Packed absorption and stripping columns

Prof. Dr. Marco Mazzotti - Institut für Verfahrenstechnik

1. HETP - approach

Packed columns are continuous contacting devices that do not have the physically
distinguishable stages found in trayed columns.

In practice, packed columns are often analyzed on the basis of equivalent

equilibrium stages using a Height Equivalent to a Theoretical Plate (HETP):

packed height
HETP 
number of equivalent equilibriu m stages

Knowing the value of the HETP and the theoretical number of stages n of a
trayed column, we can easily calculate the height H of the column :

H  n HETP

The HETP concept, unfortunately, has no theoretical basis. HETP values can only
be calculated using experimental data from laboratory or commercial-size columns.
2. Absorption: Mass transfer approach (HTU, NTU)
y2< y spec
For packed columns, it is preferable to determine packed
height from a more theoretically based method using
mass transfer coefficients.

G, y2 L, x2
The absorption problem is usually presented as follows.
There is a polluted gas stream coming out from a
process. The pollutant must be recovered in order to z=H
clean the gas.

At the bottom and the top of the column, the T, p

compositions of the entering and leaving streams
are:
( x1 , y1 ) ( x2 , y 2 )

y x
Furthermore, we introduce the coordinate z, which
describes the height of the column.
z=0

G, y1 L, x1
The green, upper envelope is needed for the Process
operating line of the absorption column.
First, we need a material balance around the
green, upper envelope of the column. It is the L
operating line, going through the point (x2,y2): y G

Lx  Gy 2  Lx 2  Gy
y1 y* = m x
Lmin
L
y   x  x2   y 2 (1) G
G

Then we need the equilibrium condition:

y*  m x ( 2) y2

x2 x1 x

We can now draw the equilibrium and operating

line into the diagram. From the operating line
with the smallest slope (Lmin/G), we can get (L/G)
with the known formula:

L L
f    f (1 , 2 )
G  G  min
As a third equation, we need a mass transfer rate equation.
We take a small slice of the column. The material balance L
over the “gas side” of this slice gives: G
z  z
N
INgas  OUTgas  OUTmass transfer
 mol 
S G y ( z )  S G y ( z  z )  N a S z  s  z
 
L
G
S is the cross-sectional area of the tower. Please note that N, G
and L are defined as fluxes and not as molar flow rates [mol/s]:

G
molar flowrate
G   mol 
2 
column sec tion S  cm s 

mass transfer surface  2


a  a   cm 3 
volume of the column  cm 

Determination of the packed height of a column most commonly involves the

overall gas-phase coefficient Ky because the liquid usually has a strong
affinity for the solute. Its driving force is the mole fraction difference (y-y*):

N  Ky  y  y *   N    mol2

 cm s 
 y ( z  z )  y ( z )
Dividing the mass transfer rate equation by S Na G
z
and z, we get:

Because we want a differential height of the dy

Na G
slice, we let z  0. dz

dy
Introducing the definition of N: G  K y a y  y *  ( 3)
dz

H y2
Separating variables and integration gives: G dy
H   dz   
0 y1
Kya  y  y * 

H y1
Taking constant terms out of the integral and G dy
H   dz   y  y *
changing the integration limits: Kya
0 y2

HOG NOG

The right-hand side can be written as the H  HOG NOG

product of the two terms HOG and NOG:
The term HOG is called the overall Height of a Transfer
Unit (HTU) based on the gas phase. Experimental data G
HOG 
show that the HTU varies less with G than with Kya. Kya
The smaller the HTU, the more efficient is the
contacting.

The term NOG is called the overall Number of Transfer y1

dy
Units (NTU) based on the gas phase. It represents the
overall change in solute mole fraction divided by the
NOG   y  y *
y2
average mole fraction driving force. The larger the
NTU, the greater is the extent of contacting required.

y1
dy
Now we would like to solve the integral of NOG. NOG   y  m x 
Therefore we replace y* by equation (2): y2

y y
Solving (1) for x, knowing that A=L/(Gm): x  x2  2
Am Am

y1
Ady
Introducing the result into the equation for NOG: NOG   ( A  1)y  y
y2 2  Ay 2*
  A  1 y  y 2  Ay *2
y1
A
NOG  ln
Integration of NOG gives: A 1 A y2

NOG 
A
ln
 A  1 y 1  y 2  Ay 2*
A 1 
A y 2  y 2* 

A  1  A  1 y1  y *2 
Splitting the inner part of the logarithm into two parts: NOG  ln  
A 1  A A y 2  y *2 

absorbed amount y  y2
We already know the fraction of absorption :   1
max absorbed amount y1  y *2

Introducing  and doing some transformations, we A 1 A 

NOG  ln 
finally get for NOG: A 1  1 
3. Comparison between HTU / NTU and HETP

The height of the column can be calculated in two ways: H  HOG NOG  n HETP

The NTU and the HTU should not be confused with the 1 1 A 
HETP and the number of theoretical equilibrium stages n, n ln 
ln A  1   
which can be calculated with the Kremser Equation:

When the operating and equilibrium lines are not only straight
but also parallel, NTU = n and HTU = HETP. Otherwise, the
NTU is greater than or less than n.

y op. line y op. line y op. line

eq. line eq. line eq. line

x x x
NTU  n NTU  n NTU  n
When the operating and equilibrium lines are straight but NOG
not parallel (NTU  n), we need a formula to transform HETP  HOG
n
them. We can write:

Replacing NOG and n by the formulas found earlier, A ln A

HETP  HOG
we get for HETP: A 1

A ln A
Doing the same calculation for NOG, we find: NOG  n
A 1

Finally we want to calculate the volumetric overall mass H G

HOG  
transfer coefficient Kya. We know that: NOG K y a

G NOG
Solving for Kya, we find: Kya 
H
4. Stripping: Mass transfer approach (HTU, NTU)
L, x2
Process
Now we want to focus on a stripping problem, which is G, y2
usually presented as follows. There is a polluted liquid
stream coming out from a process. The pollutant must be z=H
recovered in order to clean the liquid.

T, p
First, we need a material balance around the
green, upper envelope of the column. It is the y x
operating line, going through the point (x1,y1):

Gy1  Lx  Lx1  Gy
z=0

L G, y1 L, x1
y  x  x1   y1 (1)
G

Then we need the equilibrium condition:

y
x*  ( 2)
m
We can now draw the equilibrium and operating y
line into the diagram. From the operating line L
with the largest slope (L/G)max, we can get (L/G) G
with the known formula:
y2
y* = m x
L 1 L 
    f (1.2 , 2 )
G f  G  max

L
 
 G  max
y1

As a third equation, we need a mass transfer rate x1 x2 x

equation. We take a small slice of the column. The
material balance over the “liquid side” of this slice gives:

IN liq  OUTliq  OUTmass transfer L

G
 mol 
 s  z  z
S L x( z  z )  S L x( z )  N a S z
N

The flux N involves the overall liquid-phase z

coefficient Kx and the driving force (x-x*): L
G
N  Kx  x  x * 
Dividing the mass transfer rate equation by S x( z  z )  x( z )
and z, we get: L N a
z

dx
We let z  0 and introduce the definition of N: L  K x a x  x *  ( 3)
dz

Separating variables and integration gives: H

L
x2
dx
H   dz   x  x*
0
K xa x1

HOL NOL

The term HOL is called the overall Height of a Transfer L

HOL 
Unit (HTU) based on the liquid phase. K xa

x2
dx
The term NOL is called the overall Number of Transfer NOL   x  x*
Units (NTU) based on the liquid phase. x1
 amount stripped x  x1
We already know the fraction of stripping σ:    2
max amount strippable x 2  x1

mG
Furthermore, we know the stripping factor S: S
L

S  1 S  1 x 2  x1 
The solution of the integral of NOL can be found if NOL  ln   
one proceeds exactly as in the case of absorption: S  1  S S x1  x1 

S 1  S 
Finally, after some transformations, we find: NOL  ln  
S 1  1  