ABSORPTION

COLUMNS
Presented by
ANSHIKA JAIN-70700007
GEETINDER PUNIA-707000017
ASHIMA KANGO-70700011
BHUMIKA NATH-70700013

ABSORPTION
COLUMN IN
INDUSTRY
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION
PACKING MATERIALS
DESIGN
WORKING
APPLICATIONS


ABSORPTION
The removal of one or more selected components from
a mixture of gases is called absorption.
In any mixture of gases, the degree to which each gas is
absorbed is determined by its partial pressure. Example
a slightly soluble gas like oxygen requires a much
higher partial pressure of the gas in contact with the
liquid to give a solution of a given concentration.
Also solubility of a gas is inversely proportional to the
temperature of the gas. Temperature should be
sufficiently low for adequate degree of absorption.
GAS-LIQUID ABSORPTION
An example of the
liquid gas system is an
absorption process
where a soluble gas is
scrubbed from a
mixture of gases by
means of a liquid.

Liquid
in
Liquid out
Gas
in
Gas out
Packed bed
Packing
support
Distribu
tor hold
down
plate
ABSORPTION
COLUMNS
Absorption columns or towers
are commonly used for gas
absorption. A soluble vapor is
absorbed from its mixture
with an inert gas by means of
a liquid in which the solute gas
is more or less soluble.

An overview
Cylindrical column with a gas inlet and distributing space at
the bottom.
A liquid inlet and distributor at the top.
Gas and liquid outlets at the top and bottom respectively.
Column packing to ensure intimate contact between the liquid
and the gas.
Packing support to give strength .




Basic Design
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION
The shell of the column may be constructed from
metals,ceramics,glass or plastics materials, or
from metals with a corrosion-resistant lining.
The column should be mounted truly vertically to
help uniform liquid distribution.
The bed of packing rests on a support plate which
should be designed to have at least 75% free
area for the passage of the gas so as to offer as
low a resistance as possible.




The simplest support is a grid with relatively
widely spaced bars on which a few layers of
large raschig or partition rings are stacked.

The gas injection plate
The gas injection plate is
designed to provide
separate passageways for
gas and liquid so that they
need not compete for
passage through the
same opening. this is
achieved by providing the
gas inlets to the bed at a
point above the level at
which liquid leaves the
bed.
The gas injection plate
THE GAS INJECTION PLATE
THE GAS INJECTION PLATE
LIQUID
GAS
GAS INJECTION
PLATE
GAS IS
DISTRUBUTED
DIRECTLY INTO
PACKED BED
Distributor
At the top of a packed bed a liquid distributor
of suitable design provides for the uniform
irrigation of the packing which is necessary for
satisfactory operation.




SIMPLE ORIFICE TYPE
NOTCHED TYPE
PERFORATED RING NOTCHED TROUGH
DISTRIBUTORS
Simple orifice type
A simple orifice type
which gives fine
distribution through it
must be correctly sized
for a particular duty
and should not be used
where there is any risk
of the holes plugging.
Simple orifice type
Perforated ring type
The perforated ring type of
distributor for use with
absorption columns where
high gas rates and relatively
small liquid rates are
encountered. this type is
specially designed where
pressure losses is
minimun.For the larger size
of tower, where installation
through manholes is
necessary,it may be made
up in flanged sections.
Notched chimney type
Notched chimney type
The notched chimney
type of
distributor,which has a
good range of flexibility
for the medium and
upper flowrates,and is
not prone to blockage.

Notched trough distributor
The notched trough distributor which is
specially suitable for large sizes of tower, and,
because of its large free area, it is also suitable
for the higher gas rates.
Requirements of packing
Provide a large surface area-for better contact
Have an open structure- for low resistance to
gas flow
Promote uniform liquid distribution on the
packing material
Promote uniform vapor gas flow across the
column cross section
TYPES
OF
PACKING
DUMPED
STACKED
STRUCTURED
RANDOM
PACKING
STACKED DUMPED
Those which
are stacked by
hand
Those which
are dumped
at random
into the tower
RANDOM PACKING
Random packing
rings, saddles and
proprietary shapes,
which are dumped into
the column

Metal saddles
are durable
Ceramic saddles
Resistance to heat

Resistance to abrasion

High mechanical strength
Berl saddles
perform better as
compared to Raschig
rings in the aspects
of
even fluid
distribution and low
resistance
Plastic saddles
used in acidic as
well as alkaline
media
Pall rings
are improved
Raschig rings

Provide higher
capacity

Provide lower
pressure drop

Ceramic honeycombs

low thermal expansion
high heat shock
resistance
anti oxidation
large specific area
corrosion resistance
Plastic pall rings Raschig rings
Reduce pressure
drop

Maintain
economy
and efficiency
Ceramic ball
Adequate
mechanical strength
good thermal and
chemical stability
larger surface area
low resistance
Structured Packing
Made up from wire mesh or
perforated metal sheets
Material is folded and
arranged with a regular
geometry
Have a high surface area
Have high void fraction


lower pressure drop

used for difficult
separations

higher efficiency
ADVANTAGES OVER
RANDOM PACKING
WORKING PRINCIPLE
Air pass through openings
on trays from the lower part
of the tray at the certain
velocity and enter up comer,
liquid also enter up comer
through space between trays
and up comer to become
membrane. Gas and liquid
co-current ascend, at the
same time they contact on
the surface of liquid
membrane.

Then they enter packing
and liquid is cracked on
the surface of packing to
contact air furthermore.
Vapor which comes
from packing enter
upper packing, but
liquid enter lower tray
to continue contacting
and separating.
Working
The inlet liquid, which maybe a pure solvent
or a dilute solution of solute in the solvent and
which is called the weak liquor, is distributed
over the packings uniformly by the
distributors.
The solute containing gas, or rich gas enters
the distributing space below the packing and
flows upwards through the spaces in the
packing in the counter current to the flow of
the liquid.


CONTD
The packing provides a large area of contact
between the liquid and gas.
The solute in the rich gas is absorbed by the
fresh liquid entering the tower, and dilute or
lean, gas leaves the top.
The liquid is enriched in solute as it flows
down the tower, and concentrated liquid,
called the strong liquor, leaves the bottom of
the tower through the liquid outlet.
SIMPLE FLOW CHART OF
WORKING OF ABSORPTION
COLUMN
LIQUID
SOLVENT
ENTERS
FROM TOP
GAS
MIXTURE
ENTERS
FROM
BOTTOM
LIQUID
DESCENSDE
S AND GAS
ASCENDS IN
THE
COLUMN
LIQUID
GETS
DISTRIBUTD
THROUGH
DISTRIBUTI
ON PLATE
ON TOP
GAS IS
INJECTED
THROUGH
GAS
INJECTION
PLATE
BOTH START
TRICKLING
IN
PACKED BED
INTERACTION
BETWEEN
LIQUID AND
GAS IN
COLUMN
IMPURITY
GETS
ABSORBED
IN LIQUID
VARIOUS FACTORS
AFFECTING DESIGN
& WORKING OF
ABSORPTION COLUMNS
MATERIAL BALANCE
One of the very
important factors
governing design of
absorption column
design and working is
the gas-liquid ratio.
The L/G ratio is important in the economics of
absorption in a counter current column

Increasing the ratio increases the driving force
but it gives a diluted product thus increasing
the cost of stripping or recovery of solvent

SOME BASIC TERMS
LIQUID HOLD-UP:-
When a liquid flows
through a bed, a part
of the open space is
occupied by the liquid,this
is called liquid hold-up.
LOADING POINT:-
When the gas rate is
increased at a constant
velocity up to a certain
point liquid hold up
increase up to point called
loading point.


FLOODING POINT:-If
the gas flow rate is further
increased ,the liquid
accumulation rate
increases very sharply.
Liquid accumulates more
in the upper region of the
bed almost preventing the
flow of gas. this
phenomenon is called
flooding
Effect of Pressure
Absorption columns are often operated under
pressure to give increased capacity and higher
rates of mass transfer.


Gas flow is turbulent, and up to a certain point
it varies with volumetric flow rate as uG
1.8


1
2
3
4
y
x
x
y
Gas velocity
Pressure
drop
Curve one represents the dry gas flow
rate
Curve two represents the wet gas flow
rate
Curve three represents low liquid rate
Curve four represents high liquid rate
But as the liquid hold up starts
increasing,up to a certain point X called
the loading point pressure drop rises more
steeply as uG
2.5
up to a certain point Y
called flooding point after which the
curve rises vertically. Absorption
columns generally operate in range X to
Y.

EFFECT OF TEMPRATURE
Generally absorbers deal with dilute gas
mixtures and liquids, and in those cases its
frequently satisfactory to assume operation
isothermal.
But actually absorption operations are usually
exothermic, and when large quantities of
solute gas are absorbed to form concentrated
solutions, the temperature effects cant be
ignored

If by absorption the temperature of the liquid is
raised to a considerable effect, the equilibrium
solubility of the solute will be appreciably
reduced and the capacity of the absorber
decreased or else much large flow rate of liquid is
required.
If the heat evolved is excessive, cooling coils can
be installed in the absorber or the liquid can be
removed at intervals, cooled and returned to the
absorber.
Contd
ABSORPTION WITH CHEMICAL
REACTION
Reaction of the absorbed solute and a reagent
leads to destruction of absorbed solute as it
forms a compound reducing the equilibrium
partial pressure of the solute, consequently
increasing the concentration difference
between the bulk gas and the interface; and the
absorption rate is also increased.
CHOICE OF SOLVENT FOR
ABSORPTION
CONSIDERATIONS:-
a)PURPOSE OF ABSORPTION:-
If the principal purpose of absorption is to
produce a specific solution then the nature of
solvent is determined by the nature of
product or if the principal purpose is to
remove some constituent from the gas, many
choices are possible
b)GAS SOLUBILITY:-
The gas solubility should be high, thus
increasing the rate of absorption and
decreasing the quantity of solvent required.
Generally solvents of chemical nature similar
to that of solute to be absorbed will provide
good stability.
c) VOLATILITY:-
The solvent should have low vapor pressure
since the gas leaving an absorption operation
is ordinarily saturated with the solvent and
much may thereby be lost.
d) VISCOSITY:-
Low viscosity is preferred for reasons of rapid
absorption rates, improved flooding
characteristics in absorption towers.
e) MISCELLANEOUS:-
The solvent if possible should be non-toxic,
non-flammable, chemically stable, non-
corrosive and economical.


APPLICATIONS
The absorption process is most commonly
applied to post-combustion capture.
In post-combustion systems, the flue gas needs
to be cooled and impurities removed so that
the solvent can efficiently be reused.

The flue gases containing CO2 and N2 are then
fed into the absorber tower. The flue gas
comes into the bottom of the tower while the
solvent is fed into the top of the tower. The
flue gas flows up through the packing in the
tower, making contact with the solvent as it
falls down. The CO2 is absorbed by the solvent
as the flue gas rises so that the gas that comes
out of the top of the tower contains very little
CO2.
The solvent, with dissolved CO2, is then
removed from the chamber. The N2 is released
as it is not absorbed in the solvent. The
recovery of CO2 from the solvent is called
desorption. The usual parameter for recovery
of CO2 from the solvent is temperature
change. Other parameters include pressure
changes and the use of membranes with
solvents.
For recovery, where absorption is most
important criteria; packed bed provides
maximum surface area.
In immobilized bio reactor catalyst is being
immobilized by packed bed, substrate is
converted into product when substrate is in
contact with surface area, after sometime we
get steady state, constant product is formed
continuously.
REFRENCES
Coulson & Richardsons CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING
VOLUME 6 by R K Sinnott
Article 11.14
UNIT OPERATIONS OF CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING by Warren L.McCabe,Julian
C.Smith,Peter Harriott
Chapter 18 Gas Absorption






CONTD.
www.google.co.in
www.chereresources.com
www.yahoo.com
http://www.itoms.com/packed_beds_flow_m
easurement_bubble_columns
www.co2crc.co.au
MASS-TRANSFER OPERATIONS by Robert
E.treybal chapter 8
Contd..
Coulson & Richardsons CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING VOLUME 2
by J F Richardson & J R Backhurst
chapter 4 and chapter 12

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