Mass transfer performance of a rotating packed bed equipped with blade packings in removing methanol and 1-butanol from gaseous streams

The removal of methanol and 1-butanol from gaseous streams by absorption with water was investigated in the RPB equipped with blade packings. The overall volumetric gas-phase mass transfer coefficient (K_Ga) for methanol and 1-butanol absorption was observed to increase with the rotational speed, the gas flow rate, and the liquid flow rate. Also, the local volumetric gas-phase mass transfer coefficient (k_Ga) was estimated, and then the portion of the total resistance to mass transfer in gas phase was determined. The result indicated that more than 90% of the total resistance to mass transfer in methanol and 1-butanol absorption was found to be due to the gas phase. Comparison with the conventional packed tower demonstrated that mass transfer efficiency in the RPB equipped with blade packing was higher than that in the conventional packed tower. Consequently, the RPB equipped with blade packings would be an excellent absorber for the removal of alkanols from the exhausted gases.     

Absorption of SO<Subscript>2</Subscript> using PVDF hollow fiber membranes with PEG as an additive

In this study, removal of SO₂ from gas stream was carried out by using microporous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) asymmetric hollow fiber membrane modules as gas-liquid contactor. The asymmetric hollow fiber membranes used in this study were prepared polyvinylidene fluoride by a wet phase inversion method. Water was used as an internal coagulant and external coagulation bath for all spinning runs. An aqueous solution containing 0.02 M NaOH was used as the absorbent. This study attempts to assess the influence of PEG additive, absorbent flow rate, SO₂ concentration, gas flow rate and gas flow direction on the SO₂ removal efficiency and overall mass transfer coefficient. The effect of liquid flow rate on SO₂ removal efficiency shows that at very low liquid flow rate, the NaOH available at the membrane surface for reacting with SO₂ is limited due to the liquid phase resistance. As liquid flow rate is above the minimum flow rate which overcomes the liquid phase resistance, the SO₂ absorption rate is controlled by resistance in the gas phase and the membrane. The SO₂ absorption rate with inlet SO₂ concentration was sharply increased by using hollow fiber membranes compared to a conventional wetted wall column because the former has higher gas liquid contacting area than the latter. The mass transfer coefficient is independent of pressure. When the gas mixture was fed in the shell side, the removal efficiency of SO₂ declined because of channeling problems on the shell side. Also, the addition of PEG in polymer dopes increased SO₂ removal efficiency. This work was presented at the 6 ^th Korea-China Workshop on Clean Energy Technology held at Busan, Korea, July 4–7, 2006.     

The Meaning of Droplet‐Droplet Interaction for the Wet Flue‐Gas Cleaning Process

In most large coal‐fired power plants an absorption process with a limestone suspension is applied today. The flue gas proceeds upwards through a series of spray headers that introduce a uniform liquid flux of droplets of the limestone suspension. These droplets resist the gas flow and provide a large mass transfer surface area required for the SO₂ removal process. During the spray overlapping the collision of the droplets may lead to a coagulation or a separation process depending on certain collision parameters, such as surface tension, impact velocity and collision geometry. A model for droplet collisions was developed and implemented in a two‐phase flow simulation by Euler‐Lagrange. The model is based on experimental investigations with overlapping sprays.     

Continuous Neutralization of NaOH Solution with CO2 in an Internal‐Loop Airlift Reactor

The neutralization of NaOH with CO₂ in a continuously operated airlift reactor with gas flow rates up to 10 NL min^?1 and gas phase recycle was investigated. Neutralization experiments were performed at 25 °C and the amount of absorbed CO₂, as well as the NaOH feed rate, were recorded. The reaction rate was calculated based on the two‐film theory and empirical equations for several parameters. The calculations of the volumetric mass transfer coefficient, the liquid phase circulation velocity, and the gas holdup were experimentally validated. The reaction rate and the process efficiency were modeled with a deviation of 5 %.     

Gas‐Liquid Mass Transfer in Fibrous Bed Reactor with Counter‐Current Liquid Recycle

In this work, the gas‐liquid mass transfer in a lab‐scale fibrous bed reactor with liquid recycle was studied. The volumetric gas‐liquid mass transfer coefficient, k_La, is determined over a range of the superficial liquid velocity (0.0042–0.0126 m.s^–1), gas velocity (0.006–0.021 m.s^–1), surface tension (35–72 mN/m), and viscosity (1–6 mPa.s). Increasing fluid velocities and viscosity, and decreasing interfacial tension, the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient increased. In contrast to the case of co‐current flow, the effect of gas superficial velocity was found to be more significant than the liquid superficial velocity. This behavior is explained by variation of the coalescing gas fraction and the reduction in bubble size. A correlation for k_La is proposed. The predicted values deviate within ± 15 % from the experimental values, thus, implying that the equation can be used to predict gas‐liquid mass transfer rates in fibrous bed recycle bioreactors.     

Numerical simulation of the mass transfer process of CO2 absorption by different solutions in a microchannel

The flow and mass transfer characteristics of CO₂ absorption in different liquid phases in a microchannel were studied by numerical simulation. The mixture gas phase contained 5 vol% CO₂ and 95 vol% N₂ , and the different liquid phases were water, ethanol solution, 0.2 M monoethanolamine solution, and 0.2 M NaOH solution, respectively. Based on the permeation theory, the distribution of velocity and concentration in the slug flow was obtained by local simulation of flow and mass transfer coupling and was described in depth. The influence of contact time and bubble velocity on the mass transfer of the whole bubble was highlighted. The volumetric mass transfer coefficient on the bubble cap and liquid film, CO₂ absorption rate, and enhancement factor were calculated and analyzed. The results showed that the volumetric mass transfer coefficients of chemical absorption were ~3 to 10 times that of physical absorption and the CO₂ was absorbed more completely in chemical absorption. The new empirical correlations for predicting the mass transfer coefficient of the liquid phase were proposed respectively in physical absorption and chemical absorption, which were compared with the empirical formulas in the literature. The volumetric mass transfer coefficients obtained by predictive correlations are in good agreement with those obtained by simulation in this paper. This work made a basic prediction for CO₂ absorption in microchannel and provides a foundation for later experimental research.     

Mass Transfer Characteristics in a Rotor‐Stator Reactor

Mass transfer characteristics in a rotor‐stator reactor in terms of the overall volumetric mass‐transfer coefficient (K_xa) using the N₂‐H₂O‐O₂ system were investigated. The effects of various operating parameters including rotation speed, liquid volumetric flow rate, and gas volumetric flow rate on K_xa were systematically examined, and a gas‐liquid mass transfer model was established to predict K_xa. Results reveal that K_xa increased with higher rotation speed, liquid volumetric flow rate, and gas volumetric flow rate. The results also confirm that the predicted values of K_xa were in agreement with the experimental values with deviation within 15 %. The results contribute to a better understanding of mass transfer characteristics in rotor‐stator reactors.     

Hydrodynamics,Mass Transfer and Gas Scrubbing in a Co‐current Droplet Column Operating at High Gas Velocities

The main objective of this work was to propose a new process for household fume incineration treatment: the droplet column. A feature of this upward gas‐liquid reactor which makes it original, is to use high superficial gas velocities (13 m s^–1) which allow acid gas scrubbing at low energy costs. Tests were conducted to characterize the hydrodynamics, mass transfer performances, and acid gas scrubbing under various conditions of superficial gas velocity (from 10.0 to 12.0 m s^–1) and superficial liquid velocity (from 9.4·10^–3 to 18.9·10^–3 m s^–1). The following parameters characterized the hydrodynamics: pressure drops, liquid hold‐ups, and liquid residence time distribution were identified and investigated with respect to flow conditions. To characterize mass transfer in the droplet column, three parameters were determined: the gas‐liquid interfacial area (a), the liquid‐phase volumetric mass transfer coefficient (k_La) and the gas‐phase volumetric mass transfer coefficient (k_Ga). Gas absorption with chemical reaction methods were applied to evaluate a and k_Ga, while a physical absorption method was used to estimate k_La. The influence of the gas and liquid velocities on a, k_La, and k_Ga were investigated. Furthermore, tests were conducted to examine the utility of the droplet column for the acid gas scrubbing, of gases like hydrogen chloride (HCl) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂). This is a process of high efficiency and the amount of pollutants in the cleaned air is always much lower than the regulatory European standards imposed on household waste incinerators.     

Mathematical Modeling,Simulation, and Experimental Verification of CO2 Removal in a Turbulent Contact Absorber

A highly efficient technique of contaminant gas reduction, Turbulent Contact Absorber (TCA), is applied to CO₂ removal from a typical flue gas. Aqueous K₂CO₃ sorbent was evaluated as a regenerable sorbent for CO₂ from the flue gas. In order to identify the system, momentum and mass balance equations were written for the TCA tower. A flat plate falling film model was employed to simulate the TCA tower and the effect of turbulence was included in mass and momentum transfer coefficients. To check the accuracy of the model, a pilot scale TCA was built and operated. A Testo type gas analyzer was used to detect gas concentrations at the inlet and outlet of the rig. The model was validated successfully with pilot plant data. The effect of velocity and K₂CO₃ concentration on the TCA performance has also been carried out. It was found that the bed pressure drop increases linearly with gas velocity and then remains constant. An increase in the liquid flow rate increases liquid holdup, which leads to a rise in bed pressure drop. Higher turbulence within the TCA causes a velocity peak to shift from hypothetical gas‐liquid interface towards the falling film plate. An increase of the K₂CO₃ concentration from 1.0 g mol/L to 2.0 g mol/L was found to give an increase in CO₂ removal by about 4 %.     

Oxygen mass transfer coefficient in bubble column slurry reactor with ultrafine suspended particles and neural network prediction

The gas–liquid volumetric mass transfer coefficient was determined by the dynamic oxygen absorption technique using a polarographic dissolved oxygen probe and the gas–liquid interfacial area was measured using dual‐tip conductivity probes in a bubble column slurry reactor at ambient temperature and normal pressure. The solid particles used were ultrafine hollow glass microspheres with a mean diameter of 8.624 µm. The effects of various axial locations (height–diameter ratio = 1–12), superficial gas velocity (u_G = 0.011–0.085 m/s) and solid concentration (ε_S = 0–30 wt.%) on the gas–liquid volumetric mass transfer coefficient k_La_L and liquid‐side mass transfer coefficient k_L were discussed in detail in the range of operating variables investigated. Empirical correlations by dimensional analysis were obtained and feed‐forward back propagation neural network models were employed to predict the gas–liquid volumetric mass transfer coefficient and liquid‐side mass transfer coefficient for an air–water–hollow glass microspheres system in a commercial‐scale bubble column slurry reactor. © 2012 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering     

Experimental Study of Oxygen Mass Transfer Coefficient in Bubble Column with High Temperature and High Pressure

The volumetric gas‐liquid mass transfer coefficient, k_Lα, for oxygen was studied by using the dynamic method in slurry bubble column reactors with high temperature and high pressure. The effects of temperature, pressure, superficial gas velocity and solids concentration on the mass transfer coefficient are systemically discussed. Experimental results show that the gas‐liquid mass transfer coefficient increases with the increase in pressure, temperature, and superficial gas velocity, and decreases with the increase in solids concentration. Moreover, k_Lα values in a large bubble column are slightly higher than those in a small one at certain operating conditions. According to the analysis of experimental data, an empirical correlation is obtained to calculate the values of the oxygen volumetric mass transfer coefficient for a water‐quartz sand system in two bubble columns with different diameter at high temperature and high pressure.     

Absorption of CO2 by aqueous triethanolamine (TEA) solutions in a high shear jet absorber

CO₂ diluted with N₂ was absorbed by aqueous triethanolamine (TEA) solutions in a jet absorber consisting of a high pressure stainless steel vessel with a pressure nozzle at the top. The gas mixture and the aqueous solution were passed simultaneously, through the pressure nozzle into the absorber. Due to the high shear imparted to the liquid very fine droplets were produced, which resulted in a very high interfacial area and rapid mass transfer. CO₂ was absorbed rapidly by the TEA solution. The effects of gas and liquid flow rates, solution concentration and CO₂ partial pressure on CO₂ loading per unit mole of TEA and the overall mass transfer coefficient were examined. CO₂ loading per mole of TEA increased with gas flow rate and decreased with liquid flow rate and solution concentration. The overall mass transfer coefficient was found to increase with gas and liquid flow rates. Both the CO₂ removal per mole of TEA and the overall mass transfer coefficient were found to be a strong function of power dissipated at the nozzle.     

Influence of Pressure on the Hydrodynamics and Mass Transfer Parameters of an Agitated Bubble Reactor

The present study deals with the pressure effects on the hydrodynamic flow and mass transfer within an agitated bubble reactor operated at pressures between 10⁵ and 100 × 10⁵ Pa. In order to clarify the flow behavior within the reactor, liquid phase residence time distributions (RTD) for different operating pressures and gas velocities ranging between 0.005 m/s and 0.03 m/s are determined experimentally by the tracer method for which a KCl solution is used as a tracer. The result of the analysis of the liquid‐phase RTD curves justifies the tank‐in‐series model flow for the operating pressure range. Good agreement is obtained between theoretical and experimental results assuming the reactor is operating as perfectly mixed. Two parameters characterizing the mass transfer are identified and investigated in respect to pressure: the gas‐liquid interfacial area and volumetric liquid‐side mass transfer coefficient. The chemical absorption method is used. For a given gas mass flow rate, the interfacial area as well as the volumetric liquid mass transfer coefficient decrease with increasing operating pressure. However, for a given pressure, a and k_La increase with increasing gas mass flow rates. The mass transfer coefficient k_L is independent of pressure.     

Experimental study of hydromechanics and mass transfer characteristics in cross flow packed tower

The functions of hydromechanics and volumetric mass transfer coefficient K_Xa of cross flow packed tower were studied by setting baffle plates. The influence of plate spacing on the pressure drop, height of the mass transfer unit, and mass transfer characteristics were investigated in an ordinary packed tower and a cross flow packed tower. The pressure drop increased with a rise in the flow rate of gas and liquid, and an excessive pressure drop caused flooding in the cross flow packed tower. The height of the mass transfer unit increased with a decrease in the gas flow when H/D = 0.8 ? 1.2, while increased with the increase of the gas flow when H/D = 0.6. In the ordinary packed tower and the cross flow packed tower, K_Xa increased with a rise of liquid flow. The influence of gas flow on K_Xa was negligible in the ordinary packed tower, however, in the cross flow packed tower the K_Xa gradually increased with a rise in the gas flow rate. The effect of mass transfer was optimal at H/D = 0.8. In addition, using STATISTICA software, the corresponding K_Xa correlations were proposed and discussed.     

Evaluation of a rotating packed bed equipped with blade packings for methanol and 1-butanol removal

Absorption removal of methanol and 1-butanol from gaseous streams with water was investigated in the RPB equipped with blade packings. The removal efficiency (E) of methanol and 1-butanol was found to increase with the RPB speed and the liquid flow rate but decrease with the gas flow rate. Also, the overall volumetric gas-side mass transfer coefficient (K_Ga) for methanol and 1-butanol absorption was observed to increase with the RPB speed, the gas flow rate, and the liquid flow rate. According to the obtained dependence of K_Ga on the gas and liquid flow rates, the mass transfer in methanol and 1-butanol absorption was observed to be controlled primarily by the gas-side mass transfer. Furthermore, the height of a transfer unit (HTU) for methanol and 1-butanol absorption decreased with the RPB speed and the liquid flow rate but increased with the gas flow rate. The obtained results demonstrated that mass transfer efficiency of the RPB equipped with blade packing was comparable to that of a hollow fiber absorber. Consequently, the RPB equipped with blade packings has a great potential in the removal of alkanols from the exhausted gases.     

水力喷射-空气旋流器用于湿法烟气脱硫及其传质机理

在一种新型高效的气液传质设备--水力喷射-空气旋流器(WSA)中,以Ca(OH)₂料浆为吸收剂进行了模拟烟气湿法脱硫的实验研究。结果表明:脱硫率随进口气速增加而增加;随液体喷射速度增加先增加,增加到一定程度后几乎不变;随烟气中SO₂的进口浓度增加而减小,存在一适宜的Ca(OH)₂浓度和回流比。在气体流量24～72 m³·h^-1、循环液体量0.4～0.8 m³·h^-1、料浆中Ca(OH)₂浓度7500 g·m^-3时,对SO₂浓度为1891～6373 mg·m^-3的烟气进行湿法脱硫,脱硫率达88.9%～97.7%,且WSA的旋流气体和喷射液体在湿法脱硫中具有自清洁能力,未发现内部结垢和喷孔堵塞现象。总体积传质系数K_Ga、有效相界面积a均随进口气速u_G增大而增大,而总传质系数K_G随u_G增加变化较小;当液体喷射速度 u_L≤0.26 m·s^-1时,K_Ga和K_G随u_L增加快速增大,之后增加缓慢,而a随u_L几乎线性增加,K_Ga和K_G随吸收剂中Ca(OH)₂浓度c_L增加有一最大值。结合实验数据拟合得到了相关的经验公式,这些关联式能较好地预测WSA的湿法脱硫传质性能。气体旋流场强度对总体积传质系数K_Ga和有效相界面积a起支配作用,脱硫传质过程同时受气膜和液膜阻力控制,但以液膜控制为主。     

Hydrogenation of 2‐ethylanthraquinone under Taylor flow in single square channel monolith reactors

The hydrogenation of 2‐ethylanthraquinone (EAQ) to 2‐ethylanthrahydroquinone (EAHQ) was carried out under Taylor flow in single square channel monolith reactors. The two opening ends of opaque reaction channel were connected with two circular transparent quartz‐glass capillaries, where Taylor flow hydrodynamics parameters were measured and further used to obtain practical flow state of reactants in square reaction channels. A carefully designed gas‐liquid inlet mixer was used to supply steady gas bubbles and liquid slugs with desired length. The effects of various operating parameters, involving superficial gas velocity, superficial liquid velocity, gas bubble length, liquid slug length, two‐phase velocity and temperature, on EAQ conversion were systematically researched. Based on EAQ conversion, experimental overall volumetric mass transfer coefficients were calculated, and also studied as functions of various parameters as mentioned earlier. The film model, penetration model, and existing semi‐empirical formula were used to predict gas‐solid, gas‐liquid, and liquid‐solid volumetric mass transfer coefficients in Taylor flow, respectively. The predicted overall volumetric mass transfer coefficients agreed well with the experimental ones. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009     

Mass Transfer Characteristics of Syngas Components in Slurry System at Industrial Conditions

The gas‐liquid mass transfer behavior of syngas components, H₂ and CO, has been studied in a three‐phase bubble column reactor at industrial conditions. The influences of the main operating conditions, such as temperature, pressure, superficial gas velocity and solid concentration, have been studied systematically. The volumetric liquid‐side mass transfer coefficient k_La is obtained by measuring the dissolution rate of H₂ and CO. The gas holdup and the bubble size distribution in the reactor are measured by an optical fiber technique, the specific gas‐liquid interfacial area aand the liquid‐side mass transfer coefficient k_L are calculated based on the experimental measurements. Empirical correlations are proposed to predict k_L and a values for H₂ and CO in liquid paraffin/solid particles slurry bubble column reactors.     

Gas Holdup and Volumetric Mass Transfer Coefficient in a Slurry Bubble Column

The gas holdup, ?, and volumetric mass transfer coefficient, k_La, were measured in a 0.051 m diameter glass column with ethanol as the liquid phase and cobalt catalyst as the solid phase in concentrations of 1.0 and 3.8 vol.‐%. The superficial gas velocity U was varied in the range from 0 to 0.11 m/s, spanning both the homogeneous and heterogeneous flow regimes. Experimental results show that increasing catalyst concentration decreases the gas holdup to a significant extent. The volumetric mass transfer coefficient, k_La, closely follows the trend in gas holdup. Above a superficial gas velocity of 0.04 m/s the value of k_La/? was found to be practically independent of slurry concentration and the gas velocity U; the value of this parameter is found to be about 0.45 s^–1. Our studies provide a simple method for the estimation of k_La in industrial‐size bubble column slurry reactors.     

Gas-Liquid mass transfer in fixed beds with two-phase cocurrent downflow: Gas/newtonian and non-newtonian liquid systems

New data of gas-liquid mass transfer for cocurrent downflow through packed beds of porous and non-porous particles are presented. Mass transfer parameters for air/carbon dioxide/water, air/carbon dioxide/carboxymethylcellulose solution and air/carbon dioxide/sodium hydroxide systems were evaluated by least square fit of the calculated CO₂ concentration profiles in gas phase to the experimental values. The volumetric liquid-side mass transfer coefficient increases with the increase of the flow consistency index of the liquid. A comparison of the volumetric liquid-side mass transfer coefficient values evaluated with and without taking into account the axial dispersion shows that the influence of the liquid axial dispersion is significant at low liquid velocity and high CMC concentrations, and the influence of the gas axial dispersion is insignificant.