Packed absorption and stripping columns

Prof. Dr. Marco Mazzotti - Institut fr Verfahrenstechnik

1. HETP - approach
Packed columns are continuous contacting devices that do not have the physically
distinguishable stages found in trayed columns.

In practice, packed columns are often analyzed on the basis of equivalent

equilibrium stages using a Height Equivalent to a Theoretical Plate (HETP):

HETP

packed height
number of equivalent equilibrium stages

Knowing the value of the HETP and the theoretical number of stages n of a
trayed column, we can easily calculate the height H of the column :

H n HETP
The HETP concept, unfortunately, has no theoretical basis. HETP values can only
be calculated using experimental data from laboratory or commercial-size columns.

2. Absorption: Mass transfer approach (HTU, NTU)

y2< y spec
For packed columns, it is preferable to determine packed
height from a more theoretically based method using
mass transfer coefficients.
L, x2

G, y2
The absorption problem is usually presented as follows.
There is a polluted gas stream coming out from a
process. The pollutant must be recovered in order to
clean the gas.

z=H

At the bottom and the top of the column, the

compositions of the entering and leaving streams
are:
( x1 , y1 )

T, p

( x2 , y 2 )

Furthermore, we introduce the coordinate z, which

describes the height of the column.

The green, upper envelope is needed for the

operating line of the absorption column.

z=0

Process

G, y1

L, x1

First, we need a material balance around the

green, upper envelope of the column. It is the
operating line, going through the point (x2,y2):
Lx Gy 2 Lx 2 Gy
L
y x x2 y 2
G

L
G

y1

y* = m x
Lmin
G

(1)

Then we need the equilibrium condition:

y* m x

( 2)

y2
x2

We can now draw the equilibrium and operating

line into the diagram. From the operating line
with the smallest slope (Lmin/G), we can get (L/G)
with the known formula:
L
L
f

G
G

f (1 , 2 )
min

x1

As a third equation, we need a mass transfer rate equation.

We take a small slice of the column. The material balance
over the gas side of this slice gives:

z z

INgas OUTgas OUTmass transfer

mol
s

S G y ( z ) S G y ( z z ) N a S z

G
S is the cross-sectional area of the tower. Please note that N, G
and L are defined as fluxes and not as molar flow rates [mol/s]:
G

molar flowrate
column sec tion S

mol
2
cm s

mass transfer surface

volume of the column

cm 2
3
cm

Determination of the packed height of a column most commonly involves the

overall gas-phase coefficient Ky because the liquid usually has a strong
affinity for the solute. Its driving force is the mole fraction difference (y-y*):
N Ky y y *

mol
2
cm s

Dividing the mass transfer rate equation by S

and z, we get:

Na G

y ( z z ) y ( z )
z

Because we want a differential height of the

slice, we let z 0.

Na G

dy
dz

Introducing the definition of N:

Separating variables and integration gives:

dy
K y a y y *
dz

y2

G
dy
Kya y y *
y1

H dz
0

Taking constant terms out of the integral and

changing the integration limits:

G
H dz
Kya
0
HOG

The right-hand side can be written as the

product of the two terms HOG and NOG:

( 3)

H HOG NOG

y1

dy

y y *

y2

NOG

The term HOG is called the overall Height of a Transfer

Unit (HTU) based on the gas phase. Experimental data
show that the HTU varies less with G than with Kya. The
smaller the HTU, the more efficient is the contacting.
The term NOG is called the overall Number of Transfer
Units (NTU) based on the gas phase. It represents the
overall change in solute mole fraction divided by the
average mole fraction driving force. The larger the
NTU, the greater is the extent of contacting required.

Now we would like to solve the integral of NOG.

Therefore we replace y* by equation (2):

Solving (1) for x, knowing that A=L/(Gm):

Introducing the result into the equation for NOG:

HOG

NOG

G
Kya

y1

dy

y y *

y2

NOG

y1

dy

y m x

y2

y
y
x2 2
Am
Am

NOG

y1

Ady

( A 1)y y

y2

Ay 2*

Integration of NOG gives:

NOG

NOG

A 1 y y 2 Ay *2
A

ln
A 1
A

y1

y2

A 1 y 1 y 2 Ay 2*

ln
A 1
A y 2 y 2*

Splitting the inner part of the logarithm into two parts:

NOG

We already know the fraction of absorption :

Introducing and doing some transformations, we

finally get for NOG:

NOG

1 A 1 y1 y *2
A

ln

A 1 A
A y 2 y *2

absorbed amount
y y2
1
max absorbed amount y1 y *2

A
1 A
ln

A 1 1

3. Comparison between HTU / NTU and HETP

The height of the column can be calculated in two ways:

H HOG NOG n HETP

The NTU and the HTU should not be confused with the
HETP and the number of theoretical equilibrium stages n,
which can be calculated with the Kremser Equation:

1
1 A
ln

ln A 1

When the operating and equilibrium lines are not only straight
but also parallel, NTU = n and HTU = HETP. Otherwise, the
NTU is greater than or less than n.

op. line

op. line

op. line

eq. line

eq. line

eq. line

NTU n

NTU n

NTU n

When the operating and equilibrium lines are straight but

not parallel (NTU n), we need a formula to transform
them. We can write:

HETP HOG

NOG
n

Replacing NOG and n by the formulas found earlier,

we get for HETP:

HETP HOG

A ln A
A 1

Doing the same calculation for NOG, we find:

NOG n

Finally we want to calculate the volumetric overall mass

transfer coefficient Kya. We know that:

HOG

Solving for Kya, we find:

A ln A
A 1

H
G

NOG K y a

Kya

G NOG
H

4. Stripping: Mass transfer approach (HTU, NTU)

L, x2
Now we want to focus on a stripping problem, which is
usually presented as follows. There is a polluted liquid
stream coming out from a process. The pollutant must be
recovered in order to clean the liquid.

G, y2

Process
z=H

T, p
First, we need a material balance around the
green, upper envelope of the column. It is the
operating line, going through the point (x1,y1):

Gy1 Lx Lx1 Gy
y

L
x x1 y1
G

z=0
(1)

Then we need the equilibrium condition:

x*

y
m

( 2)

G, y1

L, x1

We can now draw the equilibrium and operating

line into the diagram. From the operating line
with the largest slope (L/G)max, we can get (L/G)
with the known formula:
L 1 L

G f G

y
L
G

y2

f (1.2 , 2 )

y* = m x

max

L

G

max

y1

INliq OUTliq OUTmass transfer

S L x( z z ) S L x( z ) N a S z

mol
s

The flux N involves the overall liquid-phase

coefficient Kx and the driving force (x-x*):
N Kx x x *

x2

x1

As a third equation, we need a mass transfer rate

equation. We take a small slice of the column. The
material balance over the liquid side of this slice gives:

z z

N
z

Dividing the mass transfer rate equation by S

and z, we get:
We let z 0 and introduce the definition of N:

Separating variables and integration gives:

x( z z ) x( z )
N a
z

dx
K x a x x *
dz

L
H dz
K xa
0

x2

The term NOL is called the overall Number of Transfer

Units (NTU) based on the liquid phase.

HOL

x1

NOL

L
K xa
x2

dx

x x*

x1

dx

x x*

HOL

The term HOL is called the overall Height of a Transfer

Unit (HTU) based on the liquid phase.

( 3)

NOL

We already know the fraction of stripping :

amount stripped
x x1
2
max amount strippable x 2 x1

Furthermore, we know the stripping factor S:

mG
L

1 S 1 x 2 x1
S

ln

S 1 S
S x1 x1

The solution of the integral of NOL can be found if

one proceeds exactly as in the case of absorption:

NOL

Finally, after some transformations, we find:

NOL

S
1 S
ln

S 1 1