Diameter and Pressure Drop

The required column diameter and pressure drop in a packed absoiption column can be estimated quickly with the use of Fig. 15-7 or obtained quite accurately with one of several appropriate compute simulation programs. Both approaches will be used in the solution of this problem. 

Air containing 5 mol% NH3 at a total flow rate of 20 kmol/h enters a packed column operating at 293 K and 1 atm where 90% of the ammonia is scrubbed by a counter-current flow of 1500 kg/h of pure liquid water. Estimate the superficial gas velocity and pressure drop at flooding, and the column inside diameter and pressure drop for operation at 70% of flooding for two packing materials ... 

In this example, the diameter and pressure drop between the inlet and the exit pipe are provided, and the inlet velocity and/or flow rate are to be determined. Since there is no fitting in the pipe, the pressure drop is a function of pipe skin friction only as the following ... 

The hydrauhc diameter method does not work well for laminar flow because the shape affects the flow resistance in a way that cannot be expressed as a function only of the ratio of cross-sectional area to wetted perimeter. For some shapes, the Navier-Stokes equations have been integrated to yield relations between flow rate and pressure drop. These relations may be expressed in terms of equivalent diameters Dg defined to make the relations reduce to the second form of the Hagen-Poiseulle equation, Eq. (6-36) that is, Dg (l2SQ[LL/ KAPy. Equivalent diameters are not the same as hydraulie diameters. Equivalent diameters yield the correct relation between flow rate and pressure drop when substituted into Eq. (6-36), but not Eq. (6-35) because V Q/(tiDe/4). Equivalent diameter Dg is not to be used in the friction factor and Reynolds number ... 

Once packing heights are determined in other sections from HETP (distillation) or Koa (absorption), the height allowances for the internals (from Figure 1) can be added to determine the overall column height. Column diameter is determined in sections on capacity and pressure drop for the selected packing (random dumped or structured). 

Another important objective which must be considered is to provide adequate cyclone capacity for the application. The volume of feed slurry that a given cyclone can handle is related to the pressure drop across the cyclone. The relationship between flow rate and pressure drop for several different sizes of standard cyclones is shown in Figure 56. As shown, the flow rate increases as the pressure drop increases. In order to utilize this graph, the pressure drop used for calculating the separation is used to determine the flow rate for the cyclone diameter which was... 

Normal operating pressure Anticipated process operating pressure used to determine pipe diameter requirements and pressure drop limitations for various operating conditions. 

Small diameter has higher collection efficiency for the same entrance conditions and pressure drop. 

Lower pressure drop and greater usable capacity allow use of smaller diameter columns. Pressure drop per stage is 30-50% less than either size Pall ring. 

Figure 9-50. HETP and pressure drop data for a typical distillation system. Packing equivalent to X-200 (8 strands), stainless steel. System methylcyclohexane and toluene. Reflux Ratio 100%. Column Diameter 18 inches. Packed Height 5 feet. Used by permission ACS Industries, Inc., Separation Technology Division, Bull. B-129 (1992).

The tower must be designed for throughput—diameter determined and pressure drop established. 

If the pressures do not match, the calculations are repeated for a different circulation rate. Alternately, the circulation rate may he kept constant, and pressure drop contributions (inlet line value, exit line diameter, etc.) can he adjusted. 

Using the basic performance data given in Table 4-110 for the 6-f--in. outside diameter turbine motor with 212 stages, determine the stall torque, maximum horsepower and pressure drop for this motor if only one motor section with 106 stages were to be used for a deviation control operation. Assume the same circulation flow rate of 400 gal/min, but a mud weight of 14 Ib/gal is to be used. 

The mechanism of radiative transfer in flares was found to depend on compn, flare diameter and pressure (Ref 69). The flare efficiency calcn is complicated by the drop-off in intensity at increasing altitudes and at very large diameters owing to the lower reaction temps (Ref 11, p 13) and the narrowing of the spectral emittance band (Ref 35). The prediction of the light output in terms of compn and pressure (ie, altitude) is now possible using a computer program which computes the equilibrium thermodynamic properties and the luminance (Ref 104) Flare Formulations... 

In this context it is the separation of solids from water by forcing the water through a porous filter media. The objective is typically to reduce the level of TDS in the water and often to reduce both the size of the particle remaining and the turbidity of the water. Filtration efficiency and quality is a function of many variable factors, although filtration is usually carried out at relatively low velocities, where velocity and pressure drop are directly related to each other. Typically a sand filter will remove a high percentage of particles above a diameter of 20 to 30 pm, whereas dual or multimedia filtration is required to remove particles down to a diameter of 10 to 20... 

Sand of particle size 1.25 mm and density 2600 kg/m3 is to be transported in air at the rate of I kg/s through it horizontal pipe 200 m long. Estimate the pipe diameter, the pressure drop in the pipeline and the air flow required. 

Govier, G. W, and Short, W. L. Canad. J. Chem. Eng. 56 (1958) 195. The upward vertical flow of air-water mixtures II. Effect of tubing diameter on flow- pattern, hold-up and pressure drop. 

The heat transfer and pressure drop in a rectangular channel with sintered porous inserts, made of stainless steels of different porosity, were investigated. The experimental set-up is shown in Fig. 2.9. Heat fluxes up to 6MW/m were removed by using samples with a porosity of 32% and an average pore diameter of 20 pm. Under these experimental conditions, the temperature difference between the wall and the bulk water did not exceed AT = 55 K at a pressure drop of AP = 4.5 bars (Hetsroni et al. 2006a). 

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