Plate – tower → Description and Design

INTRODUCTION TO PLATE – TOWER

DETERMINATION STAGES OF TOWER

MINIMUM LIQUID FLOW RATE TO OBTAIN SPECIFIC SEPARATION

Introduction to Plate – tower
Bubble – cap columns or sieve trays, are sometimes used for gas absorption.

Application of plate tower – particularly when the load is more than can be
handled in a packed tower about 1 m diameter; and

- when there is any likelihood of deposition of solids which would quickly

choke a packing.

Plate tower are particularly useful when the liquid rate is sufficient to flood
a packed tower.
Determination stages of tower
It will be assumed that dilute solutions are used so that mole fraction and
mole ratio approximately equal.

A material balance for the absorbed component from the bottom to a plane
above plate n will give:

Gm y n
L m xs  Gm y s1  Lm xn1
y n  Lm xn1  ys1  Lm x s  Operatingline
Gm Gm

Operating line also describes such a line passes through two point, 1 (top of
tower) and 2 (bottom of tower)
 Determination stages of tower
Example 1
A bubble – cap absorption column is to be used to absorb ammonia,
NH3 by using water.

A gaseous mixture containing 20.5 mol% NH3 and 79.5 mol% air enters
the bottom of the absorption tower.

60.5 kmol of gaseous NH3 enters the tower per hour while 5500 kg
aqueous NH3 solution containing 0.1% by mass NH3 enters the top of
the tower per hour.

The column operates at the atmospheric pressure and at a constant

temperature of 30OC.

It is desired to absorb 95% of the entering gas NH3. Assume that the
effect of water vapor in the gases is negligible.
Determination stages of tower
Example

Determine:

The molar flow rate of entering gaseous mixture

The molar flow rate of the raffinate

The molar flow rate of the extract

The mol ratio of NH3 in the raffinate and extract

The number of ideal stages required

The equilibrium data given as follows:

Mol NH3 0.000 0.053 0.111 0.177 0.250

mol water
Mol NH3 0.000 0.044 0.089 0.159 0.280
mol air
Determination stages of tower

Solution
Gm Lm

y2 = 0.000 15 Feed of NH3 aq in= 5500 kg/h

xA2 = 0.001 kg A/kg
2
xB2 = 0.999 kg B/kg
95%
removal
T=30OC
P=1 atm
1

x1 = ?

Gm Lm
yA1 = 0.205 kmol A/kmol
A = NH3
yB1 = 0.795 kmol B/kmol B = Air
Feed of NH3 in= 60.5 kmol/h C = H2O
Determination stages of tower
Solution

Determine:

The molar flow rate of entering gaseous mixture, G1

From Gaseous mixture inlet (at point 1),Feed NH3 in = 60.5 kmol/h

kmol A kmol A
0.205 kmol  G 1 60.5 h
1
kmol A
G1  60.5 h  0.205
kmol
kmol A
kmol A
G1  295.12 h
Determination stages of tower
Solution

Determine:

The molar flow rate of the raffinate, G2

From information, 95% of the entering NH3 is being absorbed.

kmol kmol
Unabsorbed NH = 0.05
3 60.5 h 3.025 h

The molar flow rate of the raffinate, G2 = Gm + unabsorbed NH3

kmol B kmol B kmol kmol B

Gm  0.795 kmol  G1  0.795 kmol  295.12 h  234.62 h

G2  Gm  unabsorbe dNH3  234.62  3.025  h

kmol
kmol
G2  237.645 h
Determination stages of tower
Solution

Determine:

The molar flow rate of the extract, L1

kmol kmol
Absorbed NH = 30.95 60.5 h 57.475 h

From information at L2, feed NH3 aq. in = 5500 kg/h

kg C kg C kg kg C
Lm  0.999 kg  L2  0.999 kg  5500 h  5494.5 h

kg A kg A kg kg A
L A2  0.001 kg  L2  0.001 kg  5500 h  5.5 h

Convert Lm and LA2 in kmol/h unit. Given:

Mwt NH3 = 17 Mwt H2O =

18
Determination stages of tower
Solution

kg C 1 kmol C kmol C
Lm  5494.5 h  18 kg C  305.25 h

L A2 kg A 1 kmol A kmol A h
 5.5   0.324
17 kg Ah
The molar flow rate of the extract, L1

L1  Lm  LA2  Absorbe dNH 3

L1  305.25  0.324  57.475

kmol
h
kmol
L1  363.049 h
Determination stages of tower
Solution

Determine: The mol ratio of NH3 in all stream

Location 1

Gas Feed stream, G1 Extract stream, L1

Mol of NH3 = 60.5 kmol/h Mol of NH3 = 0.324 + 57.475 kmol/h

= 57.799 kmol/h
Mol of Air, Gm = 234.62 kmol/h
Mol of Water, Lm = 305.25 kmol/h
mol of mol of
Y1' 3
X 1'  3
NH
mol of Air NH of wate
mol
60.5 kmol r 57.799
Y1' X 1' 
234.62 kmol kmol
Y1 '  0.258 305.25 kmol
X 1'  0.189

Coordinate for Location 1 = (X1’, Y1’) = (0.189,0.258)

Determination stages of tower
Solution
Location 2

Raffinate stream, G2 Liquid feed stream, L2

Mol of NH3 = 3.025 kmol/h Mol of NH3 = 0.324 kmol/h

Mol of Air, Gm = 234.62 kmol/h Mol of Water, Lm = 305.25 kmol/h

mol of NH mol of NH
Y2' X 2'  mol of wate3
3 mol of Air

3.025 kmol r
Y2' 2'
0.324 kmol
X 
234.62 kmol
305.25 kmol
Y2' 0.013 X 2'
 0.001

Coordinate for Location 2 = (X2’, Y2’) = (0.001,0.013)

Determination stages of tower
Solution

Plot the equilibrium line and the operating line in

order to calculate number of stages

No of theoretical stages = 5 theoretical stages

Determination stages of tower
0.3

0.275

0.25

0.225

0.2

0.175
y

0.15

0.125

0.1

0.075

0.05

0.025

0
0

0
.
0
2
5
 Determination stages of tower
Example 2
A bubble – cap absorption column is to be used to absorb ammonia,
NH3 by using water.

A gaseous mixture containing 15 mol% NH3 and 85 mol% air enters

the bottom of the absorption tower.

57 mol of gaseous NH3 enters the tower per hour, while 3.7 kg of pure
water enters the top of the tower per hour.

The column operates at the atmospheric pressure and at a constant

temperature of 30OC.

It is desired to absorb NH3 such as only 2.5% NH3 leaves the tower
with air. Determine the number of theoretical plates required for the
above process.

Equilibrium data is given as in Example 1. Assume that the effect of

water vapor in the gases is negligible.
Minimum Liquid Flow rate
Min. flow rate = Infinite number of stages = Minimum reflux in distillation.

as L decreases, line approaching equilibrium

y line

equilibrium line

Minimum value of flow rate is where:

Exit liquid [ ] = Equilibrium [ ]

or…
Inlet gas [ ] = Equilibrium [ ]