Modeling of Packed Absorption Tower For Volatile Organic Compounds Emission Control
Modeling of Packed Absorption Tower For Volatile Organic Compounds Emission Control
Modeling of Packed Absorption Tower For Volatile Organic Compounds Emission Control
Int.S.
J. Rahbar
Environ.and
Sci.T.Tech.
Kaghazchi Modeling of packed absorption...
© Autumn 2005, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 207-215
Received 8 February 2005; revised 12 June 2005; accepted 10 August 2005 onlined 30 September 2005
Abstract
Development of chemical industry and high vapor pressure of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been caused
that these materials recently be considered as a source of air pollution. These are different methods for separation of
VOC from air that absorption by suitable and selective solvent is an efficient method. In this research, mathematical
modeling of a packed absorption tower for separation of VOCs from air has been presented. Then, acetone vapors
separation in this tower and with Intalox saddle packing has been investigated. Concentration of acetone in inlet air
stream was 1.5 mol % which has reduced to 150 ppm (0.015 mol %) in effluent air stream. The results show that the packed
absorption tower with this type of packing can separate 99% of acetone vapors. Comparison of the results obtained by
Intalox saddle packing with the results obtained by another type of packing (with trade mark of Kerapak patented by
Sulzer Company) shows that the tower gives the same efficiency for acetone separation. Thus, the efficiency of absorption
process, mainly, depends on solvent type, composition of VOC in feed air, desired composition of VOC in outlet air (or
percentage of VOC separation) and pressure drop.
Introduction
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are released to the atmosphere. The fourth, solvent
generated by power plants, municipal waste substitution does not reduce the quantity of organic
combustors, motor vehicles, solvent use, and the emission and has been only marginally effective in
chemical and food industries. They are also emitted reducing ambient concentrations of photochemical
from natural sources like forests. VOCs in the oxidants (Butcher, 2005).
atmosphere have two major health impacts: some Carbon adsorption should continue to find use
are directly toxic and they can combine with nitrogen where the solvent has a relatively high market value
oxides to form ozone. These hazardous air pollutants and is amenable to recovery by such techniques.
are associated with cancer as well as adverse Incineration is expected to remain a viable alternative
neurological, reproductive, and developmental when organic concentrations can be maintained at
effects (Hwa et al., 2000 and Palmgren, et al., relatively high levels, so that auxiliary fuel
2001). Abatement methods for such emissions can requirements are not excessive, or when energy in
generally be classified into four categories: the hot exhaust elsewhere in the plant. Absorption
• “Add-on” technology to destroy (incineration), method is an effective way to reduce VOCs
recover (adsorption) or otherwise remove emission from the different chemical process plants.
(absorption wet scrubbing) VOC emissions from Absorption is a physical process that involves
exhaust gases. transfer of one or more components from the gas
• Reformulation of compounds to minimize organic phase into a liquid solvent. It is one of the so-called
solvent content-for example, low-solvent coatings stage wise or equilibrium-stage operations. In some
(waterborne, high-solids and powder coatings). cases, a portion of the solvent may be transferred
• Process modifications and/or improved house than the main intent of the absorption process.
keeping practices to reduce fugitive VOC. Absorption may be carried out on a once-through
• Substituting of solvents that are less basis. Generally, however, the solvents used are
photochemically reactive. expensive, so they are processed to remove the
The first three are positive reduction techniques absorbed gas and are then returned to the system
in that they actually reduce the mass of VOC (Buonicore, 1980).
M. S. Rahbar and T. Kaghazchi Modeling of packed absorption...
An absorber is shown schematically in Fig. 1. Lean line on the graphical plot for absorption. If all liquid-
solvent enters the top of the absorber and flows stream compositions are based on the pure solvent
downward in countercurrent contact with the rising rate (l0) and all gas-stream compositions are based
vapor stream. Through mixing and contact, either on the nondiffusing gas rate ( v N +1 ) to the absorber,
on plates or packing, solute is transferred from the the overall column material-balance becomes:
vapor phase to the liquid solvent. The ideal solvent
l 0 X 0 + v N +1 YN +1 = l 0 X N + v N +1 Y1 (5)
must be defined as nonvolatile, free (or low-cost),
no corrosive, stable, no viscous, no foaming, Along of tower l0 and vN+1 are constant.
noninflammable, and with an infinite solubility for And the component balance for any tray becomes:
the solutes. Solvent selection is still very much “cut l 0 X n −1 + v N +1 Yn +1 = l 0 X n + v N +1Yn (6)
and try” procedure. There is no infallible a priori The mole fraction of a component in any stream
way to determine that a given material will make a can be expressed as:
good solvent for a given process. For a vapor stream:
Absorption may involve the transfer of only one
soluble component from an inert gas phase or yn Yn
conversely may involve the transfer of a multitude Yn = ⇒ yn =
1 − Yn 1 + Yn
of solutes from the gas phase to the solvent. In one
of the most widely used applications of absorption, v N +1Yn (7)
or yn =
in natural-gas processing for liquids recovery, all Vn
components in the gas phase are soluble to some
extent in the liquid phase (McNulty and Chopey,
1994). This research has been done in Imam v1 l0
Hossein University during years of 2003-2004. V1 L0
y1 x0
Materials and Methods
Mathematical modeling of a packed absorption tower
Y1 X0
For the absorber shown in Fig. 1, a material balance
around the column for any component can be
written:
1
L 0 x 0 + VN +1 y N +1 = L N x N + V1 y1 (1)
For any plate in the absorber, the material balance 2
for any component would be:
L n −1 x n −1 + Vn +1 y n +1 = L n x n + Vn y n
(2)
The expression for the vapor-liquid equilibrium curve
can be written as: n
yn = K n x n (3)
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M. S. Rahbar and T. Kaghazchi Modeling of packed absorption...
xn Xn
Xn = ⇒ xn =
1− xn 1+ Xn
l 0 Yn (8)
or xn =
Ln
The equilibrium constant can be expressed in
terms of Y and X as:
v N +1 Yn K l Y
yn = = Knxn = n 0 n (9)
Vn Ln
or
⎛K V ⎞⎛ l 0 ⎞
Yn = ⎜⎜ n n ⎟⎟⎜⎜ ⎟⎟X n (10)
⎝ Ln ⎠⎝ v N +1 ⎠
The reciprocal of the group in the first parenthesis,
i.e., the group [Ln/(KnVn)], is know as the “absorption
factor”. Equation (5) can be rearranged to:
Fig. 2: Operating lines for an absorber
⎛ l ⎞ ⎛ lX ⎞
Yn +1 = ⎜⎜ 0 ⎟⎟X n + ⎜⎜ Y1 − 0 0 ⎟⎟ (11) The value of Lmin corresponds to a value of XN
⎝ v N +1 ⎠ ⎝ v N +1 ⎠ (leaving the bottom of the tower) in equilibrium with
The line is referred to as the “operating line” for YN+1, the solute concentration in the feed gas. It
the absorber because it primarily depends on the takes an infinite number of derived from (12) as
lean-solvent flow to the absorber (l0) and the rich- follows. For stage N, (3) becomes:
gas flow rate to the absorber (vN+1) (Walas, 2005
and Suleimandiab, 1982). YN +1 /(1 + YN +1 )
KN = (13)
Minimum absorbent flow rate
X N /(1 + X N )
Operating lines for four different absorbent flow
rates are shown in Fig. (2), where each operating Solving (13) for XN and substituting the result into
line passes through the terminal point, (Y1 , X0), at (12) gives
the top of the column, and corresponds to a different vN+1 (YN+1−Y1 )
liquid absorbent rate and corresponding slope, l0/vN+1. Lmin = (14)
To a chieve the desired value of Y 1 for {YN+1 /[YN+1 (KN − 1) + KN ]} − X0
given YN +1 , X 0 , and v N+1 , the solute–free
absorbent flow rate l0 must lie in the range of ∞ For dilute-solute conditions, where Y ≈ y
(operating line 1) to Lmin (operating line 4). The value
of the solute concentration in the outlet liquid, XN, and X ≈ x , (14) becomes
depends on l0 by a material balance on the solute
for the entire absorber. From (5), for n = N, ⎛ ⎞
⎜ ⎟
y − y1
v N +1 (YN +1 − Y1 ) L min = v N +1 ⎜ N +1 ⎟
⎜ y N +1 ⎟ (15)
l0 = (12) ⎜ − x0 ⎟
(X N − X 0 )
⎝ KN ⎠
Note that the operating line can terminate at the Furthermore, if the entering liquid contains no solute,
equilibrium line, as for operating line 4, but cannot that is, X 0 ≈ 0 , equation (15) becomes:
cross it because that would be a violation of the (16)
second law of thermodynamics. L min = v N +1K N (fraction of solute absorbed)
209
M. S. Rahbar and T. Kaghazchi Modeling of packed absorption...
210
M. S. Rahbar and T. Kaghazchi Modeling of packed absorption...
211
M. S. Rahbar and T. Kaghazchi Modeling of packed absorption...
212
M. S. Rahbar and T. Kaghazchi Modeling of packed absorption...
Outlet solvent 3.8541 0.0054 0.0054 0.00 0.00 0.00 716.523 0.9946 1.00
Table 6: Gas and liquid phase mass transfer coefficients in absorption tower
10000
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000 y = 2.9958x-0.9114
3000 Ntoy=Area=7.8322
2000
1000
0
0 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008 0.01 0.012 0.014 0.016
y
Fig. 5: Graphical calculation of NOG for acetone separation tower
213
M. S. Rahbar and T. Kaghazchi Modeling of packed absorption...
Purifide Air
water
D=1m
4.5 m
3.66 m
Acetone + Air
in diameter and of ceramic (Fig. 7). Table 2 presents Discussion and Conclusion
the specifications of inlet streams. The results in Table 7 and Fig. 5 showe that the
The Fig. 4 presents equilibrium curve of acetone tower with intaloxsaddle pcking can separate 99%
water at 21°C. Equilibrium curve can be assumed of acetone inlet by water as solvent and then, air
as equilibrium line as (Wike and Stockar, 2003) : with minimum content of acetone vapors leaves the
column. The result in Table 8 showe that kerapak
y = 1.4 x or Y = 1.4 X (44) packing gives less presuree drop and packet tower
Table 3 shows the column operation conditions. head in compariny with intaloxsaddle packing, but
the column with intalox saddel has less diameter for
Results the same efficiency. Packed absorption tower can
separate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in
The compositions of different streams are
efficient manner. The efficiency of absorption
presented in Table 4, Table 5 and 6 present the
process, mainly, depends on solvent type, composition
effective parameters for column diameter
of VOC in feed air, desired composition of VOC in
calculations and different mass transfer coefficients.
outlet air (or percentage of VOC separation) and
The number of transfer units is calculated by
pressure drop. Numerical example shows that effect
graphical method which is presented in Fig. 6. The
of type of packing on efficiency of packed
results of all of calculations are listed in Table 7 and
absorption for separation of VOC is negligible in
Fig. 5. For considering of role of packing type in
comparing with other parameters. In the cases
absorption tower efficiency for separation of
which solvent is cheap, ratio of L/Lmin can be high
acetone, another type of packing is applied. This
which causes decreasing of height of absorption
packing which is named “kerapak” (as trade mark)
tower and consequently, reduction of fixed capital
and patented by Sulzer Company. In opposite of
cost of plant and better maintenance and control.
Intalox saddle, this packing is a structural type. Fig.
7 presents the schema of two types of packing. The
absorption column mentioned above for acetone References
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M. S. Rahbar and T. Kaghazchi Modeling of packed absorption...
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215