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Software development for designing gas

adsorption processes

Article · December 2017

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Masood Sheikh Alivand Morteza Faghihi

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Software development for designing
gas adsorption processes
M. S. ALIVAND, M. FAGHIHI and S. MIRIAN, Nitel Pars Co. (Fateh Group), Tehran, Iran;
and S. SADIGHI, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, Catalysis Research Division, Tehran, Iran
Adsorption in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries is
used for separation and purification of different gas and liq-
uid streams. However, the lack of a suitable design process for
adsorption columns remains an engineering challenge. Some
scientific references offer rules of thumb for designing cyclic
adsorption columns, but a reliable procedure based on exact
correlations (i.e., one based on the extraction of experimental
data and computational fluid dynamics simulations) has been
implemented by only a few companies.
The development of software to calculate vessel specifica-
N
tions (i.e., bed dimensions, vessel and cap traits, and adsorbent
I
weight) and process definitions (i.e., bed configuration, regen-
eration flowrate, allowable superficial velocity, pressure drop,
time of adsorption, heating, cooling and standby) is needed.
F
Toward this end, Manning and Thompson1 developed a new
method for the regeneration process, proving that the corre-
lation can be used successfully with high precision. Kohl and
sion
Nielsen2 investigated the mechanism of adsorption and pres-
s
rmi
sure drop correlations for different types of adsorbents (bead
e
outp
and pellet), based on experimental studies. Kidnay and Parrish3
h
studied different adsorption processes and suitable regenera-
d wit
tion conditions. Kidnay and Parrish also studied phenomena
ite
that can affect the adsorption process, including inlet and re-
ib
h
generation gas specifications, regeneration flow direction, cool-
pro
ing ramp-up and carbonyl sulfide (COS) formation.
tion
Furthermore, Mokhatab and Poe4 gathered the first com-
u
trib
plete procedures for adsorption vessel design and investigated
is
the effects of design parameters on different facets of the ad-
D quality of manufactured adsorbents. The type of adsorbent can
sorption cycle. Stewart and Arnold5 proposed new methods for
estimating the maximum allowable superficial velocity to calcu-
late bed dimension and optimum operating conditions. Stewart
and Arnold also improved upon earlier design procedures.
In this work, a professional, in-house software program for
designing adsorption processes in gas services is introduced. Us-
ing this adsorption design software (ADS), the feasibility, reli-
ability, energy consumption and initial investment cost of each
design can be analyzed. Moreover, the ADS can be used to pre-
dict optimized design parameters and analyze experimental data.
It is reliable for a variety of gas services, including dehydration,
desulfurization, mercaptan and mercury removal, and others.
Three case studies are presented for evaluating the software.
In these studies, data gathered from commercial units are com-
pared with the ADS results. Based on these comparisons, the
software suggests new and modified values for the adsorption
bed dimensions and regeneration conditions to save energy, in-
SPECIAL FOCUS: PLANT DESIGN,
AUTOMATION AND PROCESS CONTROL
crease the lifetime of the beds and adsorbents, reduce capital
costs and optimize operating variables, such as superficial ve-
L
locity and pressure drop. The ADS can also be used in design
projects to improve the efficiency of the adsorption process and
to optimize process variables after changing the adsorbent type.
A
ADS design procedure. The design of the adsorption bed is
carried out in 10 steps, as detailed in the following sections.
Step 1: Select bed configuration. Adsorption is a cyclic
process, and both adsorption and regeneration cycles are per-
formed in the vessels during the operation. Therefore, different
configurations exist for different adsorption beds. These con-
her
figurations can be related to various aspects, such as design cal-
lis
culation, economic constrains and energy consumption. Com-
pub
mon configuration types are presented in TABLE 1.
he
of t
Step 2: Select the cycle time. Different cycle times can be
selected for adsorption operation. However, periods of 8 hr, 12
hr, 16 hr, 18 hr, 20 hr, 22 hr and 24 hr are most common in in-
dustrial units (particularly 8 hr–12 hr). Longer adsorption pe-
riods lead to higher adsorption volumes and higher capital cost,
and result in lower energy consumption at the regeneration step
and longer adsorbent cycle lifetime.6
Step 3: Estimate dynamic adsorption capacity (DAC).
DAC is one of the most important factors to be correctly esti-
mated in any design procedure. It is defined as the proportion
of adsorbed impurity weight to adsorbent weight. The DAC
value is dependent on the adsorbent type and the impurity and
be chosen based on the specifications for inlet and outlet gases,
operating temperature (T), economy, lifetime and the amount
of non-reclaimable components.
Usually, DAC is reported at 25°C and 100% relative humid-
ity (RH). If the adsorption conditions change, then relevant
correlations should be used to determine DAC at the desired
conditions. This factor is calculated as shown in Eqs. 1–3:
TABLE 1. Common adsorption configurations
No. of No. of vessels in No. of vessels in No. of
configurations adsorption mode regeneration mode all vessels
1 1 1 2
2 2 1 3
3 3 1 4
4 3 2 5
5 3 3 6
Gas Processing | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 21
SPECIAL FOCUS: PLANT DESIGN, AUTOMATION AND PROCESS CONTROL

SCF = 0.0834 Ln × (Saturation %) + 0.6316

(1) ⎛ 1.5 × 10−3 (1− ε )2 ⎞
Saturation < 80% ⎜ µυ g + ⎟
∆P
= −⎜
(7)
( DAdsψ ) ε
2 3
⎟
TCF = –0.0047 T(C) + 1.1109 T > 25°C (2) H ⎜ −5 (1− ε ) 2
⎟
⎜ 1.75 × 10 ρ g 3 υg ⎟
DAC = SCF × TCF × DAC(25°C, Saturation = 100%)(3) ⎝ DAdsψ ε ⎠
where:
In Eqs. 1–3, SCF and TCF are saturation and temperature ∆P = Pressure drop
correction factors, respectively. DAC may be reduced to 30%– µ = Viscosity of gas stream
40% during 3 yr–5 yr of operation.3 The drop of this factor υg = Superficial velocity of the gas stream
depends mainly on parameters such as adsorbent type, adsorp- ε = Void fraction throughout the vessel
tion and regeneration temperature, RH of feed and specifica- ψ = Shape factor.
tions of the regeneration gas.2 DAC loss is very high at the ini- For the bead-shaped adsorbents, the latter is equal to 1.

L
tial cycles and would be constant at the final cycles. Moreover, Step 8: Check dimensions and conditions. After calcu-
impurities such as amines, glycols and heavy hydrocarbons lating the bed dimensions, four criteria should be checked ac-
reduce DAC values, since regeneration cannot be carried out cording to the values presented in TABLE 2. Usually, the ratio of

for these elements.7
Step 4: Determine maximum allowable superficial ve-
locity. This step is the first and main part of the calculation
for specifying the dimension of an adsorption column. Usually,
A
height to diameter (H:D) of the vessel, which is related to the
lower diameter or lower cycle time, should not exceed 5. Ac-
cording to Eq. 7, if the superficial velocity increases, then the
total pressure drop also increases. However, it is possible that

N
designers try to keep the superficial velocity at the maximum superficial velocity is in the acceptable range and that pressure

I
allowable value at a constant flowrate. Higher superficial veloc- is higher than expected, or vice versa; therefore, each of these

her
ity leads to higher adsorption capacity, higher cycle time, lower parameters should be adjusted individually.
mass transfer resistance, lower mass transfer zone and higher
is
If one or more of the variables presented in TABLE 2 are not
l
ub

F
heat transfer rate. within the acceptable range, then the following steps should
e p
f th
For higher superficial velocity, higher column height is be taken:
needed to compensate for the lack of contact time through the
o
1. Go back to Step 5 of the ADS design procedure
vessel. This parameter can be calculated as shown in Eq. 4:
ission
and decrease the superficial velocity, and then

rm
recalculate the remaining steps.
V = 20
(4)
DAds
pe
2. Go back to Step 2 of the ADS design procedure
ut
max
ρ
where:
g

it h o and decrease the cycle time, and then recalculate

the remaining steps. This correction can be useful
V = Maximum allowable superficial velocityd w
ite
max when superficial velocity is acceptable, and when
D = adsorbent diameter
h i b pressure drop and H:D are rejected.
ro and temperature.
Ads
ρ = Gas density.
g
n ppressure 3. Go back to Step 1 of the ADS design procedure
o diameter. After calculating the
ticolumn
The latter strongly depends
u
on and reduce the number of adsorption beds without
ib
Step 5: Determine
r
changing the regeneration bed number (except
maximum
the D istallowable
corresponding
superficial velocity, it is possible to define
minimum column diameter, which can be
for configurations No. 4 and No. 5). Then, justify
the superficial velocity throughout the vessel.
considered as an appropriate initial guess,3,6 as shown in Eq. 5: Using the proposed approaches, various options can be con-
sidered with different cycle times and bed configurations. Here,
4F
Dmin =
(5) the selection of the best case should be made by the engineers
3600πρ g Vmax considering optimum conditions, such as available space, energy
where: consumption and capital cost.
Dmin = Minimum allowable vessel diameter Step 9: Calculate vessel properties. The related correla-
F = Mass flowrate of gas. tions for the calculation of thickness and weight of the vessel are
Step 6: Calculate bed height. The bed height can be calcu- shown in Eqs. 8–10. The corrosion allowance (CA) for the ves-
lated as shown in Eq. 6: sel is usually considered between 2 mm and 3 mm, according
400 × F × Ci × CT to the vessel material, operating pressure and temperature, and
H=
(6) the presence of different corrosive ingredients in the gas stream.
DAC × π × D2 × ρ Ads
Wall thickness Weight
where: Pd D
H = Vessel height Shell: + CA πDave HTKρv(8)
Ci = Impurity concentration 2SE −1.2Pd
CT = Cycle time
Pd D
ρAds = Adsorbent density 2:1 elliptical head: + CA 1.084Dave 2TKρv (9)
D = Vessel diameter. 2SE − 0.2Pd
Step 7: Calculate pressure drop. Pressure drop through-
Pd D
out the adsorption vessel can be calculated by using the Ergun Hemispherical head:
+ CA 1.57Dave 2TKρv(10)
equation, shown in Eq. 7: 4SE − 0.4Pd

22 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 | GasProcessingNews.com
 SPECIAL FOCUS: PLANT DESIGN, AUTOMATION AND PROCESS CONTROL

using heating and cooling heats and the flowrate of the re-
Note: Dave = Di + Do generation gas. Furthermore, defined constraints of pressure
2
where: drop and velocity should be checked according to the values
Pd = Design pressure is 10% more than the maximum presented in TABLE 3.
operating pressure
E = Joint efficiency, equal to 0.85 for the spot examined Software development. Designing an adsorption process
and 1 for 100% X-ray joints requires trial and error, which is time-consuming. The ADS
S = Allowable stress, equal to 1,300 bar for typical is programmed to find the optimum design for an adsorp-
carbon steel plates tion column. The software has a variety of options, including
TK = Vessel thickness. various cycle times and bed configurations. The implementa-
Step 10: Calculation of regeneration. The regeneration tion of the ADS is accomplished by coding Eqs. 1–20 into the
calculations of the ADS can be used for temperature swing ad- MATLAB software program developed by MathWorks, and

L
sorption (TSA). The required time for the regeneration is the then following the flowchart in FIG. 2.
sum of the heating and cooling times. Prior to calculating the FIG. 3 presents the graphical user interface (GUI) and input
time and flowrate of regeneration, the required heat should be data sheet for the ADS. Based on the described methodology,

estimated. The required heat is the sum of the heating to desorb
impurities (Q imp), heating of the adsorbent (Q ads), and heating
of the vessel (Q ves). All mentioned variables during intermedi-
ate heating are estimated using Eqs. 11–13, and all variables
A
the ADS introduces different configurations and cycle times in
which regeneration flowrate, superficial velocity and pressure
drop are estimated at their optimum values.
Furthermore, the ADS uses its database to compare the

N
during top heating are estimated using Eqs. 14–16: proposed designs with actual or commercial cases. The user

I
can select the regeneration step with or without intermediate
Q imp = mimpCp,imp (Tfh – Tin)(11)
her
heating, and also adjust the ramp-up for the heating and cool-
Q ads = madsCp,ads (Tfh – Tin)(12)
is
ing steps. One of the main advantages of the ADS is that the
l
ub

F
Q ves = mvesCp,ves (Tfh – Tin)(13)
Q imp = mimpCp,imp (Tth – Tfn)(14)
Q ads = madsCp,ads (Tth – Tfn)(15)
Q ves = mvesCp,ves (Tth – Tfn)(16)
user can view all of the specific calculations for different parts
e p
f th
(e.g., heat calculations); therefore, all results can be compared
o
and the best option can be chosen based on the situation and
i s sion
restrictions. FIG. 4 shows an output data sheet from the ADS

rm
results after the corresponding calculations were performed,
Moreover, heat of desorption (Q ) for adsorbed impurities
p e and FIG. 5 shows the optimum designs reported by the ADS.
ut
des
can be calculated as shown in Eq. 17:
h o
Q = m ∆H (17)
d wit TABLE 2. Conditions for adsorption vessel design
e
des imp des

where: ibi t
h Property ∆P:H ∆P V H:D
2,5,6 2,5,6 5

pr o
T = Inlet heating temperature
n
in Value 75 kPa/m 0.6 bar See Eq. 4 1 m/m–5 m/m
T = First heatingo
i temperature
t temperature
iburequired
fh
T = Top heating
∆H s
th
r
= tEnergy
Di considered equal to the latent heat of impurity
des for desorbing impurities TABLE 3. Acceptable conditions for regeneration gas 2,5

Property ∆P:H V
Q des = Required heat for desorption of impurities.
Value Max. 2.3 kPa/m Molecular sieve Other adsorbents
In commercial units, the adsorption column is usually in-
sulated; however, 10% of total required heat for regeneration 0.025–0.041 0.01–0.015
is considered as heating loss. The regeneration heat (Q calc) is
calculated as shown in Eq. 18:
Q calc = (Q imp + Q des + Q ads + Q ves) × 1.1 (18) Second heating
T4
T3 Outlet gas
In real cases, the actual regeneration heat (Q act) is more
Inlet gas
than Q calc , due to the difference between the inlet and outlet
regeneration gas temperatures (FIG. 1).
Temperature, °C

The Q act values for the first and second heating steps are cal-
culated using Eqs. 19 and 20, respectively: First heating
T2
(19) T −T ⎛ T −T ⎞ T1
Q act(1st heating) = Q calc × 2 0 Ln ⎜ 2 0 ⎟
T1 −T0 ⎝ T2 −T1 ⎠

T −T ⎛ T −T ⎞
Q act(2nd heating) = Q calc × 4 0 Ln ⎜ 4 0 ⎟ T0
(20) T3 −T0 ⎝ T4 −T3 ⎠
Regeneration time
In the cooling step, the heat is required only for adsor-
FIG. 1. Temperature variations during the regeneration step.
bents and vessels, and the regeneration time is estimated
Gas Processing | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 23
SPECIAL FOCUS: PLANT DESIGN, AUTOMATION AND PROCESS CONTROL

Case Study 1: Natural gas dehydration. The gas dehydra-
tion plant in this study is installed before the NGL fractionation
unit. The presence of a negligible amount of water (i.e., more
than 0.1 ppmv) at the gas stream leads to hydrate formation and
cold box blockage. A 3A molecular sieve is used to successfully
prevent CO2 and H2S accumulation at closed-loop cycles.
A regeneration process is performed with intermediate and
top heating. The regeneration temperature for 3A molecular
sieves is normally lower than the typical regeneration tempera-
Step 1
ture. In this case, intermediate heating (first level) and top heat-
ing (second level) are performed at 120°C and 230°C, respec-
tively. The properties of natural gas and used molecular sieves
are listed in TABLE 4.
The data presented in TABLE 4 are introduced on the input
variable sheet of the ADS. Results obtained from the software
are shown in TABLE 5. Note: According to closed-loop design,
7.5% of the feed stream is recycled to the inlet feed gas flowrate
(540,000 kg/hr).
TABLE 5 shows three scenarios recommended by the ADS. The
comparison between “Actual design” and the first scenario (“Soft-

L
Step 2 TABLE 4. Properties of natural gas and used 3A zeolite
Property Value
Step 3 Gas

A
Flowrate, kg/h 502,000
Step 4 Impurity content (H2O), ppmv/ppmwt 410/508
Temperature, °C 22

N
Step 5 Pressure, bar 69

I
Density, kg/m3 63.44
Step 6 Viscosity, Pascal-sec
isher 1.34e–5

ub790l

F
Adsorbent

e p
f th
Step 7 Bulk density, kg/m 3

DAC, wt/wt%
n o 8.3
Check parameters Not OK C , kJ/kg.K
P

Size, mm m
issio 0.96

er
with Table 2
2.5–5

ut
Void p 0.35
ho
wit
Step 8

ibited
roh
Step 9

p
ution
b
Not OK
i
Check parameters

is t r with Table 3

D OK

Finish

FIG. 2. Algorithm used for adsorption design.

FIG. 4. Output page from the ADS results.

FIG. 3. Input data sheet for the ADS. FIG. 5. Optimum designs reported by the ADS.

24 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 | GasProcessingNews.com
 SPECIAL FOCUS: PLANT DESIGN, AUTOMATION AND PROCESS CONTROL

ware design 1”) shows that the ADS proposes the same vessel di-
ameter as the optimum choice, but the column height is different
due to 20% over-design for the inventory of zeolite adsorbent.
The ADS also calculates a lower regeneration flow than the
actual scenario. In this case, which requires the prevention of
reflux, both heating stages are accomplished with low ramp-up;
therefore, to finish the regeneration process at a specific time, a
higher regeneration flowrate should be used.
Case Study 2: Hydrogen purification. The main duty of the
adsorption system in this refinery case is the purification of the
H2 stream before it enters the catalytic reactor. The presence of
ergy consumption in comparison to different types of zeolites
(i.e., top heating is accomplished with 205°C and a lower re-
generation flowrate). In this case, regeneration flow is part of
the feed flowrate with the same composition. At the end of the
cooling step, impurities are partially adsorbed, and they should
be included in calculations. The regeneration is then carried
out by both intermediate heating and top heating at 120°C and
205°C, respectively.
The data in TABLE 8 are used as input variables for the ADS.
Outputs are shown in TABLE 10. The results show that the ac-
tual cycle time is 6 hr, but the minimum cycle time reported
by the ADS is 8 hr. Due to the lower reported cycle time, the

L
water can create accelerated deactivation for the molecular sieve;
therefore, this unit was designed with a 4A molecular sieve as an
TABLE 6. Properties of natural gas feed and used 4A zeolite
adsorbent to remove water and small amounts of CO2 and H2S.

A
This adsorption system operates in an open-loop mode, mak- Property Value
ing regeneration feasible at lower pressure (8.8 bar). The regen- Gas
eration process includes a heating stage at 300°C. Specifications Flowrate, kg/hr 4,230
for the natural gas feed and loaded molecular sieve are listed in

N
Impurity content (H2O), ppmv/ppmwt 1,735/5,676
TABLE 6. The data are used as the input variables for the ADS, and
Temperature, °C 38

I
results obtained from the software are shown in TABLE 7.

her
In TABLE 7, three recommended scenarios by the ADS are rep- Pressure, bar 38.1
resented. “Software design 3” has a 24-hr cycle time, similar to Density, kg/m3
b l i s 8.037

u9.52e–5

F
the actual design. The ADS proposes the use of a vessel with a Viscosity, Pascal-sec
e p
f th
diameter of 1.4 m, while the actual design is a vessel with a di- Adsorbent
ameter of 1.8 m. The ADS shows that the adsorption operation
n o
Bulk density, kg/m
io 700
3
with the higher superficial velocity is allowable; therefore, the
regeneration flowrate and total amount of adsorbent can be de- DAC, wt/wt%
r m iss 9.8
creased to 5.44% and 1.75%, respectively.
ut pmme
C , kJ/kg.K
P 0.96

Case Study 3: Nitrogen dehydration. At this service, it ho Void

the
Size, 1.5–1.8

feed stream consists of mainly nitrogen (TABLE 8).dThewsignifi- 0.35

b iteat a moderate
cant impurity is water, which should be iremoved
level (maximum 50 ppmv). CO rshould h
o be partially removed. TABLE 7. Results of ADS for Case Study 2
p
ion according
2
Activated alumina is applied to the feed specifica-
u t Actual Software Software Software

trib The specifications of feed and loaded acti- Configuration

tions (high water concentration) and product requirements (no Property design design 1 design 2 design 3

vated is
deep dehydration).
Dalumina are represented in TABLE 9. 1+1 1+1 1+1 1+1
Cycle time, hr 24 18 20 24
One of the main advantages of this adsorbent is its low en-
Superficial velocity, m/s 0.06 0.1 0.1 0.1
∆P:L, kPa/m 1.78 7.3 7.3 7.3
TABLE 5. Results of ADS for Case Study 1
∆P, bar 0.06 0.3 0.33 0.4
Actual Software Software Software
Property design design 1 design 2 design 3 Regeneration flowrate, kg/hr 12,417 13,951.5 12,845.9 11,741.5

Configuration 2+1 2+1 2+1 2+1 Diameter, mm 1,800 1,400 1,400 1,400

Cycle time, hr 16 16 20 24 Height, mm 3,360 4,100 4,550 5,460

Superficial velocity, m/s 0.135 0.135 0.135 0.135 Total adsorbent weight, kg 11,970 8,820 9,800 11,760

∆P:L, kPa/m 7.1 6.9 6.9 6.9 Heating time, hr 10.76 5.15 6.87 10.32

∆P, bar 0.3 0.24 0.3 0.36 Cooling time, hr 1.24 0.85 1.13 1.68

Regeneration flowrate, kg/h 39,000 26,370 25,492 24,925 Total regeneration time, hr 12 6 8 12

Diameter, mm 3,500 3,500 3,500 3,500

Height, mm 4,200 3,500 4,350 5,220 TABLE 8. Feed composition in Case Study 3
Total adsorbent weight, kg 97,500 79,322 99,152 119,000 Component Composition
First heating time, hr 1.33 2.96 3.77 4.59 N2, mol% 81.26
Second heating time, hr 4.11 3.52 4.5 5.48 CO2, mol% 16.39
Cooling time, hr 2.16 0.79 0.99 1.2 O2, mol% 0.78
Total regeneration time, hr 7.62 7.27 9.26 11.27 H2O, mol% 1.57

Gas Processing | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 25

SPECIAL FOCUS: PLANT DESIGN, AUTOMATION AND PROCESS CONTROL

Ci Impurity concentration, ppmwt

TABLE 9. Specifications for feed and activated alumina Cp Specific heat of inlet gas, J/kg.K
Cp,imp Specific heat of impurities, J/kg.K
Property Value Cp,ads Specific heat of adsorbent, J/kg.K
Gas Cp,ves Specific heat of vessel, J/kg.K
CT Cycle time, hr
Flowrate, kg/hr 10,560 D Vessel diameter, m
Impurity content (H2O), ppmv/ppmwt 15,700/9,315 DAds Adsorbent diameter, m
Dmin Minimum vessel diameter, m
Temperature, °C 42 Dave Average diameter of vessel, m
E Joint efficiency
Pressure, barg 4 F Mass flowrate, kg/hr
Density, kg/m3 5.92 H Vessel height, m
P Operating pressure, bar
Viscosity, Pascal-sec 1.88e–5 Pd Design pressure, bar

L
Adsorbent Q des Heat of desorption, kJ
Q imp Heat of impurities, kJ
Bulk density, kg/m3 700 Q ads Heat of adsorbents, kJ
DAC, wt/wt% 13 Q ves Heat of vessel, kJ
Q act Actual regeneration heat, kJ

A
CP , kJ/kg.K 0.96 Q calc Calculated heat for regeneration, kJ
mimp Mass of impurities, kg
Size, mm 3–5 mads Mass of adsorbents, kg
Void 0.33 mves Mass of vessel, kg
S Allowable stress, bar

N
T Operating temperature, °C
Tfh First heating temperature, °C

I
TABLE 10. Results of the ADS for Case Study 3
Tth Top heating temperature, °C

her
Actual Software Software Software Tin Inlet temperature, °C
Property design design 1 design 2 design 3 TK
lis
Vessel or head thickness, m

ub

F
Vmax Maximum allowable superficial velocity, m/s
p
the
Configuration 1+1 1+1 1+1 2+1 ρAds Density of adsorbent, kg/m3
ρg Density of gas, kg/m3
Cycle time, hr 6 8 12 8
o
ε f Void fraction throughout the vessel

sion
Superficial velocity, m/s 0.13 0.143 0.143 0.22 μ Gas viscosity, Pascal-sec

is ψ Shape factor of adsorbent

rm
∆P:L, kPa/m 1.1 1.4 1.4 2.8 DAC Dynamic adsorption capacity
∆P, bar 0.025 0.038 0.057 0.11
t pe TCF Temperature correction factor

9,218 ou
SCF Saturation correction factor
Regeneration flowrate, kg/h 10,560 8,792 8,646
it h Dave Average vessel diameter, m
w1,200 Din Internal vessel diameter, m
ed
Diameter, mm 2,200 2,000 2,000
it4,100
Dout Outside vessel diameter, m
Height, mm
i b
2,300
h 18,160
2,750 3,820
Total adsorbent weight, kg 12,120 ro
LITERATURE CITED
p 12,107 9,078

ion0.85 3.2 4.82

Complete literature cited available online at GasProcessingNews.com.
First heating time, hr
Second heating i u t
b hr 4.17 4.2 6.34
1.56

i s trhr time, 2.05 MASOOD SHEIKH ALIVAND is a Simulation Expert and Process

D
Cooling time, 1 0.45 0.67
Total regeneration time, hr 6 7.83
energy consumption of TSA service is high, and it is rejected.
According to the results for “Software design 1” in TABLE 10, the
ADS proposes that the 2-m-diameter adsorption column has
a higher superficial velocity of up to 110%, which leads to the
higher pressure drop. Additionally, both the regeneration flow-
rate and the adsorbent inventory decrease considerably due to
the increase in superficial velocity.
Engineering Specialist at Nitel Pars Co. in Tehran, Iran, where
0.23 he has been working since September 2014. Mr. Alivand holds
11.83 3.83 a BSc degree in chemical engineering from Amirkabir University of
Technology (Tehran Polytechnic) and an MSc degree in chemical
engineering from Sharif University of Technology in Tehran.
MORTEZA FAGHIHI works at Nitel Pars Co. in Tehran, Iran.
He holds a BE degree in chemical engineering from Shiraz
University. He also holds an MS degree and a PhD in chemical
engineering (polymers) from Sharif University of Technology
in Tehran, Iran. During his studies, he performed four research
projects in the chemical engineering field and published
several scientific papers.

SADJAD MIRIAN is a Process Engineering Specialist at Nitel

Takeaway. In this study, a software for designing adsorption Pars Co. in Tehran, Iran, with more than 9 yr of experience in oil,
columns is presented. The ADS can be used to design various gas and petrochemicals. He holds an MS degree in chemical
adsorption processes, such as dehydration, desulfurization, mer- engineering from the University of Sistan and Baluchestan
captan removal, mercury removal and other services. in Zahedan, Iran. He has published several papers in national
and international journals and at conferences.
Case studies show that the ADS can be successfully applied
for the optimization of energy, capital costs and operating con- SEPEHR SADIGHI is an Assistant Professor in the Catalysis
ditions for an adsorption column. GP Research Division of the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry
in Tehran, where he has been teaching since 2012. He holds
NOMENCLATURE a PhD in control and process modeling from the University
∆Hdes Required energy for desorption, kJ/kg of Technology of Malaysia. He has more than 15 yr of experience
∆P Pressure drop, bar in reaction engineering, process modeling and adsorption
CA Corrosion allowance, m processes. He has published more than 120 papers.

26 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 | GasProcessingNews.com
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