6.equipments For Gas Liquid Operations PDF

Mass Transfer Operation-I (2150501)
Semester – V (CHEM)
Chapter Name: Equipments for Gas Liquid Operations
SPARGED VESSELS (BUBBLE COLUMNS)
A sparger is a device for introducing a stream of gas in the form of small bubbles into a
liquid.
If the vessel diameter is small, the sparger, located at the bottom of vessel, may simply be
an open tube through which the gas issues into the liquid.
For vessels of diameter greater than roughly 0.3 m, it is better to use several orifices for
introducing the gas to ensure better gas distribution.
In that case, the orifices may be holes, from 1.5 to 3 mm (1/16 to 1/4 in.) in diameter,
drilled in a pipe distributor placed horizontally at the bottom of the vessel.
Porous plates made of ceramics, plastics, or sintered metals are also used, but their fine pores
are more readily plugged with solids, which may be present in the gas or the liquid.
The purpose of the sparging may be contacting the sparged gas with the liquid.
On the other hand, it may be simply a device for agitation.
It can provide the gentlest of agitation, used for example in washing nitroglycerin with
water; it can provide vigorous agitation as in the Pachuca tank.
Air agitation in the extraction of radioactive liquids offers the advantages of freedom from
moving parts, but it may require decontamination of the effluent air.
There is no standardization of the depth of liquid; very deep tanks, 15 m (50 ft) or more, may
be advantageous despite the large work of compression required for the gas.
Ecknenfelder developed an expression for transfer of oxygen from air bubbles rising in a
column of still air :
Prepared By: Mr. Dhiraj Tatar

A bubble column reactor is an apparatus used to generate and control gas-liquid chemical
reactions.
It consists of a vertically-arranged cylindrical column filled with liquid, at the bottom of

which gas is inserted.
The introduction of gas takes place at the bottom of the column and causes a turbulent stream
to enable an optimum gas exchange.
Numerous forms of construction exist.
The mixing is done by the gas sparging and it requires less energy than mechanical stirring.
The liquid can be in parallel flow or counter-current.

Bubble column reactors are characterized by a high liquid content and a moderate phase
boundary surface.
The bubble column is particularly useful in reactions where the gas-liquid reaction is slow in
relation to the absorption rate.
Bubble column reactors belong to the general class of multiphase reactors which consist of
three main categories namely, the trickle bed reactor (fixed or packed bed), fluidized bed
reactor, and the bubble column reactor.
Bubble columns are the devices in which gas, in the form of bubbles, come in contact with
the liquid.
The purpose may be simply to mix the two phases or substances are transferred from one
phase to another i.e. when the gaseous reactants are dissolved in liquid or when liquid
reactant products are stripped.
The bubble column in which the gas is fed into the column at the bottom and rises in the
liquid escaping from it at the upper surface; the gas is consumed to a greater or lesser extent
depending on the intensity of mass transfer and chemical reaction.
PACKED TOWERS
Packed columns/towers are generally used for two phases in contact with each other. Normally
one of the fluids will preferentially wet the packing and will flow as a thin film over its surface
while the second fluid passes through the remaining volume of the column with gas/vapour
liquid systems, the liquid will normally be wetting the packing and gas/vapour will rise through
the column making close contact with the down flowing fluid. In a packed column used for
distillation, the more volatile component in transferred to vapour phase progressively while
less volatile condenses but in liquid.
Packed columns have also been used extensively for liquid-liquid extraction processes where
a solute is transferred from one solvent to another.

Construction details for packed towers-
The device consists of a cylindrical column equipped with a gas inlet and distributing space
at the bottom, a liquid inlet and distribution at the top, gas and liquid outlets at the top and
bottom respectively and a supported mass of invert solid shapes called packings, the above
description is for gas absorption equipment.
In general, shell of the column may be constructed from metal, ceramics, glass or plastics
material or from metal with corrosion resistant lining.
The columns should be mounted truly vertically for uniform liquid distribution.
Distributors: It the top of the packed column bed, a liquid distributor of suitable design
provides for the uniform irrigation of the packing.
Different types of distributor are as follows :
(1) Simple orifice type giving very fine distribution but correct sizing is essential for a
particular duty and should not be used where there is a risk of hole plugging.
(2) Notched chimney type, having good range of flexibility for medium and high flow rates
and is not prone to blockage.
(3) Notched trough distributor type, suitable for large tower sizes and high gas rates.
(4) Perforated ring type of distributor for use with absorption columns where high gas rates
and relatively small liquid rates are encountered.
The type is specially suitable where pressure drop must be minimised.
Redistribution Plate:
If the tower is high, distributing plates are necessary for uniform liquid flow.
These plates are needed at intervals of about 2.5 to 3 column diameters for Rasching ring and
5-10 columns diameters for pall rings, but are usually not more than 6 m apart.

Packing Supports: An open space at the bottom of the tower is required for ensuring good
distribution of the gas into the packing.
Consequently, the packing must be supported above the open space.
The support must be reasonably strong to carry the weight of a reasonable height of packing
and must have ample free area for the flow of liquid and gas with a minimum of restriction.
The simplest support is a grid with relatively wide spaced bars which a few layers of
relatively large Rasching or partition rings are stacked.
The gas injection plate is designed to provide separate passages for gas and liquid so that
they need not complete for passage through the same opening.
This is aerated by providing the gas inlets to the bed at a point above the level at which
liquid leaves the bed.
Entrainment Eliminators: When gas velocities are very high, the gas leaving the top of the
packing may carry off droplets of liquid as a mist.
This can be removed by mist eliminator, through which gas must pass, installed above the
liquid inlet. A layer of mesh (of wire, Teflon, polyethy lene etc.).
Specially knitted with 98 to 99% voids, about 100 mm thick will virtually collect all mist
particles.
Other types of eliminators include cyclones, venetian blind arrangements.
A matter of dry random packing is also effective.

Fig: packed tower
Hold Down Plate: It is placed at the top of a packed column to minimise movement and
breakage of the packing caused by the surges in flow rates. The gas inlet should be design for
uniform flow over cross section of the gas and should be separate from liquid inlet.

Packings:
They are of two major types, random and regular.
Random packings are slightly dumped into the tower during installation and allowed to fall
at random.
The materials used earlier like stone, gravel, lumps of coke etc., through inexpensive
provided small surfaces and had poor fluid flow characteristics.
Common types of random packings are :
(1) Rasching rings
(2) Lessing rings.
(3) Saddle shaped packigns
(4) Pall rings (Flexi rings).
(5) Cascade rings.
(6) Fellerates made of plastics.
Generally, the random packings offer larger specific surface in the smaller sizes, but cost less
per unit volume in larger sizes.
During installation packings are poured into the tower to fall at random and in order to
prevent breakage of ceramic or carbon packings.
The tower may first be filled with water to reduce the velocity of fall.
Regular packings are of great variety.
They offer the advantages of low-pressure drop for the gases and grater possible fluid flow
rates, usually at the expense of more costly installation than random packings.
Stacked Rashing rings are economically practical only in very large sizes, wood grids or
hurdle is inexpensive and frequently used where large void volumes are required like liquid
carrying suspended solids.
Knitted or gauge like arrangements provides a large interfacial surface of a contacted liquid
and gas and a very gas pressure drop used for vacuum distillation.

Random Versus Structured Packing:
 At low liquid rates (< 20 gpm/ ft2), a higher ap for structured packings relative to
random packings makes them more efficient.
 For random and structured packings of the same ap values, the latter yield lower values
of the packing parameter, Fp. This indicates the latter yield a greater capacity (< 20
gpm/ ft2).
 Structured packings yield much lower pressure drop per unit length of tower height.
 Structured packigns do not perform well at high pressures and/or liquid flow rates:
10 gpm/ft2 > 100 - 200 psia.
 Structured packings perform less well with aqueous liquid systems and those which
possess high stress. The latter property indicates that larger droplets form, which
indicates that poorer wetting will occur on the surface of metal structured packings.
 Liquid hold up: similar values for structured and random packings.
 Structured packings are very susceptible to corrosion.
 Structured packings are much less sensitive to surges and plant upsets. A packed tower
operating in the loading region can be easily induced into the flooding region of
operation with plant upsets.
 Inspection and maintenance of structured packings are much more difficult than
random packings.
 Cost: A trade-off exists. The cost per unit mass is 3-10 times more expensive for
structured compared to random packings; but, the former is more efficient (lower
HETP) due to lower pressure drop. Also, pumping costs are less for structured
packings because of the lower pressure drop and the shorter columns.
Tray tower and its associated problems

Tray towers are vertical cylinders in which the liquid and the gas contacted in stepwise
fashion on trays or plates as shown in Fig.
The liquid enters at the top and flow downward by gravity.
On the way it flows across each tray and through a downspout to the tray below.
The gas passes upward through opening at one sort or another in the tray, then bubbles
through the liquid to form a froth, disengages from the froth and passes on the next tray.
The overall effect is a multiple counter current contact of gas and liquid.
Each tray of the tower is a stage, since on the tray the fluids are brought into intimate
contact, interphase diffusion occurs and fluids are separated.
(i) Flooding:
High pressure drop may lead directly to a condition of flooding.
When a large pressure difference in the space between trays, the level of liquid leaving a tray
relatively low pressure and entering one of high pressure must necessarily assume an
elevated position in the downspouts as shown in Fig.
As the pressure difference is increased due to increased rate of flow of either gas or liquid,
the level in the downspout will rise further to permit the liquid to enter the lower tray.
Ultimately the liquid level may reach that on the tray above.
Further increases in either flow rate then aggravates the conditions rapidly and the liquid will
fill the entire space between the trays.
The tower is then flooded, the tray efficiency falls to a low value, the flow of gas is erratic
and liquid may be forced out of the exit pipe at the top of the tower.
(ii) Priming:
For liquid-gas combinations which tend to foam excessively, high gas velocities may lead to
a condition of priming.
Here the foam persists throughout the space between trays and great amount of liquid is
carried by the gas from one tray to the tray above.
This is an exaggerated condition of back mixing.
The liquid so carried recalculates between trays and the added liquid-handling load increases
the gas pressure drop sufficiently to lead to flooding.

(iii)Coning:
If the liquids are too low, the gas rising through the openings of the tray may push the liquid
away is allied as coning.
In this situation, contact of the gas and liquid is poor.
(iv)Weeping:
If the gas rate is too low, much of the liquid may rain down through the openings of the tray
is called as weeping.
Thus failing to obtain the benefit of complete flow over the trays.
(v)Dumping:
At very low gas rates, none of the liquid reaches the downspouts, this is called as dumping.

General Characteristics:
Certain design features common to most frequently used tray designs are as follows :
(1) Shell and Trays:

The tower may be made of any number of materials depending upon the corrosion conditions
expected.
Glass, glass-lined metal, plastics and metals (frequently) are used.
For metal tower the shells are usually cylindrical for reasons of cost.
In order to facilitate cleaning, small-diameter tower are fitted with hand-holes & large towers
with manways.
The trays are usually made of sheet metals, the thickness governed by the corrosion
resistivity.
The trays must be stiffen or supported and must be fastened to the shell to prevent movement
owing to surges of gas with allowance for thermal expansion.
(2)Tray spacing:
Tray spacing is usually chosen on the basis of expediency in construction, maintenance and
cost.
It should provide adequate insurance against flooding and excessive entrainment.
For special cases where tower height is an important consideration, spacing of 15 cm (6 in)
have been used.
for all except the smallest tower diameters, 50 cm (20 in) in would seem to be more
workable minimum from the point of view of cleaning the tray.
(3) Tower Diameter:
The tower diameter and consequently its cross-sectional area must be sufficiently large to
handle the gas and liquid rates within the region of satisfactory operation of figure (7.6).
The tower diameter required may be decreased by use of increased tray spacing, so well as
diameter, passes through a minimum at some optimum tray spacing.

(4)Downspouts:
The liquid is led from one tray to the next by means of downspouts, or downcomers.
These may be circular pipes or preferably portions of the tower cross-section set wide for
liquid by vertical plates.
Since the liquid is agitated into a froth on the tray, adequate residence time must be allowed
in the downspout to permit disengaging the gas from the liquid, so that only clear liquid enter
the tray below.
The downspout must be brought close enough to the tray below to seal into the liquid on that
tray thus preventing gas from rising up the downspout to short-circuit the tray above.
(5)Weirs:
The depth of liquid on the tray required for gas contacting is maintained by an overflow
(outlet) weir, which may or may not be a continuation of the downspout plate.
Straight weirs are mast common, multiple V-notch weirs maintain a liquid depth, which is
less sensitive to variations.
In liquid flow rate and consequently also from departure of the tray from levelness.
Inlet weirs may results in a hydraulic jump of liquid and are not generally recommended.
A weir of length of from 60 to 80 percent of the tower diameter is used.

(6)Liquid-Flow:
Several schemes are used for directing the liquid flow as shown in Fig.
Reverse flow can be used for relatively small towers but the most common arrangement is
the single pass cross flow trays for large diameter towers, radial or split flow can be used but
cross- flow tray are more preferred due to their low cost.
Commercial columns upto 50 ft in diameter use cascade designs of bubble cap trays while
two pass trays are common for diameters of 3 to 6 m and more passes for larger diameter.
Bubble Cap Trays:
On these trays chimneys or risers lead the gas through the tray and underneath caps
surmounting the risers.
A series of slots is cut into the rim of each cap and the gas passes through them to contact the
liquid, which flows past the caps.
The liquid depth is such that the caps are covered or nearly so.
Design characteristics are available in some standard books.

They offer the distinct advantage of being able to handle very wide ranges of liquid and gas
flow rates satisfactorily (the ratio of design rate to minimum rate is the turndown ratio) but
they cost double of that of sieve, counterflow and valve trays.
Sieve(Perforated Trays):
These are perforated trays and now-a-days are very popular due to their low cost.
The principal part of the tray is a horizontal sheet of perforated metal across which the liquid
flows with the gas passing upward through the perforations.
The gas such dispersed expands the liquid into a turbulent froth, characterized by a very
large.
Interfacial surface for mass transfer.
The trays are subject to flooding because of backup of liquids in the downspouts or excessive
entrainment (priming).
Standard books provide design considerations of these trays.
Proprietary Trays:
Many decades the basic design of tray tower internals remained relatively static, recent years
following types of trays are gaining much importance.
(i)Linde Trays:
These designs have involved improvements both in perforation design and the tray
arrangements.
Figure , shows the slotted tray, an alteration in the perforation pattern to influence the flow of
liquid.
The slots distributed throughout the tray, not only reduce the hydraulic gradient in large trays
(over 10 m diameter) but are also so deployed that they influence the direction of liquid flow
to eliminate stagnant areas and achieve, as nearly as possible, desirable plug flow of liquid
across the tray.
Fig. shows a bubbling promoter, or inclined perforated area at the liquid entrance to the tray.
This reduces excessive weeping and produces more uniform froth throughout the tray.

(ii)Valve Trays:
These are sieve trays with largely (roughly 35 to 40 mm diameter) variable openings for gas
flow.
The perforations are covered with movable caps which rise as the flow rate of gas increases.
At low gas rates and correspondingly small openings, the tendency to weep is reduced.
At high gas rates the gas pressure drop remains low but not as low as that for sieve trays.
(iii) Counterflow Trays:
These tray-resembling devices differ from conventional trays in that there are no ordinary
downspouts : liquid and vapour flow counter-currently through the same openings.
Tray Efficiency:


Comparison Between Tray and Packed Columns
1.Liquid Hold Up:
Packed towers will provide a substantially smaller liquid hold up.
This is important where liquid deterioration occur with high temperature and short holding
times are essential.
It is also important in obtaining sharp separations in batch distillation.
2.Liquid Cooling:
Cooling coils are more readily built into tray tower and liquid can more readily be removed
from trays, to be passed through coolers and returned, than packed towers.
3.Liquid/Gas Ratios:
Very low values of this ratio are best handled in tray towers.
High values are best handled in packed towers.
4.Gas Pressure Drop:
Packed towers will ordinarily require asmaller pressure drop.
5.Side Streams:
These are more readily removed from tray towers.
6.Corrosion:
Packed towers for different corrosion problems are likely to be less costly.
7.Floor Loading :
Plastic packed towers are lighter in weight, than tray towers, which in turn are lighter than
ceramic or metal packed towers.
In any event, the floor loading should be designed for accidental complete filling of tower
with liquid.
8.Foaming Systems:
Packed towers operate with less bubbling of gas through the liquid and are more suitable.
9.Cleaning: Frequent cleaning is easier with tray towers.

10. Large Temperature Fluctuations:
Fragile packing tend to be crushed. Tray or metal packings are satisfactory.
Advantages of Packed Column/Towers :
(i) Packed towers will ordinarily require a smaller pressure drop, this is useful for vacuum
distillation.
(ii) Packed tower will produce a substantially lower liquid hold up.
(iii) Packed towers can handle high values of liquid to gas ratio.
(iv) Packed towers can operate with less bubbling of gas through liquid and are suitable for
foaming systems.
Disadvantages of Packed Column/Towers :
(i) Very low values of liquid/gas ratio cannot be handled in packed columns.
(ii) Liquid cooling cannot be easily achieved in packed column.
(iii) Side streams are not easily removed from packed towers.
(iv) Frequent cleaning is troublesome in packed towers.

VENTURI SCRUBBERS:
In these devices, which are similar to ejectors, the gas is drawn into the throat of a Venturi by
a stream of absorbing liquid sprayed into the convergent duct section, as shown in Fig.
The device is used especially where the liquid contains as suspended solid, which would
plug the otherwise more commonly used tray and packed towers, and where low gas-
pressure drop is required.
These applications have become increasingly important in recent years, as in the absorption
of sulfur dioxide from furnace gases with slurries of limestone, lime, or magnesia.
Some very large installations (10 m diameter) are in service for electric utilities.
The cocurrent flow produces only a single stage, but this becomes less important when a
chemical reaction occurs, as in the case of the sulfur dioxide absorbers.

Multistage countercurrent effects can be obtained by using several venturies.
The device is also used for removing dust particles from gases.
WETTED WALL TOWER:

A thin film of liquid running down inside of a vertical pipe, with gas flowing either co-
currently or counter currently, constitutes wetted-wall tower.
Such devices have been used for theoretical studies of mass transfer as the interfacial surface
between the passes is readily kept under control and measurable.
Industrially, they have been used as absorbers for Hydrochloric acid, where absorption is
accompanied by a very large evolution of heat.
In this case the wetted all tower is surrounded with rapidly flowing cooling water.
Multitube devices have also been used for distillation where the liquid film is generated at
the top by partial condensation of rising vapour.
Gas-pressure drop in these towers is probably lower than in any other gas-liquid contacting
device a given set of operating conditions.
Measurement of the rate of evaporation of the liquid into the gas stream over knows surface
permits calculation of mass transfer coefficient for the gas phase.
Use of different gases and liquid provides variation of Schmidt number.

SPRAY TOWER
In the spray tower, gas enters at the bottom and the liquid is introduced through a series of
sprays at the top.
The performance of the units in general is rather poor because the droplets tend to coalesce
after they have fallen through a new feet and the interfacial surface is thereby seriously
reduced.
Although there is considerably turbulence in the gas phase, there is little circulation of liquid
within the drops and the residence of equipment liquid of equivalent liquid film tends to be
high.
The flow may be countercurrent as in vertical columns with liquid sprayed downward or
parallel as in horizontal spray chambers.
The devices have the advantage of pressure drop through the spray nozzle.
The tendency for entrainment of the liquid by gas leaning is considerable and mist eliminator
will almost always be the necessary.
The interface can be run above the top distribution, below the bottom distribution or in the
middle depending upon where the best performance is achieved.

Because of severe back mixing (axial) it is difficult to achieve the equivalent of more than
one or two theoretical stages or transfer upto on one side of the surface.
(1) Distributor : The onfices or nozzle for introducing the dispersed phase are usually not
smaller than 0.13 cm diameter in order to avoid cloggings not larger than 0.64 cm in order to
avoid the formation of excessively large drops.
(2) Applications : Spray towers are largely used for the removal of SO2, from edges of
towers, flue gases that are exhausted from large coal forced power-generating stations.
They are used for absorption of NH3 in water and also in air humidification.
Spray Chambers :
Spray absorbers are currently being applied on a large scale on a
commercial basis in system for removing SO2 from boiler flue gases that are being generated
from large coal fixed power generator station.
Spray chambers are particularly advantageous when the lower pressure drop is in the
incoming gas stream.
As there is no packing in spray absorber liquid phase, residence time in spray absorber is
very low in order of 1 to 10 seconds as the gases contact in time.
Spray absorbers are limited to absorption duties and especially applicable to the system in
which the rate of transfer in gas phase, the mass transfer is limited.
The condition will however exist in all liquid phase.
Residence can be neglected and backpressure of the solute over the liquid is small.
Advantages of Spray Towers:
(1) It is simple in construction than packed columns.
(2) It’s cost is less.
(3) It can be used for scale forming or solids containing liquid.
(4) It can operate over a wide range of flowrate.
(5) Cooling can be installed easily.
(6) Pressure drop is low as compared to packed towers.

Disadvantages of Spray Towers :
(1) It requires high recalculation of continuous phase, which increase pumping cost.
(2) It’s efficiency is lower than packed towers.
(3) There is turbulence due to axial mixing resulting in poor performance.
(4) Due to high recalculation, the countercurrent flow is not maintained upto 6 m, may
require obtaining a theoretical stage.
Note-
Content from reference book- [Robert_Ewald_Treybal]_Mass-transfer_operations





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Mass Transfer Operation-I (2150501)

SPARGED VESSELS (BUBBLE COLUMNS)

drilled in a pipe distributor placed horizontally at the bottom of the vessel.

On the other hand, it may be simply a device for agitation.

column of still air :

Prepared By: Mr. Dhiraj Tatar

It consists of a vertically-arranged cylindrical column filled with liquid, at the bottom of

Numerous forms of construction exist.

The liquid can be in parallel flow or counter-current.

Prepared By: Mr. Dhiraj Tatar

Prepared By: Mr. Dhiraj Tatar

Construction details for packed towers-

description is for gas absorption equipment.

provides for the uniform irrigation of the packing.

Different types of distributor are as follows :

and is not prone to blockage.

and relatively small liquid rates are encountered.

The type is specially suitable where pressure drop must be minimised.

Prepared By: Mr. Dhiraj Tatar

distribution of the gas into the packing.

Consequently, the packing must be supported above the open space.

packing may carry off droplets of liquid as a mist.

Other types of eliminators include cyclones, venetian blind arrangements.

A matter of dry random packing is also effective.

Prepared By: Mr. Dhiraj Tatar

Fig: packed tower

Prepared By: Mr. Dhiraj Tatar

They are of two major types, random and regular.

Common types of random packings are :

(1) Rasching rings

(2) Lessing rings.

(3) Saddle shaped packigns

(4) Pall rings (Flexi rings).

(5) Cascade rings.

(6) Fellerates made of plastics.

per unit volume in larger sizes.

Regular packings are of great variety.

Prepared By: Mr. Dhiraj Tatar

Random Versus Structured Packing:

Tray tower and its associated problems

The liquid enters at the top and flow downward by gravity.

High pressure drop may lead directly to a condition of flooding.

This is an exaggerated condition of back mixing.

Prepared By: Mr. Dhiraj Tatar

In this situation, contact of the gas and liquid is poor.

Prepared By: Mr. Dhiraj Tatar

(1) Shell and Trays:

Glass, glass-lined metal, plastics and metals (frequently) are used.

It should provide adequate insurance against flooding and excessive entrainment.

(3) Tower Diameter:

Prepared By: Mr. Dhiraj Tatar

A weir of length of from 60 to 80 percent of the tower diameter is used.

Prepared By: Mr. Dhiraj Tatar

Bubble Cap Trays:

Design characteristics are available in some standard books.

Prepared By: Mr. Dhiraj Tatar

Interfacial surface for mass transfer.

Standard books provide design considerations of these trays.

following types of trays are gaining much importance.