Parameters determination for column design in gas absorption systems

Abstract

Separation processes by means of mass transfer play a key role in chemical industry. Very often, a number of different components are present in streams from chemical reactors and some of them may be separated from the main stream for environmental reasons, for purification purposes, for commercialization, to be used in other chemical manufacturing process or even reused in the same process, to improve industrial performance, or for sale as a final product. Gas adsorption is one example of this separation process, where it is normally desired to separate a dilute component from a gas stream. In the present paper we studied packed columns by graphical and algebraic methods and determine the tower height using volumetric mass transfer coefficients, we analyze a gas stream that contains a defined amount of a gas, which concentration decreases after being in contact to a packed absorption tower, and model this process by mass balance taking into consideration volumetric mass transfer coefficients, operating line and equilibrium line of the process. The model allows us finally to understand the variation of height column with column diameter, which is particularly useful for the design of absorption columns as it requires the determination of these parameters. © 2019, World Scientific and Engineering Academy and Society. All rights reserved.