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systems, thermal effects need to be taken into consideration, and isothermal condition
can no longer be assumed. However, in the CO2-air-water system in study, isothermal
condition is justified due to the low concentrations of CO2 (less than 5% in air).
The system is also assumed to be isobaric in order to readily establish a relationship
between the vapor and liquid mole fractions via Henrys law. This will enable the drawing
of an equilibrium line relating the solute mole ratios in the two phases for sizing
purposes. For the CO2-air-water system, the degree of freedom of the system is 3 (3
components 2 phases + 2). This means that temperature, pressure, and concentration
could be specified independently of one another, allowing a constant pressure to be
specified. This would not be possible in a system with fewer components, as the
pressure will depend on the specified temperature and concentration, resulting in nonisobaric operation.
Determination of minimum liquid flow rate
The Henry constant was calculated at 298 K to be 1640 atm. Using this constant, an equilibrium
curve of CO2 was plotted onto the graph of gas-phase CO2 mole ratio versus the liquid-phase
mole ratio. As expected for dilute systems, this equilibrium curve was a straight line. The
operating point of the top of the absorber was then located on the graph. Its liquid-phase mole
ratio is that of the incoming water, which is effectively zero as solute does not contain any CO2;
its gas-phase mole ratio is that of the exiting gas of 1% CO2 in mole fraction, or 1.01% in mole
ratio when converted.
The operating point of the bottom of the absorber was also located on the graph. Its gas-phase
mole ratio is that of the incoming at of 5% CO2 in mole fraction, or 5.26% in mole ratio. For
minimum solvent flow rate, the phases at the bottom of the absorber are in equilibrium.
Graphically, this means that the operating point at the bottom of the absorber will be the
intersection of the operating line and the equilibrium curve. Therefore, an operating line was
drawn such that it intersected the equilibrium curve at the 5.26% gas-phase mole ratio. The
liquid-phase mole ratio at this point was then read from the graph, and it was determined to be
approximately 3.1 x 10-5, or 31 ppm. It was also determined more accurately using Henrys law
to be 3.048 x 10-5.
From the coordinates of the two operation points, the slope of the operating line was determined
to be 1395. It represented the ratio of the minimum water flow rate to that of carrier gas i.e. air.
With a 100 L/min gas flow rate and a CO2 mole fraction of 95%, the air flow rate was 95 L/min.
Assuming ideal gas conditions, this translated to a molar flow rate of 3.88 mol/min. The
minimum water flow rate was then determined to be 5419 mol/min by multiplying the molar air
flow rate with the slope of the operating line.
YCO2 vs XCO2
0.06
y = 1395.5x + 0.0101
0.05
YCO2
0.04
0.03
0.02
0.01
0
0
0.000005
0.00001
0.000015
0.00002
0.000025
0.00003
0.000035
XCO2
Equilibrium line
Figure ???: Plot of gas-phase mole ratio against liquid-phase mole ratio of CO2.