University of Basra For Oil and Gas

Chemical and Refining Department

Name of student : Barakat Khalid Ismail

Number of student :(3)

Name of experiment : ((Absorption Flooding))

Number of experiment : ( 2 )

Date of experiment : 7 \ 12\ 2017

Group : (A)
INTRODUCTION

Packed columns are used in chemical industry to absorb a gas from

a mixture of gases or strip a volatile substance from a liquid. The
columns are, usually, countercurrent gas-liquid contactors in which
gas flows upward and liquid downward. To provide large
interfacial area for mass transfer between gas and liquid, the
columns are filled with packing.
Design of the column involves estimation of diameter of the
column and height of the packing required for specified separation.
The diameter is determined from flooding characteristics of the
column and, the height is found from mass transfer characteristics
of the packing and the gas-liquid system.
Flooding depends on pressure drop across the column, it being
higher at the bottom and lower at the top to allow the gas to flow
upward. The gas flow is usually turbulent and in a dry column, the
pressure drop rises with gas flow with an exponent of 1.8 to 2.0 - a
typical feature of turbulent flow. The pressure drop rises with an
increasing flow of liquid because liquid fills up the column and the
space for gas flow is reduced.
Up to the loading point, the pressure drop follows the same relation
as in dry run. Beyond the loading point, the pressure drop rises
rapidly with gas flow and the liquid hold up in the column also
rises. Eventually, at the flooding point, the pressure drop rises
drastically and the liquid may splash back from the column. The
gas velocity corresponding to the flooding point is called flooding
velocity and the column is operated at some fraction of this
velocity, say 60%.
Tower height is determined by packing characteristics, namely,
interfacial area, mass transfer coefficient of the gas-liquid system
and extent of separation. Refer to Cussler (1984) for derivation of
governing equation for tower height.
Objectives
1. Study hydrodynamic characteristics of packed columns.
2. Determine flooding characteristics of columns with three
different packing.
3. Estimate mass transfer coefficient for absorption of ammonia
into water.

Flooding
First, study dry-run pressure drop by flowing only air through
one of the columns. Set air flow at 10 LPM
and work your way up by raising it in increments of 10 LPM.
Record the pressure drop for all air flows.
Then, allow liquid to flow into the column and measure the
pressure drop for increasing flow rates of gas.
Use five different liquid flows starting from about 1.5 - 5 LPM.
For each liquid flow, raise the gas flow slowly
in increments of 10 LPM and record pressure drops. Repeat the
above procedure for the other two packings.
Mass transfer

The packed height of the columns is one meter. From the

equation given below, find HTU and then mass
transfer coefficient for air/ammonia mixture and water system.
Use mass balance to estimate gas phase
concentration of ammonia in the outlet.
Amount of the liquid flood in the top of column with increasing
pressure drop due to
accumulation of liquid in side packed column

flooding in packed column

Experiment Procedure

1- passing the maximum air flow until all evidence of moisture

in the packing has disappeared.
2- run on the pump of air .
3- pressure differential cross the column was readied At ( 0 )
flow of air.
4- flow rate of air was increased (20 L/min) , and the pressure
differential
cross the column was readied. This step rebated until 160 L/min
air flow was
reached.
5- Take care about loading and flooding cause the water maybe
come out from the top of the column.

Safety & precaution

1. Place the apparatus on opened air laboratory or good
ventilation area.
2. The gas stream incoming valve (W) must always be
fully closed unless there is air/gas flow in the stream line.
3. Do not leave water in the column without air/gas flow.
Water will flood the CO2 sensor and damage the sensor if
the gas stream incoming valve (W) is opened.
4. Do not regulate the CO2 flow rate for more than 10
SCFH as too much of CO2 is harmful to human.
5. Do not leave any pressure in the air/gas stream line
after shut down.
6. Do not regulate the water flow rate for more than 3
GPM.
7. Be careful when regulating the CO2 regulator (B).
Please report to instructor if there is any CO2 leakage.
8. No body part should touch any rotating part of the air
compressor.
9. The compressor air should not exceed 8.5 bar. Any
pressure exceeded 8.5 bar, please shut off the air
compressor immediately.
10. Do not start the water pump if there is no water in the
water tank.
11. Do not start the water pump with the by-pass valve (Y)
is fully closed.
12. Do not impact the glass column.
13. Shut off the water pump immediately when the water
level in the column reached the

highest point on the glass column.

14. Shut off the water pump immediately if there is any
water leakage.
15. Shut off the CO2 gas supply immediately if there is
any gas leakage
DISCUSSION
Based on the result, it shows that there is two type of table to
be determined which are the constant air flow rate and the
constant water flow rate table. For the constant water flow
rate table, the time that be taken for this experiment is about 8
minutes, while for the constant air flow rate table, the time
that be taken for this experiment is about 5 minutes. Based on
the result table, the air flow rate (SCFM) for constant water
flow rate is increasing compared to the constant air flow rate
which is constant. But, for the next table column, its shows that
the water flow rate (LPM) for constant water flow rate table is
constant, while the water flow rate (LPM) for constant air flow
rate table is increasing. The reading for both tables is taken for
making a graph. Based on the graph, the constant water flow
rate graph shows that the line is fluctuated which is sometimes
increase and decrease while for the constant air flow rate
graph shows that the line is linear which is increasing from
starting until to the end of the experiment.