2a. Packed Bed

Experiment No.
2 (a)
FLOW THROUGH PACKED BED
Aim:
1) To calculate the pressure drop per unit length of bed.
2) To plot modified friction factor vs. modified Reynolds No. on a log-log plot.
3) To verify Ergun equation, Kozney-Karman equation and Burke-Plummer equations.
Introduction:
Chemical Engineering operations commonly involve the use of packed beds. These are
devices in which a large surface area of contact between a liquid and a gas or a solid and a
gas or liquid is obtained for achieving rapid mass and heat transfer and for chemical reactions.
Packed bed column is a cylindrical column packed with certain packing material. The packing
can be randomly filled with small objects like Raschig rings or else it can be a specifically
designed structured packing. These packings enhance the surface area available for transfer
operation. There are many engineering applications that utilize a packed bed. The forms more
commonly implemented today are incorporated with systems involving adsorption of a solute,
distillation, filtration and separation (e.g., water purification via waste removal). In an ion
exchange or catalytic reactor, a single fluid (liquid or gas) flows through a bed of densely
compacted granules used.
Theory:
Flow through a packed bed can be regarded as fluid flow past some number of submerged
objects. When there is no flow through the packed bed, the net gravitational force (including
buoyancy) acts downward. When flow begins upward, friction forces act upward and
counterbalance the net gravitational force.
The frictional force can be expressed in terms of a friction factor. This leads to equations
describing the flow of a fluid past a collection of particles. There are several approaches to
treating fluid flow through packed beds. The most successful of these is the Ergun Equation,
which describes flow in both the laminar and turbulent regimes.
The Ergun equation is given by
p 1.75Vs 2 (1 −  ) 150 Vs (1 −  ) 2 ………….. (1)

= +
L DP 3 DP 2 3
Where
∆p is the pressure drop across the bed,
L is the length of the bed (not the column),
Dp is the equivalent spherical diameter of the packing,
ρ is the density of fluid,
μ is the dynamic viscosity of the fluid,
Vs is the superficial velocity
Ԑ is the void fraction (porosity) of the bed.
Reynolds number for porous medium is given by

Vs D p
Re PM =
 (1 −  )
Kozeny-Carman equation (2) describes the laminar flow. It is valid for RePM less than about 10.
p 150Vs (1 −  ) 2 L ……………… (2)

=
 DP 2 3 
Burke-Plummer equation (3) describes the turbulent flow. It is valid for Re PM greater than 1000.
p 1.75Vs 2 (1 −  ) L ………………… (3)

=
 DP 3
Modified Reynold’s number is defined as:  wVDP

Re m =
 (1 −  )
Modified friction factor is defined as: PL D p 3

fm =
 wV 2 (1 −  )
Where Dp is the equivalent diameter, ΔPL, ε, ρw, μ and V are pressure drop per unit length, bed
porosity, density of water, viscosity and velocity of water in bed respectively.
Experimental Setup:
The apparatus consists of a glass column packed with rasching rings. Sump tank with pump is
provided for water circulation. Control valve, by pass valve and rotameter provided in pipeline
for flow control. Three pressure tapings are provided in the packed column. Pressure difference
between taping 1 & 2 or 1 & 3 can be measured by manometer after opening corresponding
valves. Flow rate can be measured by the rotameter provided.
Fig1. Block diagram of packed bed
Requirements:
1. Fluid - water
2. Stopwatch
3. Measuring Cylinder
Procedure:
1) Close all the valves V1 to V9.
2) Fill the sump tank 3/4th of its capacity with water.
3) Fill mercury in the manometer by opening air vent valves V6-V7 and then close both the
valves.
4) Open bypass valve V2.
5) Connect electric supply to the set-up.
6) Switch ON the pump.
7) Open control valve V1 and set the flow rate to maximum value, by observing rotameter.
8) Close air vent valves V6-V7.
9) Set the flow of water by control valve V1, bypass valve V2 and rotameter.
10) Note down the flow rate of water.
11) Record the manometer reading for taping 1 & 2 by opening corresponding pressure
taping valves V3-V4.
12) Record the manometer reading for taping 1 & 3 by opening corresponding pressure
taping valves V3-V5.
13) Repeat the experiment for different flow rate of water.
Precautions:
1) Never close completely the control valve V1 and bypass valve V2 simultaneously.
2) To prevent clogging of moving parts, run pump at least once in a fortnight.
Observations:
Data:
Acceleration due to gravity g = 9.81 m/s2
Viscosity of fluid μ = 8.29 x 10-4 N-s/m²
Bed porosity ∈ = 0.66
Density of manometer fluid ρm = 13600 kg/m3
Density of water ρw = 1000 kg/m3
Distance between pressure taping L = 0.36 m (For taping 1 & 2)
Distance between pressure taping L = 0.72 m (For taping 1 & 3)
Diameter of column D = 0.048 m
Equivalent Diameter of packing DP = 0.00847 m
Observation Table:
Flow rate Select the pressure tapping (1&2)/(1&3)

S.No.
Fw (LPH) h1 (cm) h2 (cm)
Calculations:
Modified Reynold’s number  wVDP
Re m =
 (1 −  )
Fw 10−3 (m /s)  D 2 (m )
3 2
Where, Q (m/s)
V= Q= A=
A 3600 4
Modified friction factor PL D p 3

fm =
 wV 2 (1 −  )
Where, P P = (  m −  w ) g  h (N/m3) h2 − h1 (m)

PL = h =
L 100
Calculation Table:
S.No. ΔPL Rem fm
Result:
1) Plot the modified friction factor ( f m ) Vs modified Reynolds number (Rem) on log-log plot.
2) Determine the coefficient from the above plot and compare with Kozney Karman
Equation, Burke- Plummer Equation and Ergun Equations.
Sources of errors:
Report the possible sources of error found in the experiment and the observations. Discuss
exactly how these affect the experimental data (i.e. will the readings be larger or will they be
smaller due to the presence of a particular source).
Discussion:
1) Any additional inferences from experimental data
2) Give examples of five industrial uses of Packed Bed reactors.
References:
1) McCabe, Smith (2005). Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering. 7th Ed. NY: McGraw-
Hill. pp 163-166.
2) Foust, Alan S. Wenzel, Leonard A. Clump, Curtis W. Maus, Louis Andersen, L. Bryce
(1980). Principles of Unit Operations. 2nd Ed. NY: John Wiley & Sons. pp 637-6

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2a. Packed Bed

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Experiment No.

FLOW THROUGH PACKED BED

p 1.75Vs 2 (1 −  ) 150 Vs (1 −  ) 2 ………….. (1)

Reynolds number for porous medium is given by

p 150Vs (1 −  ) 2 L ……………… (2)

p 1.75Vs 2 (1 −  ) L ………………… (3)

Modified Reynold’s number is defined as:  wVDP

Modified friction factor is defined as: PL D p 3

Fig1. Block diagram of packed bed

Flow rate Select the pressure tapping (1&2)/(1&3)

Modified friction factor PL D p 3

Where, P P = (  m −  w ) g  h (N/m3) h2 − h1 (m)

S.No. ΔPL Rem fm

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