Absorption-III

HETP
• When packing's are used instead of trays, the same
enrichment of vapor will occur over a certain height of
packing and this is termed as Height equivalent to
theoretical plate.(HETP)
• As all sections of packing are physically same, it is
assumed that one eqm plate is represented by a given
height of packings.
• Thus reqd ht is given by (HETPxno of ideal trays reqd)
• Failure to account for the fundamentally different
action of tray and packed columns
Packing ht-The method of transfer units

• Changes in composition of the liquid and

vapour occur differentially in a packed column
rather than stepwise fashion as in tray column
• Ht of packing can be evaluated either based
on the gas phase or liquid phase.
• The packed height calculated from the formula
• Z=NxH N= NTU(dimensionless)
– H= HTU (Dimension of length)
• NTU-is a measure of the difficulty of
separation…similar to the no of theo trays
reqd for a tray column
• HTU-is a measure of separation effectiveness
of the particular packings for a particular
separation process
• It incorporates mass transfer coefficient
 Height of a Transfer Unit (HTU) Number of Transfer Unit (NTU)
Driving Force
Symbol DANB ECD Symbol

𝐺′ 𝐺′ 𝑦1
(1 − 𝑦)𝑖𝑀 𝑑𝑦
y−𝑦𝑖 HtG 𝐾𝑌 𝑎ത(1 − 𝑦)𝑖𝑚 𝐾𝑦′ 𝑎ത NtG න
𝑦2 ሺ1 − 𝑦ሻ(𝑌 − 𝑌𝑖)

𝐺′ 𝐺′ 𝑦1(1 − 𝑦)∗ 𝑀 𝑑𝑦
*
Y–Y HtOG 𝐾𝑌 𝑎ത(1 − 𝑦)∗ 𝑀 𝐾𝑦′ 𝑎ത NtOG න
𝑦2 ሺ
1 − 𝑦ሻ(𝑌 − 𝑌 ∗ )

𝐺𝑠′ 𝐺𝑠′ 𝑦1
*
𝑑𝑦
Y–Y HtOG 𝐾𝑦′ 𝑎ത 𝐾𝑦′ 𝑎ത NtOG න
𝑦2 (𝑌 − 𝑌 ∗ )

𝐿′𝑠 𝐿′ 𝑥1
(1 − 𝑥)𝑖𝑀 𝑑𝑥
𝑥𝑖 – x HtL 𝐾𝑌 𝑎ത(1 − 𝑦)𝑖𝑀 𝐾𝑥′ 𝑎ത NtL න
𝑥2 ሺ1 − 𝑥 ሻ(𝑥𝑖 − 𝑥)

𝐿′ 𝐿′ 𝑥1(1 − 𝑥)∗ 𝑀 𝑑𝑦
*
x –x HtOL 𝐾𝑥 𝑎ത(1 − 𝑋)∗ 𝑀 𝐾𝑥′ 𝑎ത NtOL න
𝑥2 ሺ
1 − 𝑥 ሻ(𝑥 ∗ − 𝑥)

𝐿′𝑠 𝐿′𝑠 𝑥1
𝑑𝑥
*
X –X HtOL 𝐾𝑠′ 𝑎ത 𝐾𝑋 𝑎ത NtOL න
𝑥2 𝑋 ∗ − 𝑋)

(1  y i )  (1  y ) (1  y * )  (1  y )
(1  y ) iM  (1  y ) *
 ln[(1  y * ) /(1  y )]
ln[(1  yi ) /(1  y )] M
For dilute mixture
Dilute solutions-Henrys eqn
Graphical construction for transfer units
Overall heights of transfer units
• 5000kg/hr of so2-air mixture containing 5% by
volume of so2 is to be scrubbed with 2,00,000kg/hr
of water in a packed tower. The exit concentration of
so2 is reduced to 0.15%. The tower operates at 1
atm. The eqm relation is given by Y=30X Y=mol of
so2/mol air,
• X=mole so2/mol of water. If the packed ht of tower is
0.42m, calculate the ht of transfer unit.
• Avg.M.wt of SO2-air mixture=30.75
• Flow rate=5000/30.75=162.6kgmole/hr
• Gs=G(1-y1)=154.5k.mol/hr
• Y1=0.0526,Y2=0.0015
• Ls=200000/18=11,111kgmole/hr
• Gs(Y1-Y2)=Ls(X1-X2); X1=0.0007
• Ye1=30x0.0007=0.021
• Ye2=0; NTU=5.17