Appendix for Absorption Column Design

Author: MUHD HIDAYATULLAH BIN MOHD HUSIN [MH]

Contents
AIV.5 Absorption Column Design Appendix.............................................................................................. 2
AIV.5.1 Chemical Design .......................................................................................................................... 2
AIV.5.2 Calculations ................................................................................................................................. 4
AIV.5.2.1 Vapour pressure (From Perry's Handbook) ............................................................................... 4
AIV.5.2.2 K-value ..................................................................................................................................... 4
AIV.5.2.3 Equilibrium Line........................................................................................................................ 5
AIV.5.2.4 Operating Line .......................................................................................................................... 5
AIV.5.2.5 Density ..................................................................................................................................... 6
AIV.5.2.6 Average molecular weight ........................................................................................................ 6
AIV.5.2.7 Abcissa ..................................................................................................................................... 7
AIV.5.2.8 Flooding line ............................................................................................................................ 7
AIV.5.2.9 Flooding gas mass flux, Gf , column diameter and column cross sectional area ......................... 8
AIV.5.2.10 Operating gas mass flux and and .......................................................................................... 8
AIV.5.2.11 NOG and HOG........................................................................................................................ 9
AIV.5.3 Mechanical Design .................................................................................................................... 12
AIV.5.3.1 Wall thickness ........................................................................................................................ 12
AIV.5.3.2 Tori spherical head ................................................................................................................. 12

AIV.5.1 MH

AIV.5 Absorption Column Design Appendix

AIV.5.1 Chemical Design
Table AIV.5.1 Showing Operating Conditions and Flow rates for Inlet of Absorber
Stream Entering Absorber

Temperature
Pressure

115C
1.2 bar

Components
Methanol
Nitrogen
Hydrogen
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon Monoxide
Formaldehyde
Water
Total

Mass Flow rate (kg/hr)

284.4316534
2212.79
2.931993701
35.2172863
7.551210398
1888.890157
2266.919789
6698.73209

Molar Flow rate (kmol/hr)

8.877392427
79
1.45148203
0.800211004
0.269589804
62.90010513
125.8002103
279.0989907

Table AIV.5.2 Showing Absorber Top Liquid Inlet

Stream Absorber Top Liquid Inlet

Temperature
Pressure

25C
1.0 bar

Components
Water
Total

Mass Flow rate (kg/hr)

1866.777915
1866.777915

2|P ag e

Molar Flow Rate (kmol/hr)

103.5947789
103.5947789

AIV.5.2 MH
Table AIV.5.3 Showing Absorber Top Outlet
Stream Absorber Top Gas Outlet

Temperature (C)
Pressure (bar)

65
1.3

Components
Nitrogen
Hydrogen
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon monoxide
Water
Formaldehyde
Methanol
Total

Mass Flowrate (kg/hr)

2212.79
2.931993701
35.21728629
7.551210397
41.33697704
11.43636
56.88633069
2368.150158

Molar Flow rate (kmol/hr)

79
1.45148203
0.800211004
0.269589804
2.293949891
0.629001051
1.775478486
86.21971227

Table AIV.5.4 Showing Absorber Bottom Liquid Outlet

Stream Absorber Bottom Liquid Outlet
99% of Formaldehyde is absorbed
Temperature C
=
Pressure(bar)=
Components
Methanol
Formaldehyde
Water
Total

80
1.5
Mass Flowrate (kg/hr)
227.5453227
1870.001255
4092.360727
6189.907305

Molar Flow rate (kmol/hr)

7.101914
62.2711
227.101
296.4741

Table AIV.5.5 Showing temperature across the absorber

Temperature
Top
Bottom
Average

3|P ag e

K
338
353
345.5

AIV.5.3 MH
Table AIV.5.6 Showing Pressure across the Absorber
Pressure
Top
Bottom
Average

Pa
130000
150000
140000

AIV.5.2 Calculations
AIV.5.2.1 Vapour pressure (From Perry's Handbook)
ln P = C1 + C2/T + C3 ln T + C4 T^C5
P in unit Pa

T in unit K

Table AIV.5.2.7 Showing Data obtained from Perrys handbook

Name

Chemical
Formula

C1

Carbon
Monoxide

CO

45.698

Formaldehyde

CH20

101.51

Methanol

CH4O

82.718

Nitrogen

N2

58.282

Water

H20

76.945

C2

C3

C4

1076.6
4917.2
6904.5
1084.1
6729.8

4.8814
13.765
8.8622
8.3144

7.57E05
2.20E02
7.47E06
4.41E02
5.30E06

-8.179

C5

Tmin

P at
Tmin

Tmax

P at
Tmax

68.15

1.54E+04

132.92

3.49E+06

181.15

8.87E+02

408

6.59E+06

175.47

1.11E-01

512.5

8.15E+06

63.15

1.25E+04

126.2

3.39E+06

178.18

4.75E-02

591.75

4.08E+06

AIV.5.2.2 K-value
k value= (Vapour Pressure) / (Operating pressure)

Table AIV.5.2.8 Showing Vapour Pressure and K-value

Name
Carbon Monoxide
Formaldehyde
Methanol
Nitrogen
Water

4|P ag e

Vapour Pressure (Pa)

10591251466
1854748.035
136713.5913
2913148586
29532.10861

K value
75651.79618
0.091724717
0.976525652
20808.20418
0.210943633

AIV.5.4 MH

AIV.5.2.3 Equilibrium Line

Table AIV.5.2.9 Showing Equilibrium Line Data
x
0.302104888
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6

y
0.027710485
0
0.009172472
0.018344943
0.027517415
0.036689887
0.045862358
0.05503483

AIV.5.2.4 Operating Line

Table AIV.5.2.10 Showing Operating line Data
Operating Line
A

x0
0.210038965
xN
0

yN
0.225368444
yN+1
0.007295328

Figure AIV. 5.1 Showing Graph of X against Y

Mole Fraction of formaldehyde in

Vapour Phase, y

Graph of y vs x
0.25

y = 1.0383x + 0.0073

0.2
0.15
Equilibrium Line

0.1
y = 0.0917x

Operating Line

0.05
0
0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

Mole Fraction of Formaldehyde in Liquid Phase, x

5|P ag e

0.7

AIV.5.5 MH
From graph above, gradient of:
Equilibrium line = 0.0917

Operating line = 1.0383

AIV.5.2.5 Density
Assuming ideal gas,

Table AIV.5.2.11 Showing Component and respective Density

Component
Methanol
Nitrogen
Hydrogen
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon Monoxide
Formaldehyde
Water (Steam)
Average Density of gas

Density (g/cm3)
1.561486858
1.365082612
0.098445801
2.14485133
1.365082612
1.463528413
0.878214519
1.268098878

Density of water at 337 K can be taken from Perrys Handbook by interpolation of 2 data.
Thus density of water at 337K = 981.135 kg/m3 and viscosity of water is 0.00044223 Ns/m2

AIV.5.2.6 Average molecular weight

Table AIV.5.2.12 Showing Component, Mole fraction, and Relative Molecular Mass
Component
Methanol
Nitrogen
Hydrogen
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon Monoxide
Formaldehyde
Water
Total

6|P ag e

Mole Fraction
0.031807325
0.283053693
0.005200599
0.002867123
0.000965929
0.225368444
0.450736887
1

Molecular Mass (g)

32.04
28.01
2.02
44.01
28.01
30.03
18.02

AIV.5.6 MH
Average molecular weight = 24.00123g

AIV.5.2.7 Abcissa

Lm/Gm is slope of operating line, 1.0383

Therefore, abcissa= 0.028025636

AIV.5.2.8 Flooding line

From generalized pressure drop correlation to estimate column diameter.

Figure AIV. 5.2 Showing Generalized Pressure Drop

Flooding line = 0.21 is based on calculation of abscissa

7|P ag e

AIV.5.7 MH

Table AIV.5.2.13 Showing Type of packing: Berl Saddle (Ceramic)

Packing
Size:
Weight:
Surface Area, a:
Void Fraction:
Packing Factor, F:
gc:
:

1
48
79
68
360.8923885
9.81
1

in.
lb/ft2
ft2/ft3 packing volume
%
m2/m3
m/s2

AIV.5.2.9 Flooding gas mass flux, Gf , column diameter and column cross sectional
area

The estimation of % flooding gas mass velocity is 0.5

S = 6.4504 m2

D = 2.8658 m
Packing pressure drop estimation
2 in/ft packing height

AIV.5.2.10 Operating gas mass flux and and

G = 2.884705067
= 0.0525

8|P ag e

AIV.5.8 MH
Estimated % of Flodding Gas Mass Velocity = 0.5

AIV.5.2.11 NOG and HOG

where,
m, slope of eq. line

= 0.0917

and Lm/Gm, slope of op. line = 1.0383

Table AIV.5.2.14 Showing Operating Line Data

Operating Line
Since it is a straight line, y=mx+c

m=
c=

1.0383
0.007295328

At x1=
y1=

0.6
0.630275328

At x2=
y2=

0.2
0.214955328

Now,
m*(Gm/Lm)

= 0.088317442

y1/y2

= 2.932122383

Therefore, NOG = 1.114168066

0.088317442
9|P ag e

AIV.5.9 MH
K3 value and the factor for HG, h are taken to be 0.95 and 60 respectively are taken from Coulson
and Richardson, 5th ed. (Sinnott, 2005)

Table AIV.5.2.15 Showing Data from Sinnott, 2005

h
f1
f2
f3
h
K3
v, Ns/m2
L, NS/m2
pv, kg/m3
L, kg/m3

60
1
1
1
2.6
0.95
0.000021986000
0.00044223
1.268098878
981.135

Table AIV.5.2.16 Showing Data obtained from Ullmann Encyclopedia

Dv (From Ullmann's 6th Ed)
C
H
O
N
N2
O2
Air

16.5
1.98
5.48
5.69
17.9
16.6
20.1

CO2
26.9
H2O
12.7
Formaldehyde (CH2O) is taken as key component. Based on table above, vi and vj are
determined.
To calculate DL for CH2O

Table AIV.5.2.17 Showing Data for Formaldehyde

DL for CH20
M of Solvent
Viscosity of Solvent
(H20)
vA (CH20)

10 | P a g e

18.02
0.00044223
2.6
0.0296

kg/kmol
N s/m2
m3/kg mol

AIV.5.10 MH

Dv = 2.13112x 10-5 m2/s

DL = 2.19604x 10-9 m2/s

0.813552217
205.2482308
Value for height is assumed to be 7.45

Therefore, HG= 6.484199667

=7.769051029
HOG = 7.17034238
Z= HOG X NOG
Z= 7.444966493 7.5 m

11 | P a g e

AIV.5.11 MH

AIV.5.3 Mechanical Design

Table AIV.5.2.18 Showing Operating Conditions of Material Choice
Material choice
Operating Pressure , atm
Design Pressure (5%) , atm
Operating Temperature , K
Design Temperature (5%), K

Stainless steel 304

1.381692574
1.450777202
345.5
362.775

Design stress of stainless steel is taken from Richardson & Coulson Volume 6

Table AIV.5.2.19 Showing Data from Sinnott, 2005

Design Stress at 80 N/mm2
Tensile Strength N/mm2
Density of steel g/cm3

145
510
7.9

AIV.5.3.1 Wall thickness

Table AIV.5.2.19 Showing Corrosion Allowance & thickness
Corrosion Allowance
Minimum wall thickness
Total minimum thickness
Column diameter, Di
Joint Factor
Wall Thickness, e
Total min wall thickness
Wall thickness to be use
Outer diameter of Column,Do

AIV.5.3.2 Tori spherical head

12 | P a g e

2
9
11
2.865823269
2865.823269
1
1.453412663
3.453412663
7
2879.823269
2.879823269

mm
mm
mm
m
mm

mm
m

AIV.5.12 MH

Table AIV.5.2.20 Showing Wall thickness Data

Wall Thickness, e
Crown Radius
Knuckle Radius
Height of Head
Stress Concentrator Factor
Flange/ Skirt (factor of 1)
Thickness wall used
Total Height of Head

2.872823269
0.287282327
0.557327714
1.540569415
0.557327714
7
1.114655429

Where:
Rc = (Di + Do)/2
Rk = 0.1 X Rc
Dead weight

Height of column = 9.5m

Mean diameter = 2.882689093 m
t is thickness
Cv is a standard approximation
Therefore;-

Table AIV.5.2.21 Showing Column Dimensions

Height of Column
Body + Skirt
Head
Bottom
Total
Stree due to shell side :
Density of material
mean diameter of column
Wv

13 | P a g e

9.5
1.114655429
1.114655429
11.72931086

m
m
m

7900
2.882689093
65752.65149

kg/m3
m
N

AIV.5.13 MH
Internal column weight
Weight of berl saddles is 768 kg/m3 and volume of packing is 48.02323787 m3. Therefore weight of
packing is equal to 361810.916N which has been multiplied with gravity force.
Thus

Table AIV.5.2.22 Showing Distributor Data

Type of distributor
Type of support
Total Weight

10.96573161
10.96573161
427563.5675

Wind loading
Dynamic wind pressure can be getting by the formula:

where density of air is 1.1kg/m3 and velocity is 9.6km/h.

thus dynamic wind pressure is 469.3333333 N/m2.
To calculate bending moment at the bottom of the column,
Wind pressure x
Analysis of stress

14 | P a g e

= 61.0515114 kNm

kN
KN
N

AIV.5.14 MH
Bending stress

Table AIV.5.2.23 Showing Bending Stress data

Do
Di
lv
b

2879.823269
2865.823269
65184380392
9.394427672

Resultant stress

mm2
mm2
mm4
N/mm2

is

Table AIV.5.2.24 Showing Stress Data

L
h
w (compressive)

15.04557217
7.522786084
6.766865766

N/mm2
N/mm2
N/mm2

Table AIV.5.2.25 Showing Longitudinal stress

Resulting Longitunal stress z
z upwind
z downwind

17.67313407
-1.11572127

Since the resultant stress is less than 145 N/mm2 which is design stress, thus the thickness is
applicable.
Elastic stability

c = 48.61409431 N/mm2 is gotten after the variable is substitute into the formula. The
maximum compressive stress is lower than critical buckling stress.

15 | P a g e

AIV.5.15 MH
Skirt thickness

Table AIV.5.2.26 Showing Data for thickness, dead weight stress

Skirt Thickness
Ms
bending stress in skirt, bs
dead weight stress in skirt, ws (test)
dead weight stress in skirt, ws (ope.)
s (compressive)
s (tensile)
J factor
Design Stress of skirt material
limiting condition: fs.J.sin(deta)
Young Modulus E
limiting condition: 0.125E(ts/Ds)sin(deta)

11
5158852.713
71.71778631
8.5587488
4.2793744
80.27653511
67.43841191
0.85
165
140.25
200000
95.49197096

Base Ring and Anchor Bolt Design

To withstand the whole column weight and bending stress, based ring of double plate with gusset is
used.

Calculation of area of one bolt:

16 | P a g e

AIV.5.16 MH

Rough estimation of bolt spacing is around 600mm and pitch circular diameter is 3079.823269mm.
Number of bolt is multiplied with 4 gives the total bolts is 20.
Thus, Ab= 681.9590639mm2
Compressive load

Fb= 2327.810823 kN/m

Table AIV.5.2.27 Showing Maxing Allowable Pressure

Max allowable bearing
pressure
Minimum width of
based ring, Lb

17 | P a g e

N/mm2

465.5621646

mm

AIV.5.17 MH
Base ring thickness

Table AIV.5.2.28 Showing Bolt Dimensions

Bolt size
root area
Lr

M30
817
164

mm
mm

Actual bearing
pressure f'c

14.19396843

N/mm2

By substitute the values,

t b=

90.44662692 mm

Noxzle
For stainless steel pipe:

18 | P a g e

AIV.5.18 MH

Table AIV.5.2.29 Bottom Gas entering absorber

Components
Methanol
Nitrogen
Hydrogen
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon Monoxide

Mass
Flowrate
(kg/hr)
284.431653
4
2212.79

(kmol/
hr)

Mw, Kg mol

Mol
fraction

Density,
kg/m3

8.8773
92427
79

32.04

2.93199370
1
35.2172863

1.4514
8203
0.8002
11004
0.2695
89804
62.900
10513
125.80
02103
279.09
89907

2.02

0.03180
7325
0.28305
3693
0.00520
0599
0.00286
7123
0.00096
5929
0.22536
8444
0.45073
6887
1

1.5615736
47
1.3651584
85
0.0984512
72
2.1449705
43
1.3651584
85
1.4636097
57
0.8782633
31
1.1697803
1

7.55121039
8
1888.89015
7
2266.91978
9
6698.73209

Formaldehyde
Water
Total

28.01

44.01
28.01
30.03
18.02
24.00127666

Table AIV.5.2.30 Showing Data for inlet Gas Stream

Gas inlet stream
velocity
area of pipe
d, optimum

5726.487303
16.5
26.24640014
0.5825766

m3/h
m/s
m2
m

Table AIV.5.2.31 Showing data for Top liquid inlet

Components
Water

Mass Flow rate

(kg/hr)
1866.777915

Total

1866.777915

(kmol/hr)

Mw, Kg mol Mol fraction

Density

103.5947
8
103.5947
8

18.02

5.049028608

18.02

5.049028608

Table AIV.5.2.32 Showing Data for Liquid Inlet Stream

Liquid inlet stream
velocity
area of pipe
d, optimum

19 | P a g e

2360.021597
1.85
0.354357597
0.671657362

m3/h
m/s
m2
m

AIV.5.19 MH

Table AIV.5.2.33 Showing Data for Top gas outlet

Components
Methanol
Nitrogen
Hydrogen
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon Monoxide
Formaldehyde
Water
Total

Mass Flow
rate (kg/hr)
2212.79
2.931993701
35.21728629
7.551210397
41.33697704
11.43636
56.88633069
2368.150158

(kmol/hr)
79
1.45148203
0.800211004
0.269589804
2.293949891
0.629001051
1.775478486
86.21971227

Molecular
weight
32.04
28.01
2.02
44.01
28.01
30.03
18.02
31.3203741

mol fraction

Density

0.916263786
0.016834689
0.009281068
0.003126777
0.026605863
0.007295328
0.020592489
1

1.561573647
1.365158485
0.098451272
2.144970543
1.365158485
1.463609757
0.878263331
1.526500339

Table AIV.5.2.34 Showing Gas outlet Data

Gas outlet stream
velocity
area of pipe
d, optimum

14052.91363
16.5
0.236581037
0.548803499

m3/h
m/s
m2
m

Table AIV.5.2.35 Showing Bottom liquid outlet

Components
Methanol
Formaldehyde
Water
Total

Mass Flow
rate (kg/hr)
227.54532
1870.0013
4092.3607
6189.9073

(kmol/hr)
7.101913941
62.27110408
227.1010392
296.4740572

Molecular
weight
32.04
30.03
18.02
20.87841129

Mol fraction

Density

0.023954588
0.210038965
0.766006447

1.561573647
1.463609757
0.878263331
1.017577305

Table AIV.5.2.36 Showing Gas outlet Data

Gas outlet stream
velocity
area of pipe
d, optimum

20 | P a g e

2378.566855
1.85
0.35714217
0.674291169

m3/h
m/s
m2
m