Dr Colin Hare
Chemical Engineering Programmes,
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
ENG2109 – Transfer Processes: Absorption Column Design Coursework
Submission Deadline: 4pm on Monday 30th April 2018
Submission Format: to be completed individually OR as a group of up to four people. For groups, only
one student should submit, with a declaration page attached which names the contributors to the
submission, this page should be signed and dated by all contributors. The completed assignment should
e submitted as a pdf file with a completed coversheet and your answers in the relevant folder in Su
ey
Learn.
An absorption column is required to remove CO2 from a 200 kmol/hr flue gas stream using aquaeous
monoethanolamine (MEA) at a flow rate of 710 kmol/hr. The gas feed to the bottom of the column contains
12 mole% CO2 in air, and the exhaust gas stream from the column should contain no more than 0.5 mole%
CO2. The MEA fed to the top of the column is taken from a regeneration column and contains 2 mole%
CO2. Packing in the form of ceramic raschig rings are available in sizes from 0.5 to 3 inches, the column
should be designed for a pressure drop of 0.25 inches H2O per foot of packing.
a) Determine the fraction of CO2 in the liquid stream leaving the column and evaluate the height and
diameter of the column required for each choice of packing. [60%]
) Assess the operating and flooding pressure drop for each packing a
angement and recommend a
packing size for this operation? [20%]
c) Sketch the chosen column a
angement. [10%]
Marks for clear and professional presentation of your work (pro rata of the work done) [10%]
Equili
ium data:
x XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX0.055
y XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX
Packing data:
Nominal size (in) 1/2 5/8 3/4 1 1 1/2 2 3
Packing factor, F (ft XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX
Interfacial area, a (m2/m XXXXXXXXXX28 19
ΔPflooding = 0.12 F0.7
where ΔPflooding is in inches H2O/ft of packing and F is in ft-1
Other data:
kOG = 0.8 mol.m-2.s-1 ρl = 1000 kg.m-3, ρg = 1.05 kg.m-3, μ = 0.6 Pa.s, η = 0.05 cSt, �̅�MEA solution = 22.3 g/mol
Important:
Indicate clearly, but succinctly, the procedure that you have followed to obtain the results. The total length
of the written text is not expected to exceed 1000 words. Produce clear and professional diagrams,
whenever relevant.
Double-check that your solution can be verified with “Turn It In”. Solutions that cannot be verified on
Turn It In (e.g. handwritten or scanned as an image) will be strongly penalised.
Tip: You may wish to use Excel to solve this coursework. If you do, describe carefully all the equations
solved and summarise key results.