Determine the diameter and packed height of a countercurrently operated packed tower required

to recover 99% of the ammonia from a gas mixture that contains 6 mol% NH 3 in air. The tower,
packed with l-in. metal Pall rings, must handle 2,000 ft 3/min of gas as measured at 68oF and 1
atm. The entering water-absorbent rate will be twice the theoretical minimum, and the gas
velocity will be such that it is 50% of the flooding velocity. Assume isothermal operation at 68F
and 1 atm. Equilibrium data are given in Figure.

SOLUTION:
Entering gas rate is

Compute material balance. NH3 in entering gas = 0.06(312) = 18.72 lbmol/h

NH3 in exiting gas = 0.01(18.72) = 0.19 lbmol/h
Air in entering and exiting gas = V' = 312 - 18.72 = 293.28 lbmol/h
NH3 in exiting water = 18.72 - 0.19 = 18.53 lbmol/h
Therefore, Xin = 0.0

Yin = 18.72/293.28 = 0.06383

Yout = 0.19/293.28 = 0.000648

At the minimum water rate, the exiting liquid is in equilibrium with the entering gas.
From Fig, X*out = 0.072 for Yin = 0.06383. Therefore, L'min = 18.53/0.072 = 257 lbmol/h
Operating liquid rate = 2 times minimum = 2(257) = 514 lbmol/h

Now, compute column diameter using Fig. Corrections for liquid density and viscosity are
neglected. From the ideal gas law on the entering gas, with an average molecular weight = 28.3,
V =PM/RT = (1)(28.3)/(0.7302)(68+460) = 0.0734 lb/ft3
From Table 6.8, packing factor for 1-inch metal Pall rings = 56 ft2/ft3.
The abscissa in Fig. 6.36 is,

From Fig, Y = 0.18. Therefore,

Therefore, flooding velocity = uo = 9.4 ft/s

For 50% of flooding, f = 0.5
From Eq. (6-103),

Assume gas phase controls mass transfer rate. Then, from Eq. (6-89), lT = HOGNOG
From Eq. (6-93), for xin = 0, yin = 0.06, and yout = 0.00065,

For the absorption factor, A = L/KV. Take L = 514 lbmol/h. Take V = 312 lbmol/h.
From Fig, K = 0.82. Therefore, A = (514)/(0.82)((312) = 2.0
From Eq. (1),

Mass-transfer data for 2-inch metal Pall rings for the absorption of NH3 from air into water are
presented in Figs. In the solutions to Exercise 6.34, these data are fitted to the equation,

where the gas capacity factor = F = u V(V)0.5 = f uo (V)0.5 in kg1/2-s-1-m-1/2 and from the continuity
equation, uL = m/SL in m/s or m3/m2-s. Here, S = 3.14(3)2/4 = 7.07 ft2

For our case, F = (0.5)(9.4)(0.0734)0.5 = 1.27 lb1/2-s-1-ft-1/2 or 3.10 kg1/2-s-1-m-1/2 and uL = [(532.5)
(18)/3,600)]/(7.07)(62.4) =0.006 ft/s = 0.00182 m3/m2-s
Substitution of these values into Eq. (3) gives, kGa = 43.4(3.10)0.7(0.00182)0.45 = 5.6 s-1
Note that this kGa is in concentration units for the driving force.
Therefore, from Table 6.7 by analogy to the liquid phase case,
HOG = HG = VMV/kGaSrV = (312/3,600)(28.3)/(5.6)(7.07)(0.0734) = 0.84 ft
Now, we must correct this value to 1-inch metal Pall rings.
From Table 6.8, using interpolation when necessary, we have the following characteristics:

From Eqs. (6-136) to (6-140), aPh/a is proportional to 1/2/a. Therefore,

From Eq. (6-133), if we ignore holdup in the term ( - hL), then,

Therefore,
This ratio should be about
the same for HOG.
Therefore, for the 1.5-inch rings, HOG = 0.84(1.03) = 0.87 ft.
From Eq. (2), column height = 7.7 (0.87) = 6.7 ft.