MSOCHA3 Multistage Operations 3A BET

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

(FEBE)

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

MSOCHA3: Multistage Operations 3A

TUTORIAL 3

Multicomponent Absorption
NB: Please do not ‘just copy’ from other students. Try to understand. Once you
can solve these problems you will be able to solve any in the tests, examinations
and your professional life as chemical/ process engineers.

QUESTION 1

The exit gas from an alcohol fermenter consists of an air-CO2 mixture containing 10
mol% CO2 that is to be absorbed in a 5.0 N solution of triethanolamine, containing 0.04
mol of carbon dioxide per mole of amine solution. If the column operates isothermally at
25 °C, if the exit liquid contains 78.4 of the CO2 in the feed gas to the absorber, and if
the absorption is carried out in a six-theoretical-plate column, calculate:
a) The exit gas composition
b) The moles of amine solution required per mole of feed gas

The equilibrium data is available on the plot of Y vs X.

Page 1 of 5
MSOCHA3 Multistage Operations 3A BET

QUESTION 2

Ninety-five percent of the acetone vapour in an 85 vol% air stream is to be absorbed by

countercurrent contact with pure water in a valve-tray column with an expected overall
tray efficiency of 50%. The column will operate essentially at 20 °C and 101 kPa
pressure. Equilibrium data for acetone-water at these conditions are available on the plot
of Y vs X. Calculate:
a) The minimum value of 𝐿′/𝐺′, the ratio of moles of water per mole of air
b) The number of equilibrium stages required using a value of 𝐿′/𝐺′ of 1.25 times
the minimum.
c) The concentration of acetone in the exit water.

Use a basis of 100 kmol/h for the feed flow rate.

QUESTION 3

The effluent gas from a refinery of composition 85mol % CH4, 5 mol % C2H6, 6 mol %
C3H8 and 4 mol % n-C4H10 is fed into an absorber to reduce the propane content of the
effluent before recycling. The absorber is operated at 40oC and 500kPa (abs) and 80% of
the C3H8 (propane) must be removed. Lean oil is used in the adsorber to remove propane
and contains 0.5 mo% C4H10 but none of the other lighter compounds

The molar ratio of the entering oil to entering gas (Lo/VN+1) is 2.0
The k values are given by the following equation (Where T is the operating
temperature of the absorber in oC)

(a) Determine the number of equilibrium stages based on the amount of C3H8 that
must be removed.
(b) Determine the compositions of the gas and liquid streams leaving the absorber.
The initial values of Lo and VN+1 can be used for this calculation.

QUESTION 4

The heavier component has to be removed from a gas stream by absorption. An

absorption column operates at 2550 kPa. The entering liquid is high molecular mass oil
which contains 0.45% of the heaviest component but none of the lighter components. The

Page 2 of 5
MSOCHA3 Multistage Operations 3A BET

total molar flowrate of the oil entering the absorber is 150 kmol/hr. The affluent gas that
enters the absorber at 800 kmol/hr contains 20 mol% C1, 46 mol% C2, 30 mol% C3, 4
mol% n-C4. There are 6 stages in the column (N=6). The heaviest component (n-C4H10) is
required to be removed from the affluent gas.
It can be assumed that A and S values can be based on the entering values of L and V and
K-values are constant and estimated at an average of the entering and exiting
temperatures and provided in Table 4.1 below.
Table 4.1. Ki-values for components
Component Ki-values
C1 5.08
C2 2.45
C3 1.34
n-C4 0.075
OIL 0.0001

(a) Calculate the molar flowrates of the components in the liquid stream and the
affluent gas entering the absorber. Tabulate your answers.
(b) Calculate the compositions and flowrates of the vapour (V1) and liquid (L7)
streams leaving the absorber. Tabulate your answers in an appropriate table.

QUESTION 5

Air containing 1.6 vol-% sulfur dioxide is scrubbed with pure water in a packed column
of 1.5 m2 cross-sectional area and 3.5 m height packed with no. 2 plastic Super Intalox
saddles, at a pressure of 1 atm. Total gas flow rate is 0.062 kmol/s, the liquid flow rate is
2.2 kmol/s, and the outlet gas SO2 concentration is y = 0.004. At the column temperature,
the equilibrium relationship is given by y* = 40x.

a) What is 𝐿/𝐿min?
b) Calculate NOG and compare your answer to that for the number of theoretical
stages required.
c) Determine HOG and the HETP from the operating data.
d) Calculate (KG a) from the data where 𝐻𝑂𝐺=𝐺𝐾𝐺𝑎𝑃𝑆

Page 3 of 5
MSOCHA3 Multistage Operations 3A BET

FORMULAE AND CORRELATIONS

(fraction of solute absorbed)

(fraction of solute stripped)

(vi )1  (vi ) N 1 Ai  (li ) 0 (1  s i )

(li ) N 1  (li ) 0  (vi ) N 1  (vi )1

Page 4 of 5
MSOCHA3 Multistage Operations 3A BET

Page 5 of 5