Saint Louis University

School of Engineering & Architecture

Department of Chemical Engineering

Code: _2485___________ Reporter: _Bullago, Joshua G._______

Course No.: _ChE 512________ Members: _ Bauyon, Racky Lynne.______ ___
Schedule: _7:30-10:30 MW__ _Del Rio, Wilfredo III C._________
Group No.: _7______________ _ Mangangey, Abigail Acoba A.___
_Mendoza, Jan Christian J.________

Date Performed: _November 17, 2017___________

Date Submitted: _November 21, 2017___________

Experiment No.: ____6________

Experiment Title: __Gas Absorption-Pressure Drop Measurement___________________

CRITERIA POINTS SCORE

1. Report Format and Neatness
2. Objectives
3. Theoretical Background
4. Equipment and Apparatus
a. List of Equipment and apparatus and its uses
b. Experimental Set-up
5. Procedure
6. Data and Results
7. Interpretation of Results
8. Recommendations and Conclusions
9. Sample Computations
10. Answers to Study Questions
11. Appendices
a. Graphs Accompanying Data and Results
b. References
TOTAL

Instructor: _ Engr. Jonalyn Kimpay_

I. Objectives
1. To determine the air pressure differential across the dry column as a function of the air flow
rate.
2. To establish the relationship of the air pressure drop across a wet packed column as a
function of air flowrate and compare it with results obtained with a dry column
II. Theoretical background

Gas absorption essentially involved the transfer of materials from the gas phase to the liquid
phase. It is "defined" as the operation in which a gas mixture is contacted with a liquid for the purpose of
preferentially dissolving one or more components of the gas mixture and to provide a solution of them in
the liquid. The gaseous component is said to be absorbed by the liquid. The transferred component is
known as the solute. In the simplest case, gas absorption involves as least 3 components. As an
illustration, consider an ammonia-air-water system. The gas contains ammonia-air mixture. Ammonia is
the solute and it is very soluble in water while air is not. Hence, by means of contacting the gas mixture
with water, ammonia will dissolves preferentially in water, and a solution of ammonia in water
(ammonium hydroxide) is obtained.

A common apparatus used in gas absorption is packed tower, an example of which is shown in
figure (1). The device consists of a cylindrical column, or tower, equipped with a gas inlet and distributing
space at the bottom; a liquid inlet and a distributor at top; gas and liquid outlets at the top and bottom
respectively; and a supported mass of inert solid shapes, called tower packing.

The inlet liquid which may be pure solvent or a dilute solution of some solute (may or may not be
same gas) in the solvent is distributed over the top of the packing by distributor and, in ideal operation,
uniformly wets the surfaces of the packings.

The solute containing gas enters the distributing space below the packing and flows upward
through the interstices in the packing countercurrent to the flow of liquid. The packing provides large
area of contact between liquid and gas and encourages intimate contact between phases. At ideal steady
state condition, for a specified flow rates of liquid and gas phase, the extent of absorption will not change
with passage of time.

In a packed column used for gas-liquid contact, the liquid flows downward over the surface of
the packing and the gas flows upward in the void space of the packing material. A low pressure drop and,
hence, low energy consumption is very important in the performance of packed towers. The packing
material provides a very large surface area for mass transfer, but it also results in a pressure drop
because of friction generated between the fluids and the packings.

The performance of packed towers depends upon the hydraulic operating characteristics of wet
and dry packing. In dry packing, there is only the flow of a single fluid phase through a column of
stationary solid particles. Such flow occurs in fixed-bed catalytic reactor and sorption operations
(including adsorption, ion exchange, ion exclusion, etc.) In wet packing, two-phase flow is encountered.
The phases will be a gas and a liquid in distillation, absorption, or stripping. When the liquid flows over
the packing it occupies some of the void volume in the packing normally filled by the gas, therefore the
performance of wet packing is different from that of dry packing.

Gas absorption processes are widely used in the industry. It can be used for removing
contaminants or impurities from a gas stream. One of the most common examples of gas absorption and
stripping is the amine absorption and regeneration unit whereby toxic H2S gas from a fuel gas mixture is
removed by liquid amine (DEA, MEA or glycol).Other example include the absorption of CO2 using hot
potassium carbonate.

Yet in other applications, it can be used for gas dehydration when an insoluble gas is dried by
contact with a dehydrating liquid. An example is in the drying of chlorine using 98 % weight sulfuric acid.

In air pollution control, the various oxides of nitrogen can be removed by absorption with water,
sulfuric acid, and organic solutions. Gaseous ammonia can be removed by absorption with water.
IV. Procedure

A. Air Pressure at Dry Column

By passing the maximum air flow, the column must be dried until evidence of moisture
in the packing has disappeared. The column top and bottom were connected to the water
manometer with the stopcocks S1 and S2. For a range of air flowrates, the manometer readings
of pressure differential across the column were recorded. 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, 160 and
180 L/min of air were employed. The pressure differential as a function of air flowrate on log-
log graphing paper was plotted and the relationship between pressure differential and air
flowrate was established.

B. Air Pressure at Different Flowrates

The water reservoir tank was filled three-quarters full with tap water. The water pump
was switched on and the control valve C1 was set to give a flowrate of 2.75 L/min down the
column. After about 30 seconds, the control valve was closed and the column was allowed to
drain for five minutes. The air pressure differential across the wet column as a function of air
flowrate was measured. 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 and 140 L/min of air were employed. Since the
water flowrate for every group was varied, the appearance of the column at each settling was
noted and the air pressure differential across the column as a function of the air flowrate for
different water flowrates were also measured.

The measured pressure differential as a function of the air flowrate was plotted on log-
log graphing paper for each water flowrate (mass velocity). The operating temperature of water
during the experiment was also recorded. To shutdown, the water tank and the water from the
down-coming tube were drained and the valves were closed.
V. DATA AND RESULTS

This section presents the data gathered by the different groups during the experimentation.

A. Dry gas absorption packed tower

Pressure Drop, mmH2O

Air 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

Flowrate,
L/min
Group 1 3 7 9 13 17 22 25 28

Group 2 3 4 8 12 17 21 25 28

Group 3 3.5 7 10 13 19 23 26 29

Group 4 3 4 8 12 16 21 25 27

Group 5 3 6 8 12.5 15.5 22 26 28.5

Group 6 2 4 9 12 16 22 26 28

Group 7 3 5 8.5 12.5 16 22 26 28

Group 8 3 4 7 12 17 22 25 28

Group 9 2 6 9 12 17 22 26 33

Group 10 3 6 9 12 16 22 26 28
B. Wetted gas absorption packed tower

Pressure Drop, mmH2O

Groups Water 40 60 80 100 120 140

Flow,
Liter/ min
Group 1 4.25 2 4 11 17 23 38

Group 2 4 5 8 13 23 25 34

Group 3 3.75 4 6 12 24 26 37

Group 4 3.5 3 7 9 14 22 35

Group 5 3.25 4 8 18 22 31 41

Group 6 3 5 15 18 21 28 38

Group 7 2.75 7 9 14.5 27 30 3

Group 8 2.5 6 8.5 15 20 29 37

Group 9 2.25 4 14 24 32 36 70

Group 10 2 2 5 12 19 27 35

VI. Interpretation of Results

The pressure drop measured from the column is the result of fluid friction. For a dry column, the air
flowrate is directly proportional to that of the pressure drop. And the graph obtained when plotting the
results is a straight line with a slope of about 1.8. For a wet column, the pressure drop is directly
proportional to the air flowrate as well, with its plot initially having a parallel line to that of the line of the
dry column. But comparing the pressure drops of the dry and wet column, the dry column has higher
pressure drops. This is because for the wet column, the liquid reduces the space available for the flow of
the gas. At higher air flowrates, we can see that pressure drop values increases abruptly this is because it
starts to impede the flow of the liquid or it overcomes the flow of the liquid having the liquid being hold
up at the upper part of the column.
VII. Conclusion and Recommendation

In a packed column used for gas-liquid contact, the liquid flows downward over the surface of
the packing and the gas flows upward through the void spaces of the packing material. With a  dry
packing, the pressure drop across the column increases as the gas velocity increases. This relationship
was further confirmed by plotting the air flow rate versus pressure differential in a log-log plot. The graph
showed a linear relationship.

In a wetted wall tower, the pressure drop across the column also increases as the gas flow rate
increases. Furthermore, at the same gas velocities, the pressure drop is higher in wetted packings
compared to the pressure drop in dry packings. This is because the packings now become  wetted. Part of
void volume in the packings now filled with liquid, thereby reducing the cross-sectional area available for
gas flow. And in a dry column, there is no friction between the gas and the liquid while in a wetted
packed bed, the pressure differential increases due to the friction that is present between the gas and the
liquid. The packing material provides a very large surface area for mass transfer, but it also results in a
pressure drop because of friction generated between the fluids and the packings. A low pressure drop is
very important in the performance of packed towers. It also results in a low energy consumption.

For the future performances of the experiment, the researchers recommend to carefully and
accurately adjust the control valves to attain the desired flow rate. It is also recommended to always pay
attention during the performance of the experiment. Not paying attention causes flooding in the column
and eventually leads to the blowing of water to the top of the column splashing water all over the place,
especially on the second part of the experiment.

IX. Answers to Study Questions

1. What causes the difference between the dry and wet column pressure drop at fixed
conditions?

With liquid flowing in the column, the packings now become wetted (irrigated).
Part of void volume in the packings now filled with liquid, thereby reducing the cross-
sectional area available for gas flow.

Source: McCabe, W.L. et. al. (2006). Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering (8th ed.).
New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

2. In case the column is operated at maximum loading, what will be the effect of a
decrease in the Gx/Gy ratio during operation? What will be the effect of an increase in
the liquid viscosity? How can those trends be explained?

The concentration of the solute tends to build up in the upper part of the
absorber and the point of highest temperature tends to move upward in the tower until
finally the maximum temperature occurs at the top of the column. The capacity of the
liquid to absorb solutes falls progressively as the ratio is reduced. An increased in liquid
velocity, on one hand, will basically reduce the absorption efficiency. A slower fluid
flowing down the column and a fast gas flowing upward manifest less time for contact
for the both fluid; ergo, reducing the capacity of the liquid to absorb the gas. As the gas
velocity is increased further, the pressure drop increases as manifested from the liquid
being retained in the packing.

X. APPENDICES

A. Definition of Terms

Column – It is the part of the gas absorption apparatus that contains the packings. It is also referred to
as the packed tower.

Packings – It helps to control the flowrate of the air and water passing through the column.

Dry column – it is the column where in there is only the gas that is flowing in the column.

Wet column – it is the column where in a liquid is counter currently flowing with that of the gas.

Liquid – the liquid used was water.

Gas – the gas in the experiment was air.

B. References

Column Operating Characteristics. Retrieved from https://www.cpp.edu/~tknguyen/che435/Notes/P1-

column.pdf

Gas Liquid Absorption. Retrieved from http://iitb.vlab.co.in/?sub=8&brch=116&sim=951&cnt=1

Mass Transfer in Gas Absorption and Diffusion. Retrieved from

http://www.separationprocesses.com/Absorption/GA_Chp02.htm

Anonymous. Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com/presentation/356647088/Gas-Absorption on

November 21, 2017
C. Documentation

Figure 1. Gas Absorption Apparatus

Figure 2. Controlling the Air Flowrate
Figure 3. Measuring the Pressure Drop