 1.5 atm and 30oC.
Determine the tower diameter.

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Solution

y1 x2
y1  .22 Y1  Y1  0.28205 x2  0 X2 
1  y1 1  x2
Rec  0.95 r  1.5 Ma  17 Mb  29 Ms  18 X2  0

Y2
Pt  1140 Y2  ( 1  Rec)  Y1 Y2  0.0141 y2 
1  Y2 y2  0.01391

p1  y1 Pt p1  250.8 p2  y2 Pt p2  15.85335

©UST Ch.E. Department

Solution
Equilibrium Data:
i  1  12 C  P  18
Xe
i
i i Xe  C  xe 
i i 1700 i 1  Xe
20 260 i
15 179
10 110
7.5 79.7 P Ye
i i
5 51 Ye  ye 
4 40.1
i Pt  P i 1  Ye
i i
3 29.6
2.5 24.4
2 19.3 9000
q1  q1  0.15 m^3/s
1.6 15.3 60000
1.2 11.5
0 0
ye 
i
0.22807 ©UST Ch.E. Department
0.15702
0.09649
0.06991
0.04474
0.03518
0.02596
0.0214
0.01693
0.01342
0.01009
0
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Solution
ye  xe 
i i
0.22807 0.17476
MV1  y1 Ma  ( 1  y1)  Mb MV1  26.36
0.15702 0.13706 Pt MV1
T  303  G 
0.09649 0.09574  T
.08205760
0.06991 0.07357
0.04474 0.05028  G  1.59043 kg/m^3
0.03518 0.04063
0.02596 0.03079  L  995.647 kg/m^3
0.0214 0.02579 131
 L  0.86 0.001 Fp 
0.01693 0.02074 3.28
0.01342 0.01666
0.01009 0.01255
0 0

273 Pt 1
V1  q1    3600 V1  32.58045 Kmols/hr
T 760 22.4

V'  V1 ( 1  y1) V'  25.41275 Kmols air/hr

wv1  V1 MV1 wv1  858.82054 kg/hr

©UST Ch.E. Department

Solution

yei

y1

xei

x1e
From Graph: x1e  .17 X1e  X1e  0.20482 ©UST Ch.E. Department
1  x1e

Solution

Y1  Y2
LVmin M L2  x2 Ma  ( 1  x2)  Ms
X1e  X2

LVmin 1.30822 LVact  r LVmin LVact  1.96233

L'  LVact V' L'  49.8682 Kmols Water/hr

L2  L' wL2  L2 M L2 wL2  897.62769 kg H2O/hr

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Solution
0.5
wL2  G 
FLG    FLG  0.04177 From Flooding Chart:
wv1  L 
Cs  1.87
L 2
   1000   0.86376
L

Cs
Ut  Ut  2.27194 GF  Ut  G rF  0.62
  0.5 
 G  0.5 0.05
      Fp     3.28 GF  3.61337 GV1  rF GF
 L G  

wv1 4 S
S  S  0.10649 D  D  0.36822 m
GV1 3600 

©UST Ch.E. Department

Exercise
10 m3/min of a gas mixture containing 10%
NH3,90% Air by mole shall be treated in a
packed absorber in order to recover 90% of the
ammonia. The water rate is 40% greater than
the minimum. Operating conditions are 1.4 atm
and 25oC.
Determine the tower diameter if the packing
used is:
a) 25 mm metallic Raschig Rings
b) 25 mm metallic Pall Rings
©UST Ch.E. Department

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