Liquid flow rate

The most common alternative to distillation for the separation of low-molecular-weight materials is absorption. In absorption, a gas mixture is contacted with a liquid solvent which preferentially dissolves one or more components of the gas. Absorption processes often require an extraneous material to be introduced into the process to act as liquid solvent. If it is possible to use the materials already in the process, this should be done in preference to introducing an extraneous material for reasons already discussed. Liquid flow rate, temperature, and pressure are important variables to be set. 

As with distillation, no attempt should be made to carry out any optimization of liquid flow rate, temperature, or pressure at this stage in the design. The separation in absorption is sometimes enhanced by adding a component to the liquid which reacts with the solute. 

The most common alternative to distillation for the separation of low-molecular-weight materials is absorption. Liquid flow rate, temperature, and pressure are important variables to be set, but no attempts should be made to carry out any optimization at this stage. 

V = vapor flow rate from the separator L = liquid flow rate from the separator Zi = mole fraction of component i in the feed y = mole fraction of component i in the vapor Xi = mole fraction of component i in the liquid... 

Component Vapor flow rate flunolh ) Liquid flow rate (kmolh" )... 

For weight flow, where W = liquid flow rate, 1000 kg/h,... 

In using these relations it should be noted that for equal liquid flow rates... 

L = superficial liquid flow rate, kg/m s. a = surface area/col. volume, mVm. ... 

Three examples of simple multivariable control problems are shown in Fig. 8-40. The in-line blending system blends pure components A and B to produce a product stream with flow rate w and mass fraction of A, x. Adjusting either inlet flow rate or Wg affects both of the controlled variables andi. For the pH neutrahzation process in Figure 8-40(Z ), liquid level h and the pH of the exit stream are to be controlled by adjusting the acid and base flow rates and w>b. Each of the manipulated variables affects both of the controlled variables. Thus, both the blending system and the pH neutralization process are said to exhibit strong process interacHons. In contrast, the process interactions for the gas-liquid separator in Fig. 8-40(c) are not as strong because one manipulated variable, liquid flow rate L, has only a small and indirec t effect on one controlled variable, pressure P. 

L Liquid flow rate (kg-mol)/s (Ib-mol)Ai s Liquid-sidestream ratio ... 

Use the Naphtali-Sandholm SC method to compute stage temperatures and interstage vapor and liquid flow rates and compositions for the rehoiled-stripper specifications shown in Fig. 13-53. The specified hottoms rate is equivalent to removing most of the nCs and nCe and some of the nC in the hottoms. 

Convergence was achieved in 3 iterations. Converged values of temperatures, total flows, and component flow rates are tabulated in Table 13-14. Computed reboiler duty is 1,295,000 W (4,421,000 Btu/h). Computed temperature, total vapor flow, and component flow profiles, shown in Fig. 13-54, are not of the shapes that might be expected. Vapor and liquid flow rates for nC4 change dramatically from stage to stage. 

Open-loop behavior of multicomponent distillation may be studied by solving modifications of the multicomponent equations of Distefano [Am. Inst. Chem. Eng. J., 14, 190 (1968)] as presented in the subsection Batch Distillation. One frequent modification is to include an equation, such as the Francis weir formula, to relate liquid holdup on a tray to liquid flow rate leaving the tray. Applications to azeotropic-distillation towers are particularly interesting because, as discussed by and ihustrated in the Following example from Prokopalds and Seider... 

Mole fraction of light component in liquid Flow rate, (lb-mol)/min ... 

In concentrated wstems the change in gas aud liquid flow rates within the tower and the heat effects accompanying the absorption of all the components must be considered. A trial-aud-error calculation from one theoretical stage to the next usually is required if accurate results are to be obtained, aud in such cases calculation procedures similar to those described in Sec. 13 normally are employed. A computer procedure for multicomponent adiabatic absorber design has been described by Feiutnch aud Treybal [Jnd. Eng. Chem. Process Des. Dev., 17, 505 (1978)]. Also see Holland, Fundamentals and Modeling of Separation Processes, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1975. 

Table 14-2 illustrates the observed variations in values for different packing types and sizes for the COg-NaOH system at a 25 percent reactant-conversion level for two different liquid flow rates. The lower rate of 2.7 kg/(s-m ) or 2000 lb/(h-ft ) is equivalent to 4 (U.S. gal/min)/ft and is typical of the liquid rates employed in fume scrubbers. The higher rate of 13.6 kg/(s-m ) or 10,000 lb/(h-fU) is equivalent to 20 (U.S. gal/min)/ft and is more typical of absorption towers such as are used in CO9 removal systems. For example. We note also that two different gas velocities are represented in the table, corresponding to superficial velocities of 0.59 and 1.05 m/s (1.94 and 3.44 ft/s). 

When straight or serrated segmental weirs are used in a column of circiilar cross secdion, a correction may be needed for the distorted pattern of flow at the ends of the weirs, depending on liquid flow rate. The correction factor F from Fig. 14-33 is used direcdly in Eq. (14-112) or Eq. (14-119). Even when circular downcomers are utilized, they are often fed by the overflow from a segmental weir. When the weir crest over a straight segmental weir is less than 6 mm V in), it is desirable to use a serrated (notched) weir to provide good liquid distribution. Inasmuch as fabrication standards permit the tray to be 3 mm Vh in) out of level, weir crests less than 6 mm V in) can result in maldistribution of hquid flow. 

Gf = liquid-flow rate (weight/cross-sectional area) p = liquid density... 

Reentrainment is generally reduced by lower inlet gas velocities. Calvert (R-12) reviewed the hterature on predicting the onset of entrainment and found that of Chien and Ibele (ASME Pap. 62-WA170) to be the most reliable. Calvert applies their correlation to a liquid Reynolds number on the wall of the cyclone, Nrcl = 4QilhjVi, where is the volumetric liquid flow rate, cmVs hj is the cyclone inlet height, cm and Vi is the Idnematic liquid viscosity, cmVs. He finds that the onset of entrainmeut occurs at a cyclone inlet gas velocity V i, m/s, in accordance with the relationship in = 6.516 — 0.2865 lu A Re,L ... 

Liquid-liquid fractionation, or fractional extraction (Fig. 15-6), is a sophisticated scheme for nearly complete separation of one solute from a second solute by liquid-liquid extraclion. Two immiscible liquids travel countercurrently through a contaclor, with the solutes being fed near the center of the contactor. The ratio of immiscible-liquid flow rates is operated so that one of the phases preferentially moves the first solute to one end of the contactor and the other phase moves the second solute to the opposite end of the contactor. Another way to describe the operation is that a primaiy solvent S preferentially extracts, or strips, the first solute from the feed F and a wash solvent... 

FIG. 15-47 Correlation of mixing-stage efficiency with power input and liquid flow rates. [Scheihel in Lo, Baird, Hanson, Handbook of Solvent Extraction, p. 428 John Wiley h- Sons, NY, 1983. Used with peimission.]... 

T = temperature, °F p = partial pressure, atm L = liquid-flow rate, lb/(h-fF)... 

Some performance data of plants with DEA are shown in Table 23-11. Both the absorbers and strippers have trays or packing. Vessel diameters and allowable gas and liquid flow rates are estabhshed by the same correlations as for physical absorptions. The calciilation of tower heights utilizes data of equilibria and enhanced mass-transfer coeffi-... 

High volumetric vapor/hquid ratios (/ > 10) where / = volumetric vapor flow rateA olumetric liquid flow rate. 

Also monitor scrubber liquid flow rate. Source Code of Federal Regulations (8). 

An important practical question is, what is the representative pipe diameter in loading circuits comprising different sizes of pipe This has a large effect on the values calculated for velocity and velocity-diameter product. As an example, static ignition of ester mist in a rail car (5-1.3.1) involved 1450 gpm through a 6-in. pipe (v = 5 m/s and vd = 0.76 mVs) followed by a short 4-in. dip pipe assembly (y = 11 m/s and vd = 1.15 mVs). Were nonconductive liquid flow rate restrictions applied to the semiconductive ester (time constant —0.01 s) involved in this fire, the flow rate based on the 4-in. pipe would be unacceptably large based either on a 7 m/s maximum velocity or a 0.80 mVs maximum vd product. However, based on the 6-in. pipe upstream the flow velocity is less than 7 m/s and also meets API s vd < 0.80 mVs criterion. 

Pipe with high resistivity lining that contains semiconductive or nonconductive flammable liquids should be blown down with nitrogen rather than air. To avoid pinhole damage, the flow rate during blow-down should be no higher than normal liquid flow rate. Also, the possible hazards created in downstream tanks by charged, two-phase flow should be considered (5-2.5.4). 

However, in certain cases, the impingement plate design is preferred over packed-tower columns when either internal cooling is desired, or where low liquid flow rates would inadequately wet the packing. 

Bubble flow - The gas is roughly uniformly distributed in the form of small discrete bubbles in a continuous liquid phase. The flow pattern is designated as bubble flow (B) at low liquid flowrates, and as dispersed bubble (DB) at high liquid flow rates in which case the bubbles are finely dispersed in the liquid. 

Design flexibility the packing should have a wide operating range with little variation in efficiency for changes in gas and liquid flow rates. 

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