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CEV452 UNIT OPERATIONS LABORATORY

Team: Group 2

Experiment: Gas Absorption (Pressure Drop) (Level 2)

Date of 17th September 2018


experiment:

Group members: Student ID:


Planner Zal Helmi Bin Abdul Hamid 2016343783

Experimenter Saida Binti Ramli 2016343401

Analyzer Wan Ahmad Zahin Rizzqi Bin 2016349743


Wan Ruzlee

Consultant Wan Muhamad Zyaid Bin 2016524085


Razali

Report submitted on: …………………………. Signed by:………………..


Report received on: ………………………….. Signed by: ……………….
Report returned on: …………………………… Signed by: ……………….

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UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA FAKULTI
KEJURUTERAAN KIMIA
CEV452 UNIT OPERATIONS LABORATORY
REPORT MARKING SHEET

No. Title Point Allocated Marks Marks


1 Abstract/Summary 5

2 Introduction 5

3 Aims / Objective 5

4 Theory 5

5 Apparatus 5

6 Methodology/Procedure 10

7 Results 15

8 Sample Calculations 10

9 Discussion 20

10 Conclusion 5

11 Recommendations 5

12 Reference 5

13 Appendix 5

TOTAL MARKS 100

Remarks:

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...

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ABSTRACT

Gas absorption is a process in which the soluble parts of mixture are transferred to a

liquid.Gas absorption is done in a packed column .This report are done as to examine the air

pressure drop across the column as a function of air flow rate for different water flow rates

through the column. When the air pressure drops to certain limit, the phenomena known as

‘flooding’ will occur in which the system can no longer operate as it is. Hence, the ‘flooding

point’ is to be determined as to make sure that the process should be made to operate under

the ‘flooding point’.

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INTRODUCTION

Gas absorption is a process in which the soluble parts of a gas mixture are transferred to

or dissolved in a liquid. The reverse process, called desorption or stripping, is used to

transfer volatile parts from a liquid mixture to a gas [1]

Therefore there will be mass transfer of the component of the gas from the gas phase to

the liquid phase. The solute transferred is said to be absorbed by the liquid. In gas

desorption (or stripping), the mass transfer is in the opposite direction, of which the

transfer is from the liquid phase to the gas phase. The principles for both systems are the

same. But from here and on, we are only interested in gas absorption.

There are 2 types of absorption processes: physical absorption and chemical absorption,

depending on whether there is any chemical reaction between the solute and the

solvent(absorbent).

When water and hydrocarbon oils are used as absorbents, no significant chemical

reactions occur between the absorbent and the solute, and the process is commonly

referred to as physical absorption. When aqueous sodium hydroxide (a strong base) is

used as the absorbent to dissolve an acid gas, absorption is accompanied by a rapid and

irreversible neutralization reaction in the liquid phase and the process is referred to as

chemical absorption or reactive absorption.

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OBJECTIVE

To examine the air pressure drop across the column as a function of air flow rate for

different water flow rates through the column.

THEORY

Another definition of gas absorption/desorption is ,a process in which a gaseous mixture

is brought into contact with a liquid and during this contact a component is transferred

between the gas stream and the liquid stream. The gas may be bubbled through the liquid,

or it may be passed over streams of the liquid, arranged to provide a large surface through

which the mass transfer can occur. The liquid film in this latter case can flow down the

sides of columns or over packing, or it can cascade from one tray to another with the liquid

falling and the gas rising in the counter flow. The gas, or components of it, either dissolves

in the liquid (absorption) or extracts a volatile component from the liquid (desorption). [2]

In every packed tower with a given size of packing and type , has an upper limit to the

rate of gas flow known as flooding velocity of which the tower cannot operate above the

velocity mentioned earlier. At low gas velocities the liquid flows downward through the

packing uninfluenced by the upward gas flow. As the gas flow rate increases at low gas

velocities the pressure drop starts to rise at higher rate. The liquid accumulation increases

as the gas flow rate is increased . At the flooding point, the liquid will no longer have the

ability to flow down through the pack column and later is blown out with or by the gas.

[3]

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APPARATUS

The apparatus used in this experiment are:

 SOLTEQ-QVF Absorption column (Model: BP 751-B)

 The material used in this experiment is water and air.

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Column K1

Vessel B1

Figure 1 : Gas Absorption Column Unit

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Figure 2: Pressure Adjuster

Figure 3: Control Panel

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METHODOLOGY / PROCEDURES

A) General start-up

1. All vavlves are closed except the ventilation valve V13.

2. All gas connections are ensured of properly fitted.

3. The valve on the compressed air supply line is opened. The supply pressure is setted

up in between 2 to 3 bar by turning the regulator knob clockwise.

4. The shut-off valve on CO2 gas cylinder is opened. The CO2 gas cylinder pressure is

ensured to be sufficient.

5. The power for the control panel is turned on.

B) Experimental Procedures : Hydrodynamic of a Packed Column (Wet Column)

Presssure Drop)

1. The general start up procedures are carried out

2. The receiving vessel B2 is filled with 50 L of water by opening valve V3 and V5.

3. Valve V3 is closed.

4. Valve V10 and valve V9 are slightly opened. The flow of water from vessel B1

through pump P1 is observed.

5. Pump 1 is switched on then valve V11 is slowly opened and adjusted to give a water

flow rate of around 1 L/min. Water is allowed to enter the top of column K1, flow

down the column and accumulate at the bottom until it overflows back to vessel B1.

6. Valve 11 is opened and and adjusted to give a water fow rate of 0.5 L/min into

column K1.

7. Valve V1 is opened and adjusted to give an air flow rate of 40L/min into column K1.
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8. The liquid and gas flow in the column 1 are observed , the pressure drop across the

column at dPT-201 is recorded.

9. Steps 6 to 7 are repeated with different values of air flow rate, where each time is

increased by 40L/min while the same water flow rate is maintained.

10. Steps 5 to 8 are repeated with different values of water flow rate, of which each time

is increased by 0.5L/min by adjusting valve 11.

C) General Shut-Down Procedures

1. Pump 1 is switched off.

2. Valves V1,V2 and V3 are closed

3. The valves on the compressed air supply line is closed and the supply pressure is
exhausted by turning the regulator knob counterclockwise all the way.

4. The shut-off valves on CO2 gas cylinder is closed

5. All liquid in the column in K1 is drained by opening valve V4 and V5.

6. All iquid from receiving vessels B1 and B2 are drained by opening valves V7 and

V8.

7. All liquid from pump 1 is drained by opening valve V10.

8. The power for the control panel is turned off

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RESULTS AND CALCULATIONS

EXPERIMENTAL CALCULATIONS

Pressure drop (mmH2O)

Air 30 50 70 90 110 130


Water
1.0 1 1.4 1.7 2.2 - -
2.0 0.7 1.2 1.8 2.7 - -
3.0 1.0 1.6 2.3 4.0 - -
Table 1: Pressure Drop for Wet Column

Pressure Drops (y-axis) Air Flow Rate (x-axis)


10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
30 50 70 90

1 L/MIN 2 L/MIN 3 L/MIN

Table 2: Pressure drops vs Air flow rate from control panel

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THEORETICAL CALCULATIONS

Data

Density of air = 1.175kg/m3


Density of water= 996kg/m3
Column diameter = 80mm
Area of packed column diameter = 0.005027m2
Packing Factor = 900 m1
Water viscosity = 0.001Ns/m2

GG, gas flow rate (kg/m2s)


GG = GyXp / A

For 30 L/min

30𝐿 1𝑚𝑖𝑛 1.175𝑘𝑔 1 𝑚3


×
𝑚𝑖𝑛 60 𝑠𝑒𝑐 × 3 × 1000𝐿
𝑚
0.005027 𝑚 2

GG = 0.117kg/m2s

Capacity Parameter (y-axis)

𝜇
13.1 (𝐺𝐺 )2 𝐹𝑝(𝑝𝐿 )0.1
𝐿
𝑃𝐺 (𝑃𝐿 − 𝑃𝐺 )

0.001
13.1 (0.117)2 900( 996 )0.1
1.175(996 − 1.175)

= 0.0437

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GL , liquid flowrate per unit column cross-sectional area

GL X p
=
A

1𝐿 1𝑚𝑖𝑛 996𝑘𝑔 1 𝑚3
× × ×
𝑚𝑖𝑛 60 𝑠𝑒𝑐 𝑚3 1000𝐿
0.005027 𝑚 2

𝐺𝐿 = 3.306 kg/m2

Flow Parameter (x-axis)

𝐺𝐿 𝑝𝑔 0.5
FLV = ( )
𝐺𝐺 𝑝𝐿
(1 L/Min water flowrate at 30 L/Min air flowrate)

= 0.971

Water Flow Rate (L/min) GL (kg/m2s)


1.0 3.306
2.0 6.613
3.0 9.919
Table 3: Water Flowrate and GL , Liquid Flowrate per Unit Column Cross-sectional Area

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Air flow GG Capacity Flow parameter (x-axis)

rate (kg/m2s) Parameter (y-axis)


1Lpm 2Lpm 3Lpm
(L/min)
30 0.117 0.0437 0.971 1.942 2.912

50 0.195 0.1213 0.582 1.165 1.747

70 0.273 0.2378 0.416 0.832 1.248

90 0.351 0.3931 0.324 0.701 0.970

Table 4: Air flowrate, Gas flow rate (kg/m2.s) with capacity parameter and flow parameter

THEORETICAL PRESSURE DROP CORRELATION CHART


0.45
0.4
CAPACITY PARAMETER

0.35
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
FLOW PARAMETER

1LPM 2LPM 3LPM

Figure 4 : Theoretical Pressure Drop Correlation Chart

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DISCUSSION

In this experiment, the interest is to examine the air pressure drop across the column

as a function of air flow rate for different water flow rates through the column. The

experiment based on the flow rate of liquid and gas in the packed.

Firstly the water flow rate is kept constant to 1 L/min and the air flow rate is then

recorded after a 1 minute interval. Air flow rate is kept rising at constant by 30 L/min by

each 5 minutes. All reading of pressure drop are then recorded until the flooding point is

reached. The pressure drop for flow rate of air are 0,2,6,7,9,10,13,21,58 mm H 20

respectively to 30,50,70 and 90 L/min of air.

The flow rate of water is then adjusted to 2 L/min, the data recorded are 8,2,0,3,9,30,53

mm H20 respectively to 30,50,70 and 90 L/min of air. It cannot reach 180 L/min of air flow

rate as the water will sprayed out from the column due to the high flow rate. Theoretically,

the pressure drop will increase as the air flow rate of air is increased.

As the water flow rate is increased to 3 L/min, the datas are , 0,2,7,13,39 mm H 20

respectively to 20,40,60 and 80 L/min of air . Beyond 80 L/min of air , the flooding occurs.

The graph of column Pressure Drop vs. Air Flow Rate is plotted and in which the

results from the plotted graph shown the higher the gas flow rate , the higher the pressure

drop. For correlated value of the pressure drop,calculations has been made and a graph of

capacity parameter against flow rate parameter is plotted. The capacity parameter is
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indirectly proportional to flow rate parameter .

CONCLUSION
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In conclusion, the air pressure drop across the column increases as the air flow rate
increases as well as the water flow rate through the column. From the experiment, the value
of experimental pressure drop is higher compared to the correlated values for packed
column. For packed column of water flowrate of 1 LPM, the error invovled is the lowest
that is 11.1 %, followed by that of water flowrate of 2 LPM which is 14.28 % . At water
flowrate of 3 LPM, the error involved is 20% . These percentage errors between theoretical
and correlated calculations of flooding point are slightly high due to some unexpected
instrumental error as the pump suddenly shut off in the middle of the experiment. Hence,
all instruments must be checked before any experiment is conducted to ensure the accuracy
of the outcomes.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

Some suggestion in improving the safety are to always check and rectify any leak and

all operating instructions supplied with the unit must be carefully read and understood

before attempting to operate the unit. Next, be extremely careful when handling hazardous,

flammable or polluting materials such as CO 2. Make sure the system is sufficiently

ventilated when working at atmospheric pressure.

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REFERENCES

1. Perry, Robert H., and Green. Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook. New York:
McGraw-Hill, Inc. (1984), pp14-6,18-22-2

2. http://www.nzifst.org.nz/unitoperations/conteqseparation8.htm

3. Geankoplis, C.J. (2003). Transport Processes and Separation Process Principle, 4th

Edition. New York: Prentice Hall,pp657-660

4. (http://www.separationprocesses.com)

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