Bubble column mass-transfer coefficients

Example 8 Calculation of Rate-Based Distillation The separation of 655 lb mol/h of a bubble-point mixture of 16 mol % toluene, 9.5 mol % methanol, 53.3 mol % styrene, and 21.2 mol % ethylbenzene is to be earned out in a 9.84-ft diameter sieve-tray column having 40 sieve trays with 2-inch high weirs and on 24-inch tray spacing. The column is equipped with a total condenser and a partial reboiler. The feed wiU enter the column on the 21st tray from the top, where the column pressure will be 93 kPa, The bottom-tray pressure is 101 kPa and the top-tray pressure is 86 kPa. The distillate rate wiU be set at 167 lb mol/h in an attempt to obtain a sharp separation between toluene-methanol, which will tend to accumulate in the distillate, and styrene and ethylbenzene. A reflux ratio of 4.8 wiU be used. Plug flow of vapor and complete mixing of liquid wiU be assumed on each tray. K values will be computed from the UNIFAC activity-coefficient method and the Chan-Fair correlation will be used to estimate mass-transfer coefficients. Predict, with a rate-based model, the separation that will be achieved and back-calciilate from the computed tray compositions, the component vapor-phase Miirphree-tray efficiencies. 

Yoshida and Akita (Yl) determined volumetric mass-transfer coefficients for the absorption of oxygen by aqueous sodium sulfite solutions in counter-current-ffow bubble-columns. Columns of various diameters (from 7.7 to 60.0 cm) and liquid heights (from 90 to 350 cm) were used in order to examine the effects of equipment size. The volumetric absorption coefficient reportedly increases with increasing gas velocity over the entire range investigated (up to approximately 30 cm/sec nominal velocity), and with increasing column diameter, but is independent of liquid height. These observations are somewhat at variance with those of other workers. 

Fig. 26. Reference floe diameter of floe particle system versus mass transfer coefficient kpa for bubble columns with different gas spargers H = 1.08 m D = 0.4 m...

In addition to the parameters involved in a bubble-column reactor, that is, g, a, or a-, and mass transfer coefficients, the required power input, Pj, is a design parameter for an agitated tank. 

The latter three factors are only relevant for the mass transfer if the Reynolds number (Re = p vr db / q) of the liquid flow around the particle is larger than 1. The size of the gas bubbles depends on liquid properties such as temperature, surface tension and viscosity but also on the dissipated power. If we have to deal with small gas bubbles in a bubble column than we can consider the gas bubbles as rigid. The mass transfer coefficient k q is then given by the equation ... 

In this case, the material balance in the liquid phase (3.238) is not applicable as both reactants are gases. Furthermore, as in sluny bubble columns, if the liquid is batch, the overall rate based on the bulk gas-phase concentration is used and the overall mass-transfer coefficient K° is found in the solution of the model (Chapter 5). 

The bubble column is shown in Figure 6.2c. In this type of equipment, gas is sparged from the bottom into a liquid contained in a large cylindrical vessel. A large number of gas bubbles provide a very large surface area for gas-liquid contact. Turbulence in the liquid phase creates a large liquid-phase mass transfer coefficient, while the gas-phase coefficient is relatively small because of the very... 

The mass transfer coefficients considered so far - namely, kQ,kj, KQ,andKj - are defined with respect to known interfacial areas. However, the interfacial areas in equipment such as the packed column and bubble column are indefinite, and vary with operating conditions such as fluid velocities. It is for this reason that the volumetric coefficients defined with respect to the unit volume of the equipment are used, or more strictly, the unit packed volume in the packed column or the unit volume of liquid containing bubbles in the bubble column. Corresponding to /cg, Kq, and we define k a, k, a, K, /i, and K a, all of which have units of (kmol h m )/(kmol m ) - that is, (h ). Although the volumetric coefficients are often regarded as single coefficients, it is more reasonable to consider a separately from the Ar-terms, because the effective interfacial area per unit packed volume or unit volume of liquid-gas mixture a (m m ) varies not only with operating conditions such as fluid velocities but also with the types of operation, such as physical absorption, chemical absorption, and vaporization. 

With regards to handling data on industrial apparatus for gas-liquid mass transfer (such as packed columns, bubble columns, and stirred tanks), it is more practical to use volumetric mass transfer coefficients, such as KqU and K a, because the interfacial area a cannot be well defined and will vary with operating conditions. As noted in Section 6.7.2, the volumetric mass transfer coefficients for packed columns are defined with respect to the packed volume - that is, the sum of the volumes of gas, liquid, and packings. In contrast, volumetric mass transfer coefficients, which involve the specific gas-liquid interfacial area a (L L 5), for liquid-gas bubble systems (such as gassed stirred tanks and bubble columns) are defined with respect to the unit volume of gas-liquid mixture or of clear liquid volume, excluding the gas bubbles. In this book, we shall use a for the specific interfacial area with respect to the clear liquid volume, and a for the specific interfacial area with respect to the total volume of gas-liquid mixture. 

The correlations detailed in Sections 7.6.2.1-7.6.2.5 [17,18] are based on data for the turbulent regime with 4 bubble columns, up to 60 cm in diameter, and for 11 liquid-gas systems with varying physical properties. Unless otherwise stated, the gas holdup, interfacial area, and volumetric mass transfer coefficients in the correlations are defined per unit volume of aerated liquid, that is, for the liquid-gas mixture. 

A very simple type of a bubble column, which was not mentioned above is a gas-wash bottle. This very small-scale system (VL = 0.2-1.0 L) may be used for basic studies, in which general effects (e. g. influence of pH and/or buffer solutions specific ozone dose) are to be assessed. Its use is not recommended for detailed studies, because the mass-transfer coefficient is often low and its dependency on the gas flow rate is unknown or difficult to measure. Often there is no possibility to insert sensors or establish a reliable measuring system for exact balancing of the ozone consumption. An optimal mode of operation would comprise treatment of the (waste-)water for a certain period of time, preferably without withdrawal of solution during the ozonation. In this way different ozonation conditions can be tested by varying the ozonation time or the ozone gas concentration. A variation of the gas flow rate is not recommended. 

Stirred tank reactors (STR) are the most frequently used reactors in lab-scale ozonation, partially due to the ease in modeling completely mixed phases, but they are very seldom used in full-scale applications. There are various modifications with regard to the types of gas diffusers or the construction of the stirrers possible. Normally lab-scale reactors are equipped with coarse diffusers, such as a ring pipe with holes of 0,1-1.0 m3 diameter. The k/ a-values are in the range of 0.02 to 2.0 s (see Table 2-4 ), which are considerably higher than those of bubble columns. From the viewpoint of mass transfer, the main advantage of STRs is that the stirrer speed can be varied, and thus also the ozone mass transfer coefficient, independently of the gas flow rate. 

Akita and Yoshida (1974) evaluated the liquid-phase mass-transfer coefficient based on the oxygen absorption into several liquids of different physical properties using bubble columns without mechanical agitation. Their correlation for kL is... 

Akita and Yoshida (1973) correlated the volumetric mass-transfer coefficient kLa for the absorption of oxygen in various aqueous solutions in bubble columns, as follows ... 

Akita, K. and F. Yoshida, Gas Holdup and Volumetric Mass Transfer Coefficient in Bubble Column," l EC Proc. Des. Dev. 12 (1973) 76-80. 

Mechanism of mass transfer from bubbles in dispersions Part II Mass transfer coefficients in stirred gas-liquid reactor and bubble column... 

Keywords Gas-liquid contactor Bubble column Agitated vessel Mass transfer coefficient Viscosity Surfactants... 

Fig. 7. Relative decrease of mass transfer coefficient in the presence of surfactant (in comparison to its value in pure sulphite solution) as a function of surface pressure tt. Comparison with literature data measured in bubble columns [12,8] and in wetted-wall column [27].

Y. Kawase, B. Halard, M. Moo-Young, Theoretical prediction of volumetric mass transfer coefficients in bubble columns for Newtonian and non-newtonian fluids, Chem. Eng. Sci. 42 (1987) 1609-1617. 

G. Vazquez, M.A. Cancela, C. Riverol, E. Alvarez, J.M. Navaza, Application of the Danckwerts method in a bubble column. Effects of surfactants on mass transfer coefficient and interfacial area, Chem. Eng. J. 78 (2000) 13-19. 

A. Schumpe, W.D. Deckwer, Gas holdups, specific interfacial areas, and mass transfer coefficients of aerated carboxymethyl cellulose solutions in a bubble column, I EC Process Des. Develop. 21 (1982) 706-711. 

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