Chapter 5

Absorption in Plate and

Packed Towers

Part (2)
 Design of Packed Towers using Transfer Units
Using transfer-unit concept, the four z-expressions, in general, can be written as:
(1  y )iM dy
y1
V V
z  HG 
y2 1  y  y  yi 
 H G NG HG 
k y' aS

k y a (1  y )iM S

(1  x)iM dx
x1
L L
z  HL   H L NL HL  
x2 1  x  xi  x  k x' aS k x a (1  x )iM S

(1  y )*M dy
y1
V V
H OG  
z  H OG 
y2 1  y  y  y *
 H OG NOG
K y' aS K y a (1  y )*M S

(1  x)*M dx
x1
L L
z  H OL   H OL NOL H OL  
x2 1  x  x *  x  '
K x aS K x a (1  x )*M S

Where HG (in m or in ft) is the height of transfer units based on gas phase
The integrals are the number of transfer units; NG, NL, NOL and NOG
The height of the packed tower is then,
z  H G N G  H L N L  H OG N OG  H OL N OL

Chapter 5-2
 Design for dilute solutions
For dilute solutions the terms (1 – y)iM/(1 – y), (1 – y)*M/(1 – y), (1 – x)iM/(1 – x), and (1
– x)*M/(1 – x) can be taken outside the integral and average values used (often they are
close to 1 and can be dropped out):
x1
y1 dx
dy z  H L NL  H L 
z  H G NG  H G 
y2
y  yi x2
xi  x

y1 x1
dy dx
z  H OL NOL  H OL 
z  H OG NOG  H OG 
y2
y  y* x2
x*  x

 Again if both operating and equilibrium lines are straight lines, the integrals can be
simplified as
y1  y2 x1  x2
y1 x1
dy dx
NG 
y
 y  yi

( y  yi ) LM
NL   xi  x

( xi  x) LM
2 x
2

y1  y2 x1  x2
y1 x1
dy dx
NOG  
y2
y  y*

( y  y * ) LM
N OL  
x2
x*  x

( x*  x) LM

Chapter 5-3
Which equation to use? Use the following rules:
 when major resistance to mass transfer is in the gas phase, eg. absorption of acetone from
air by water, use NOG or NG.
 when major resistance to mass transfer is in the liquid phase, eg. absorption of O2 by water
or stripping of a slightly soluble solute from water, use NOL or NL.
 If film coefficients are not available, then it is more convenient to use NOG or NOL.
More simplified forms for dilute solutions
If the operating line is straight line and the equilibrium equation y = mx is used, the
following equations can be obtained from the integrals in previous slide

1   y1  mx2  
N OG  ln (1  1 / A)   1 / A (absorption)
(1  1 / A)   
  y 2  mx2  


1   x2  y1 / m  
N OL  ln (1  A)   A (Stripping)
(1  A)   
  x1  y1 / m  

A = L/mV

Chapter 5-4
 When the operating line and equilibrium line are straight and not parallel, the number of
overall gas-transfer units NOG for absorption is related to the number of the theoretical trays
or stages N (according to Kremser equation) is give by:
N ln A
N OG 
(1  1 / A)
 The height of a theoretical tray or stage, HETP, in m is related to HOG by:

ln(1 / A)
HETP  H OG
(1  A) / A

HETP  the height of the packed column necessary to give a separation equivalent
to one theoretical plate.
z  N  HETP 

 If the operating line and equilibrium line are straight and parallel (A= 1.0), then
H OG  HETP

N OG  N (use Kremser equation)

Chapter 5-5
Example 10.6-5: Use of Transfer Units and Analytical Equations for Packed
Tower

Repeat example 10.6-4 using transfer units and height of a transfer unit as follows:

1. Use HG and NG to calculate tower height.

2. Use HOG and NOG to calculate tower height.

3. Use the following equation to calculate NOG and tower height

1   y1  mx2  
N OG  ln (1  1 / A)   1 / A
(1  1 / A)   
  y 2  mx2  


4. Using the analytical equations, calculate HETP, number of theoretical steps and
tower height.

Chapter 5-6
Solution:
From Example 10.6-4:
k’y a = 3.78 x 10-2 kg mol/s.m3.mol frac; K y' a  2.183 102 kgmol / s.m3 .molfrac.

V  Vav  3.852 103 kgmol / s ; S = 0.186 m2

a) Use HG and NG to calculate tower height:

V 3.852 103
HG  '   0.548 m
k y aS 
3.78 10 2
 0.186  
From Example 10.6-4:
( y1  yi1 )  ( y2  yi 2 )
( y  yi ) M   0.00602
ln[( y1  yi1 ) /( y2  yi 2 )]

y1  y2 0.026  0.005
NG    3.488 transfer units
( y  yi ) LM 0.00602

z  H G NG   0.548 3.488  1.911 m

Chapter 5-7
b) Use HOG and NOG to calculate tower height:

V 3.852 103
H OG    0.949 m
'
K y aS 
2.183 10 2

 0.186 

From Example 10.6-4:

( y1  y1 )  ( y2  y2 )
( y  y )M   
 0.01025
ln[( y1  y1 ) /( y2  y2 )]

y1  y2 0.026  0.005
NOG    2.049 transfer units
( y  y ) LM
*
0.01025

z  H OG NOG   0.949  2.049   1.945 m

Chapter 5-8
c) Use the following equation to calculate NOG and tower height:

1   y1  mx2  
N OG  ln (1  1 / A)   1 / A
(1  1 / A)   
  y 2  mx2  

From Example 10.6-4:

m = 1.186; V  Vav  3.852 103 kgmol / s ; L  Lav  1.260 102 kgmol / s

A  L / mV  1.260 102 / 1.186  3.852 103  =2.758

1  1  0.026  1.186  0  1 
N OG  ln  (1  )  
(1  1/ 2.758)  2.758  0.005  1.186  0  2.758 


 2.043 transfer units  = 2.049 in part (b) 

z  H OG NOG   0.949  2.043  1.939 m

Chapter 5-9
d) Using the analytical equations, calculate HETP, number of theoretical steps and
tower height:

ln(1/ A) ln(1/ 2.758)

HETP  H OG  0.949  1.510 m
(1  A) / A (1  2.758) / 2.758

 y1  mx2  1  1 
ln  1    
y  mx2  A  A 
N  2  1.283 theoretical stages
ln( A)

z  N  HETP   1.283 1.510   1.938 m

Chapter 5-10