INSTRUCTION MANUAL.

HYDRONAMICS OF PACKED COLUMN

SET UP

DESCRIPTION

SPECIFICATIONS

INSTALLATION REQUIRWMWNTS

INSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONS

PRECAUTIONS

TROUBLE SHOOTING

EXPREMENTATION

THEORY

OPERATING PROCEDURE

SYSTEM CONSTANTS

OBSERVATION TABLE

CALCULATIONS

HYDRODYNAMICS OF PACKED COLOMN.

INTRODUCTION:
Two phase flow in a packed bed is a common feature in industries. Removal of solute gas
with inerts by absorbing in a liquid solvent is a common example of two phase counter
flow in a packed bed. Cooling towers used in a cooling process water by counter current
contact with atmospheric air is another example of two phase flow in a packed bed.

If only gas flows through a packed bed, the packing is called DRY PACKING. If the
column is flooded with the liquid and then drained the packing in termed WET DRAINED
PACKING.

For the same superficial gas velocity through the tower, pressure drop

through a wet drained packing is higher than that for a dry packing. This is because the
characteristics of packing and the void space available for gas flow are changed by the
liquid film adhering to the solid surfaces of packing.

For a fixed gas velocity, the pressure drop across the bed increases with increase in
liquid flow rate because the free area available for gas flow is reduced with increase in
liquid flow rate.

Water

inlet.

Air outlet.

Packed column.

blower

Water out.

mano
meter

by-pass.

Water tank.

Hydrodynamics of packed column.(flow diagram)

Fig. shows the pressure the pressure as a function of gas velocity for dry packing (curve
A) for wet drained packing (curve B) and for two phase flow for a constant liquid flow
rate (curve C).

For a fixed liquid flow rate, the pressure drop across a packed bed increases with
increase in gas velocity. Curve C obtained by plotting pressure drop per unit height of
packing as function of gas velocity, indicates that it is nearly parallel to similar curves
obtained for dry and wet dumped packing till point X is reached. Beyond point X the
pressure drop is proportional to gas velocity to the higher than 2. This zone is called
LOADING ZONE as indicated by the region XY. The increase in pressure drop is due to
the rapid accumulation of liquid in the voids. If the gas rate is further increased, the
change in pressure is quite high eve with a slight change in gas rate. The curve beyond Y
is almost parallel to the ordinate.

The phenomenon is called FLOODING and is

characterized either by building of continuous liquid column at the top of the packing
(if the packing is composed essentially of extended surfaces ) or by gas bubbling through
the liquid of the packing surface is discontinuous in nature.)

Flooding represents the maximum capacity condition for a packed column. The packed
columns are operated at 50 % flooding velocity.

An expression to find the flooding

velocity is given graphically by plotting

Gap
t
PggePl w

0.2

As a function of
L
G

P
P

0.5

On a log log graph gives generalized flooding and pressure drop correlations for packing.

Pressure drop for two phase flows for various packings are plotted as pressure drop in
mm water per meter of packed height as a function of G/ on a log plot. Other empirical
relations are also available in literature to obtain pressure drop for two phase flow.
OBJECTIVE OF THE EXPERIMENT:
i)

To estimate pressure drop for dry packing, wet drained packing for two phase
flow of air and water for at least three different constant water flow rates.

ii)

To locate loading and flooding zone.

PROCEDURE:
1. Measure the height of packed bed.
2. Determine the pressure drop as a function of airflow rate.
3. Take readings of at least three different airflow rates by adjusting valve.
4. Stop airflow & start water flow. Fill the column by water.
5. The bed has now wet drained packing.
6. Now start airflow rate, & determine the pressure drop across the bed as function of
airflow rate.
7. Now select a water flow rate & airflow rate countercurrently. Record the water flow
rate, airflow rate and manometer reading for at least three sets of readings.
8. Repeat the experiment for different constant water flow rates.
9. At the end of experiment determine the volume of water held in the voids of the
bed.
10. Tabulate the data as follows:

Inside diameter of the column. Specifications of packing.

O.D. -

d cm.

I.D. -

d cm.

Height. -

h cm.

Total surface area of one-piece - hd d d- dcm.

1. Dry packing.
Manometer readings.
Run no.
Reading of rotameter.

2. Wet drained packing.

Manometer readings.
Run no.
Readings if rotameter.

3. Two-phase flow.
Water rotameter readings.
Manometer readings.
Pressure drop readings.

Calculations and plots.

1. Plot on a log log graph paper P) as a function of mass velocity of air,
Kg/s m.
Volumetric flow rate obtained by orificemeter O is multiplied by density of air at the
temp. and pressure of air and divided by the inside area of cross section of column A to
obtain mass velocity of air Kg/s m.
On the same graph paper plot (P) for all the two-phase flow. Compare the
experimental pressure drop with those obtained using fig. 18-39 page 18-23,Perrys.
From the graph locate the loading and flooding zone.
2. using the mass velocity of air at the flooding point, calculate0.5

X = L/G (g/P
And

Y = Ga
(/)
g
And plot Y as a function of X. compares your graph with fig.18-38, page 18-22 Perry.

3. Determine the ratio of pressure drop for two phase to that of dry packing for the
same air mass velocity. Plot the ratio R1 as a function of R2, liquid mass velocity in
Kg/cm.

NOMENCLATURE:
- ap
= total area of packing m/m of bed volume.
- e
= void fraction in bed, dimensionless.
- g
= gravitational constant.m/s
- G
=superficial mass velocity of gas in tower kg/s m
- L
= superficial mass velocity of liquid in tower kg/s m
- (P) d/L = pressure drop, cm water per meter height of dry packing.
- (P)w/L = pressure drop, cm water per meter height of wet drained packing.
- ( P)TP/L = pressure drop, cm water per meter height of packing for two phase flow
- Pg
= density of gas kg/m
- PL
= density of gas kg/m
- VL
= viscosity of liquid Ns/m
- Pw
= viscosity of water Ns/m
0.5
-
= (density of gas/ density of air )