Predicting mass transfer in packed columns

Countercurrent-flow columns are widely used in production processes in the chemical industry and their application in ecological engineering is of increasing importance. A theoretical model is presented here that allows mass transfer to be described in terms of packing geometry and physical properties which influence the gas-liquid or vapour-liquid systems in absorption, desorption and rectification columns. The relationships derived from the model can be applied to all countercurrent-flow columns, regardless of whether the packing has been dumped at random or arranged in a geometric pattern.     

New predictive correlation for mass transfer coefficient in structured packed extraction columns

Developments in the area of packed columns, particularly structured packed columns, are ongoing, specifically in the area of liquid–liquid extractions in different industries. In the present study, mass transfer coefficients have been obtained experimentally in a structured packed extraction column to develop a new correlation for prediction of continuous phase Sherwood number. The experiments were carried out for toluene/acetic acid/water and n-butyl acetate/acetic acid/water systems with counter current flow in different heights of column. A new dimensionless parameter, d₃₂/h, is introduced in proposed equation. This number considers the effect of column height (h) and mean drop diameter (d₃₂) jointly. The main advantage of this approach is that the principal effect of column height is considered in correlation without which the experimental data could not be fitted with a acceptable accuracy.     

Mass transfer in packed liquid—liquid extraction columns

The mass transfer characteristics of 3·5, 7·3, 10·16 and 15·6 cm i.d. packed liquid—liquid extraction columns were studied with a variety of packings such as, $\text{3}\text{8}$, $\text{1}\text{2}$ and 1 in. ceramic Raschig rings, $\text{5}\text{8}$ in. stainless steel Raschig rings, $\text{1}\text{2}$ and 1 in. ceramic Intalox saddles, $\text{5}\text{8}$ and 1 in. stainless steel Pall rings, and 1 in. polypropylene Intalox saddles and Pall rings. Some data were also obtained for the co-current mode of operation (up-flow) for packed columns, and without packings. In addition the mass transfer charactersitics of a packed extraction column with film flow were studied.The theory of extraction accompanied by a fast pseudo-first order reaction was employed to measure the values of effective interfacial area. The values of overall (continuous and/or dispersed phase) mass transfer coefficient were measured by the Colburn—Welsh technique. A fairly wide range of physical properties of the two phases was covered.The values of overall (continuous phase) mass transfer coefficient and effective interfacial area for new packings such as Pall rings and Intalox saddles, under otherwise similar conditions, are only about 10 and 35 per cent higher, respectively, than those provided by the conventional packings of the same nominal size. However, the flooding velocities for the newer packings are as much as 80 per cent higher than those for the conventional packings of the same nominal size.     

Mass transfer coefficients in a pulsed packed extraction column

The volumetric overall mass transfer coefficients have been measured in a pulsed packed extraction column using diffusion model for the toluene/acetone/water system. The experiments were carried out for both mass transfer directions. The effects of operational variables such as pulsation intensity and dispersed and continuous phases flow rates on volumetric overall mass transfer coefficients have been investigated. The experimental findings indicate that pulsation intensity and mass transfer direction have great influence on volumetric overall mass transfer coefficient. Significant, but weaker, are the effects of continuous and dispersed phase flow rates. The experimental results obtained in the present work are compared with some other types of extraction columns. Finally, two empirical correlations for prediction of the continuous phase overall mass transfer coefficient is derived in terms of Sherwood and Reynolds numbers. Good agreement between prediction and experiments was found for all operating conditions that were investigated.     

Heat,mass and momentum transfer in packed bed distillation columns

This contribution presents the basic equations for heat, mass and momentum transfer in multicomponent packed bed distillation processes. In some situations, the use of strongly simplified models is justified, but when approaching more difficult and, at the same time, economically more interesting regions of operation where non-linear effects are significant, these models are likely to fail. Consequently, a more rigorous vapour-liquid equilibrium model should be employed since the pressure drop in the column will not be negligible in those regions. Furthermore, neither constant parameter hold-ups nor heat and mass transfer coefficients are assumed. Simulations demonstrate some interesting process properties. The impact of the surroundings on the process is discussed and a three-dimensional model extension is outlined.     

Hydrodynamics and mass transfer characteristics of co-current downflow packed tube columns

Hydrodynamics and effective interfacial area in a 25 mm i.d. packed tube column were studied over a wide range of operating conditions for demister pad packings (DPP). Flow maps have been prepared. Values of effective interfacial area as high as 1880 m^?1 in the spray flow regime were obtained. Data on pressure drop and effective interfacial area have been correlated for different flow regimes. Values of liquid side volumetric mass transfer coefficient, k_L a , were measured by absorption and desorption of oxygen in different packed tube columns containing Pall rings (standard and low height to dia. ratio), multifilament wire gauge packings (MFWGP) and DPP. kL a was found to vary from 0.017 to 0.34 s^?1 for DPP. Values of wall side solid-liquid mass transfer coefficient, k_SL, were obtained in a 25 mm i.d. copper tube column packed with MFWGP by the dissolution of copper in acidic dichromate solutions. Values of wall side heat transfer coefficient could be obtained by analogy.     

Drop formation mass transfer coefficients in extraction columns

Mass transfer coefficients (MTC) of single liquid drops during drop formation period, in the presence and absence of down flow of the continuous phase, were measured in an extraction column. The effects of formation time, needle size, and flow rates of the continuous and dispersed phase were evaluated experimentally. It was found that the drop size increases with increasing formation time and decreasing down flow of the continuous phase. The mass transfer coefficients are the largest in the initial stages of drop formation when convection is the most significant. Both flow rates have a significant effect on the rate of the mass transfer, and the convection caused by the dispersed phase flow is more important than the continuous phase. The mass transfer coefficient and the degree of extraction increase with increasing down flow rate of the continuous phase.     

Modelling of mass transfer phenomena of associated systems in packed distillation columns

Mass transfer between liquid and vapour phases in packed distillation columns has been investigated by the two-film theory for binary associated systems. The effects of association reaction in systems with the association of one component in both phases, taking into account a concentration-dependent liquid-phase association constant, were examined. The mass transfer coefficients are modelled, taking into account the association constant. The experiments were carried out at atmospheric pressure with acetic acid-benzene and acetic acid-toluene systems in a column packed with Rasching rings.     

Hydrodynamic and mass transfer characteristics of bubble and packed bubble columns with downcomer

The hydrodynamic and mass transfer characteristics of bubble and packed bubble columns with downcomer were investigated. The contactor consisted of two concentric columns of 0.11 and 0.2 m i.d., with the annulus acting as the downcomer. The packing used in this investigation was standard 16 mm stainless steel Pall rings. The superficial gas and liquid velocities, V_G and V_L, were varied from 0.01 to 0.09 and 1 × 10^?3 to 8.8 × 10^?3 m s^?1 respectively. Two flow patterns, namely the bubble and pulse flows were observed in the packed bubble column with downcomer, as shown by a flow map. The liquid circulation velocity in both the contactors was observed to be constant throughout the ranges of V_G and V_L covered in this work. The effect of liquid viscosity (0.8 to 9.5 mPa ? s) and surface tension (45 to 72 mN m^?1) on the flow pattern, liquid circulation, gas hold-up and pressure drop was investigated. The pressure drop characteristics across the two contactors have been compared with those across a bubble column. Values of the effective interfacial area, a, and the volumetric mass transfer coefficient, k_L a, were measured by using chemical methods. Values of a as high as 180 and 700 m^?1 and k_L a as high as 0.075 and 0.22 s^?1, in the bubble and packed bubble columns with downcomer, respectively, were obtained. The values of true liquid-side mass transfer coefficient, k_L, were found to be independent of V_G and were of the order of 5.5 × 10^?4 and 3.5 × 10^?4 m s^?1, respectively, in the two contactors.     

Simulations of chemical absorption in pilot-scale and industrial-scale packed columns by computational mass transfer

A complex computational mass transfer model (CMT) is proposed for modeling the chemical absorption process with heat effect in packed columns. The feature of the proposed model is able to predict the concentration and temperature as well as the velocity distributions at once along the column without assuming the turbulent Schmidt number, or using the experimentally measured turbulent mass transfer diffusivity. The present model consists of the differential mass transfer equation with its auxiliary closing equations and the accompanied formulations of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and computational heat transfer (CHT). In the mathematical expression for the accompanied CFD and CHT, the conventional methods of k-ε and are used for closing the momentum and heat transfer equations. While for the mass transfer equation, the recently developed concentration variance and its dissipation rate ε_c equations (Liu, 2003) are adopted for its closure. To test the validity of the present model, simulations were made for a pilot-scale randomly packed chemical absorption column of 0.1 m ID and 7 m high, packed with 1/2^″ ceramic Berl saddles for CO₂ removal from gas mixture by aqueous monoethanolamine (MEA) solutions (Tontiwachwuthikul et al., 1992 ) and an industrial-scale randomly packed chemical absorption column of 1.9 m ID and 26.6 m high, packed with 2^″ stainless steel Pall rings for CO₂ removal from natural gas by aqueous MEA solutions (Pintola et al., 1993). The simulated results were compared with the published experimental data and satisfactory agreement was found between them in both concentration and temperature distributions. Furthermore, the result of computation also reveals that the turbulent mass transfer diffusivity D_tvaries along axial and radial directions. Thus the common viewpoint of assuming constant D_t throughout the whole column is questionable, even for the small size packed column. Finally, the analogy between mass transfer and heat transfer in chemical absorption is demonstrated by the similarity of their diffusivity profiles.     

Estimation of liquid film mass transfer coefficients for randomly packed absorption columns

Empirical and theoretical correlations, published since 1940 are reported which predict liquid film mass transfer coefficients in packed columns. Brief comments on the usefulness of the equations are given together with the range of operating variables, where available. Dimensional constants in the empirical correlations have been recalculated for the cases where the original values were not in SI units.     

Prediction of liquid film mass transfer coefficients in packed columns using liquid holdup

A unique characteristic linear dimension (d), defined as the cube root of the specific liquid holdup (h_sp) in the packed column, was used to correlate successfully the liquid film mass transfer coefficient k_La for gas absorption-desorption for sparingly soluble gases in liquids below loading. To produce this simple, dimensionless correlation, k_La data reported in literature were used, covering a wide range of physical properties of liquids, packings and operating conditions. This new approach showed operating holdup as an important factor in gas liquid mass transfer.     

Effect of surfactants on the rate of solid-liquid mass transfer in packed bubble columns

The effect of sodium lauryl sulphate (anionic) and Triton X-100 (nonionic) on the solid-liquid mass transfer at a gas-sparged fixed bed of copper Raschig rings was studied by measuring the diffusion-controlled dissolution of copper rings in acidified chromate solution. The variables studied were the nitrogen flow rate, the type of surfactant, and the surfactant concentration. It was found that an increase occurs in the solid-liquid mass transfer coefficient with increasing the nitrogen flow rate. Increasing the surfactant concentration was found to decrease the mass transfer coefficient. For a given surfactant concentration, it was found that Triton X-100 reduces the mass transfer coefficient more than sodium lauryl sulphate.     

Modelling of mass transfer in extraction columns with drop forward-mixing and coalescence-redispersion

The objective of this work is to model the effect of simultaneous drop forward-mixing and coalescence-redispersion on the hydrodynamics and mass transfer efficiency of a two phase countercurrent extraction process. Based on the flow mechanism and drop size distribution in extraction columns, a novel model with a simplified sequential algorithm is developed. It is much easier to use, and computationally less expensive, than a direct simulation technique which would typically be a tedious boundary-value iteration method. A new concept of Effective Mass Transfer Coefficient is presented, from which the effect of drop forward-mixing and coalescence-dispersion on extraction performance is directly evaluated from an analytical expression. The results calculated from the model are satisfactorily compared to experimental results obtained from three actual extraction system in two pulsed sieve-plate extraction columns. The relationship between the present model and the diffusion model is discussed and a parameter transformation equation for the two models is given.     

Control of mass transfer and hydrodynamic holdup in a karr solvent extraction column

This paper reports an experimental application of multiloop control to a Karr solvent extraction column (a reciprocating plate column). The control objective was to keep the extract outlet concentration above some minimum level and to maintain a high value of dispersed phase holdup while keeping away from the flooding point. Transfer function models were identified from step tests about a nominal operating point and various interaction/operability analysis techniques were used to synthesize a control scheme. The control implemented in this study was a model inversion based scheme in which the extract outlet concentration was controlled by manipulating the continuous phase superficial velocity and the dispersed phase holdup was controlled by manipulating the frequency of reciprocation. Both servomechanism and regulatory responses are presented. A variable dead time Dahlin controller was used to control the extract outlet concentration and a Clarke-Gawthrop self tuning regulator was used to control the dispersed phase holdup. This multiloop control scheme is compared to single loop control of the extract outlet concentration.     

Advanced prediction of pulsed (packed and sieve plate) extraction columns performance using population balance modelling

A bivariate population balance model (the base of LLECMOD program) for the steady state simulation of liquid extraction columns is extended to simulate pulsed (packed and sieve plate) extraction columns. The model is programmed using visual digital FORTRAN and then integrated into the LLECMOD program. As a case study, LLECMOD is used to simulate the separation performance of a pulsed extraction column. Two chemical test systems recommended by the EFCE (namely toluene-acetone-water and n-butyl acetate-acetone-water) are used in the simulation. Model predictions are successfully validated against steady state experimental data, where good agreements are achieved. The simulated results (holdup, mean droplet diameter and mass transfer profiles) compared to the experimental data show that LLECMOD is a powerful simulation tool, which can efficiently predict the performance of pulsed extraction columns.     

Mass transfer in packed columns: co-current operation

The theory of gas absorption accompanied by fast pseudo-m^th order reaction was used to obtain values of effective interfacial area in 10,15 and 20 cm i.d. packed columns which were operated co-currently. A variety of ceramic, metal and plastic packings were used. The range of superficial gas and liquid velocities was 50–300 cm/sec, and 0·1–3·5 cm/sec, respectively. Values of gas side mass transfer coefficients for some of the packings were also obtained. In addition some data were obtained for the counter-current mode of operation.     

Mass transfer in packed columns: The cylinder model

In order to predict mass transfer in packed columns, it is necessary to know the interfacial area. The well-known and often cited equation (Onda, Kolev, Zech, etc.) do not yield precise values for the mass transfer coefficient β_L a_e or the interfacial area a_e, especially for modern packing elements. A new model will be presented which takes into account the structure of packing (cylinder model) as well as the structure of the liquid hold-up. This model allows the separation of liquid flow through packings into its main constituents, i.e. rivulets and drops (freely falling). The determination of the structure of liquid flow allows the prediction of effective interfacial areas as well as of volumetric mass transfer coefficients for irrigated large packing elements manufactured from plastics, metals or ceramic. The applicability to novel future packings is one of the advantages of the new model.     

Mass transfer in bubble columns packed with motionless mixers

The cocurrent upward mode was employed to absorb pure oxygen into water in bubble columns packed with Koch (Sulzer) motionless mixers. The liquid-side volumetric mass transfer coefficient, K_La, in the packed bubble column was found to be always larger than that in the unpacked bubble column. In the range of liquid velocities from 6.7 cm/sec to 39.9 cm/sec, the value of K_La in the packed bubble column increased with the increasing liquid velocity while that in the unpacked bubble column was almost independent of the liquid velocity. The equation of the formK_La= mν_l^β? was successfully adopted to correlate the K_La data.     

Pressure drop and hydrodynamic properties of pulses in two-phase gas-liquid downflow through packed columns

The hydrodynamics and the pulse properties in the pulse flow regime of gas-liquid downflow through a packed column were studied using 6 mm Raschig rings and 3 mm spheres as packings. The pulse flow regime is considered to be gas-continuous flow outside the pulses and more like dispersed bubble flow inside the pulses and the pressure drop is viewed as being contributed to by the gas continuous part outside the pulses and by the pulses themselves. Correlations for the total pressure drop, the pressure drop across the pulse and for the pulse velocity are obtained. The experimental data of the average holdup, the pulse holdup, the base holdup and the transition from gas continuous to pulse flow regime are compared with the literature values.