Lectures 6

Absorption in Tray Tower

Graphical Determination of Number of Ideal Trays(McCabe-Thiele Diagram Type)

Figure 4. Tray absorber

The McCabe-Thiele diagram is most useful when the operating line is straight. This requires that

The energy balances be automatically satisfied

Liquid flow rate/vapor flow rate = constant

In order for energy balances to be automatically satisfied, we must assume that

 The heat of absorption is negligible

Operation is isothermal

These two assumptions will guarantee satisfaction of the enthalpy balances. When the gas and
liquid streams are both fairly dilute, the assumption will probably be satisfied.

It is usually convenient, for tray towers, to define the flow rates L and G simply as mol/hr, rather
than to base them on unit tower cross section. We also desire a straight operating line. This will
automatically true if we define

L moles nonvolatile solvent/hr

G moles insoluble carrier gas/hr

and if we assume that:

solvent is nonvolatile

carrier gas is insoluble

The results of these last two assumptions are that the mass balance for solvent becomes

LN p Lj L0 L constant

While the mass balance for the carrier gas is

GN p 1 Gj G1 G constant

Derivation of General Equation

The process flow diagram is shown in Figure 4. The inlet L stream is L0 and the inlet G stream is
GNp+1 instead of G2 as for a single stage in Figure 1. The outlet product streams are G1 and LNpand
the total number of stages is Np.

Making an overall material balance on all stages

L0 GN p 1 LN p G1 (1.1)
The overall component balance

L0 X 0 GN p 1YN p 1 LN p X N p GY
1 1 (1.2)

Making a total material balance over first n stages

L0 Gn 1 Ln G1 (1.3)

Making a component balanceover first n stages

L0 X 0 Gn 1Yn 1 Ln X n G1Y1 (1.4)

Solving for Yn+1

Ln X n G1Y1 L0 X 0
Yn 1 (1.5)
Gn1 Gn1

This is an important material balance equation, often called an operating line.

Application

If we apply the assumptions, the above equation becomes

L L
Yn 1 X n (Y1 X 0 ) (1.6)
G G

L L
This is a straight line with slope and intercept (Y1 X 0 ) . Thus if we plot YvsX we have a
G G
McCabe-Thiele type of graph as shown in Figure 4.

The steps in this procedure are:

Plot YvsX equilibrium data (convert from fractions to ratios).

Values of X0, YNp+1, Y1angL/G are known. Point (X0, Y1) is on operating line, since it represent
passing streams.

Slope isL/G. Plot operating line.

Starting at stage 1, step of stages: equilibrium, operating, equilibrium, etc.

Example:

A gaseous mixture of ammonia and air is scrubbed counter-currently in a plate column with fresh
water. The ammonia concentration is reduced from 10 mol% to 1mol% and the inlet water and gas
rates are respectively 500 and 400 kg/m2s. Calculate using the data below, the number of actual plates
required for the absorber.

Equilibrium data for the system at 20C and 1 atm is:

X (kmol NH3/kmol H2O) 0.0050 0.0164 0.0252 0.0349 0.0455 0.0722

Y (kmol NH3/kmol air) 0.0054 0.0210 0.0320 0.0420 0.0533 0.0800

Take molar masses of air, ammonia and water as 29, 17 and 18 kg/kmol respectively. State any
assumptions made.
Plate efficiency = 70% for all plates in column.

Solution

Equilibrium data for the system at 20C and 1 atm is given.

Assume that the solubility of air in water is negligible compared to the solubility of ammonia.
Molecular weight of inlet gas = (0.9 29) + (0.1 17) = 27.8 kg/kmol
G1 = (400 27.8) = 14.39kmol/m2s, of which 90% (12.95kmol/m2s) is air
NH3 in the feed = 14.39*0.1 = 1.439 kmol/m2s
G2 = 12.951.439*0.1) = 13.09kmol/m2s
The inlet liquid is pure water so L2 = (500 18) = 27.78kmol/m2s
L1 = L2 + (G1 - G2) = 27.78 + (14.39 13.08) = 29.09kmol/m2s
Compare liquid and gas flowrates at both top and bottom before deciding if system is dilute or
not:

L2/G2 = 27.78/13.09 = 2.12

L1/G1 = 29.09/14.39 = 2.02
AVG = (2.12+2.02)/2 = 2.07

These values are close enough to justify an approximation of liquid-to-gas ratio of 2.07
throughout the column.
y1 = 0.1(10% NH3), y2 = 0.01 (0.1% NH3)
Liquid solvent (water) contains no solute on entry so x2 = 0

Y1 = y1/(1-y1) = 0.1/(1-0.1) = 0.12, Y2 = y2/(1-y2) = 0.01/(1.0.01) = 0.0101

X2 = 0 (x2 = 0)
AVG (L/G) * (X1-X2) = (Y1-Y2)

2.07 * (X1-X2) = (0.12-0.0101)

X1-X2 = 0.053

X1 = 0.053 (X2 = 0)

When drawn on the graph, the gap between this operating line and the equilibrium data gives 3.5
theoretical plates. As the efficiency for all plates is 70%, this means that 5 actual plates are needed.

0.14

0.12

0.1

0.08

0.06

0.04

0.02

0
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08
Multicomponent Absorption and Stripping

When the gas contains several soluble components or the liquid contains several volatile ones for
stripping, some modifications are needed.

If, as with one component absorbed, computations are to be started at the bottom of the tower, the
outlet liquid temperature and composition must be known. In this case as before, requires that the outlet
gas temperature be estimated, but in addition, in order to complete the enthalpy balance, also requires
that the complete outlet gas compositions with respect to all components be estimated at the start.
Herein lies the difficulty.

The quantities which are ordinarily fixed before an absorber design is as follows:

(i) Rate of flow, composition, and temperature of entering gas.

(ii) Composition and temperature of entering liquid (but not liquid flow rate)

(iii) Pressure of operation

(iv) Heat gain or loss (even if set at zero, as for adiabatic operation)

Under these circumstances the principal variables still remaining are:

(i) The liquid flow rate [or (liquid/gas) ratio]

(ii) The number of ideal trays

(iii) The fractional absorption of any one component

Any two of these but not all there can be arbitrarily fixed for a given design. When two have been
specified, the third is automatically fixed. As a result, for tray to tray calculations as suggested above, not
only must the outlet temperature be guessed but also the complete outlet composition, all to be checked
at the end of calculation. This becomes so hopeless a trial and error procedure that it cannot be done
practically without some guidance.

This is provided through an approximate procedure either that offered by the Kremser equations, which
apply only for constant absorption factor or through some procedure allowing the variation of the
absorption factor with tray number. To establish the later, we first need an exact expression for the
absorber with varying absorption factor. This was first derived by Horton and Franklin as outlined below.

As shown in multitray absorber or stripper, since all components can transfer between gas and liquid,
there may be no substance which passes through at constant rate. It is convenient, therefore, to define
all gas compositions in terms of entering gas and similarly all liquid compositions in terms of the entering
liquid.

Thus, for any component in liquid leaving any tray n:

moles of component in tray n xn Ln

X n' (1)
moles of liquid entering L0

Similarly for gas

yn Gn
Yn' (2)
GN p 1

wherexnand yn are the usual mole fractions.

Consider the above tray as absorber.

A material balance for any component about equilibrium tray n is

L0 ( X n' X n' 1 ) GN p 1 (Yn'1 Yn' ) (3)

The equilibrium relation for the equilibrium tray n is

yn mn xn (4)

Substitute equations (1) and (2) in equation (4)

GN p 1 L0
Yn' mn X n' (5)
Gn Ln

Similarly for tray n-1:

GN p 1 L0
Yn'1 mn1 X n' 1 (6)
Gn1 Ln1

Now from equations (5) and (6)

GN p 1 Ln
X n' Yn'
mn Gn L0

GN p 1 Ln1
X n' 1 Yn'1
mn1 Gn1 L0

Substitute X n' and X n' 1 in equation (3), and rearranging we have,

Yn'1 An 1 Yn'1
Y
'
(7)
1 An
n

Ln Ln1
where An and An 1 are the component absorption factors on two trays.
mn Gn mn 1 Gn 1
If absorber contained only one tray:

(n = 1), equation (7) become

Y2' A0 Y0'
Y1' (8)
1 A1

From equation (6), when n = 1,

L0 G0 m X' G
Y0' m0 X 0' 0 0 0 (9)
L0 GN p 1 GN p 1

L0 m0 X 0' G0 L0 X 0'
and A0 Y0' (10)
m0 G0 GN p 1 GN p 1

Substituting equation (10) in equation (8), provide

Y2' L0 X 0' GN p 1
Y
'
(11)
1 A1
1

If absorber containstwo trays (n = 2):

Equation (7) becomes with n = 2

Y3' A1 Y1'
Y2' (12)
1 A2

Substitute equation (11) in equation (12) and rearrange

( A1 1) Y3' A1 A0 L0 X 0' GN p 1
Y
'
(13)
A1 A2 A2 1
2

Similarly for three tray tower (n = 3):

( A1 A2 A2 1) Y4' A1 A2 A0 L0 X 0' GN p 1
Y
'
(14)
A1 A2 A3 A2 A3 A3 1
3
For Np trays (n = Np):

( A1 A2 A3 ... AN p 1 A2 A3 ... AN p 1 ...... AN p 1 1) YN' p 1 A1 A2 ... AN p 1 L0 X 0' GN p 1

Y'
(15)
A1 A2 A3 ... AN p A2 A3 ... AN p ...... AN p 1
Np

In order to eliminate YN' p , which is inside the absorber, a component material balance about the

entire absorber is

L0 ( X N' p X 0' ) GN p 1 (YN' p 1 Y1' ) (16)

Now, if n = Np in equation (5), then

L0 GN p L0 X N' p
Y'
Np mN p X '
Np (17)
LN p GN p 1 AN p GN p 1

From equations (16) and (17) eliminate X N' p , and substitute YN' p in equation (17), whence

rearrangement using equation (15) yields,

YN' p 1 Y1' A1 A2 A3 ... AN p A2 A3 ... AN p ...... AN p

YN' p 1 A1 A2 A3 ... AN p A2 A3 ... AN p ...... AN p 1
(18)
L0 X 0' A2 A3 A4 ... AN p A3 A4 ... AN p ...... AN p 1
GN p 1 YN' p 1 A1 A2 A3 ... AN p A2 A3 ... AN p ...... AN p 1

Equation (18) is an expression for the fractional absorption of any component, exact because it is
based only upon material balances and the condition of equilibrium which defines an ideal tray.

A similar expression for stripper is

X 0' X N' p S1 S2 ...S N p S1 S 2 ...S N p 1 ...... S1

X 0' S1 S2 ...S N p S1 S2 ...S N p 1 ...... S1 1
(19)
GN p 1 YN' p 1 S1 S2 ...S N p 1 S1 S2 ...S N p 2 ...... S1 1
L0 X 0' S1 S2 ...S N p S1 S2 ...S N p 1 ...... S1 1
In order to use equations (18) and (19), the L/G ratio for each tray and the tray temperature (which
determines the ms) are required to compute As and Ss.

If the liquid are not ideal, m for any component on any tray additionally depends upon the complete
liquid composition on the tray. The same is true for the gas compositions under conditions for
which the gas solutions are not ideal.

The equations are, therefore, practically useful only for ideal solutions.

In order to simplify the computations, Edmister has written the Horton Franklin equation in terms
of average or effective absorption and stripping factors instead of As and Ss for each tray.

Thus for absorption equation (18) becomes

YN' p 1 Y1' L0 X 0' AN p 1 A

1 ' E E
(20)
YN' p 1 A GN 1 YN' 1 AEN p 1 1
p p

For a two tray absorber it develops

AN p ( A1 1)
A' (21)
AN p 1

and AE [ AN p ( A1 1) 0.25]0.5 0.5 (22)

Similarly for stripping

X 0' X N' p N 1
S p S
(1 GN p 1 YN p 1 ) E N p 1 E (23)
X 0' SE 1

S1 ( S N p 1)
S' (24)
S1 1

and SE [S1 (SN p 1) 0.25]0.5 0.5 (25)