chemks2012 (IP: 62.49.22.

54)
Gold Member
69 posts
Posted Today, 04:07 AM
Dear all
We have an existing packed column with diameter of about 970 mm and two packed beds each 6 m
high. The packing used is 2 metal pall rings. It is debottlenecking project i.e. client is operating at
about 16.5 T/hr feed rate - i.e., 15 T/hr waste water containing ammonia + 10% caustic solution. The
feed flow rate of 16.5 T/hr contains 15% by wt ammonia. Caustic is added to maintain the pH of 11.5.
Ammonia is removed by steam supplied at 1.4 barg pressure at 3,200 kg/hr giving ammonia top
composition as 90% by wt to maintain the bottom concentration as 350 ppm [by wt]. Client has tried
increasing the feed rate from 15 T/hr to 18 T/hr but column behaves badly, ammonia concentration in
the bottoms increases, column temp increases etc.
I have looked at the original design datasheet [prepared back in 1993] of this column and it seems it was
designed for feed rate of 18 T/hr, steam supply at 1.4 barg & a flowrate of 4,500 kg/hr etc.
I have performed mass balance and now I know the top and bottom mass flowrates for water and NH3.
My queries are:
1) Before I do anything else, I want to check whether the column height is sufficient for the feed
rate of 15 T/hr and 18 T/hr. The original datasheet [prepared for the feed rate of 18 T/hr] has 9
NTU and HTU as 1.26mm [I think this unit should be in meter i.e. 1.2m?] and as mentioned
above 2 off beds, each 6 m high i.e. total height of column is 12 m. I understand that HETP =
NOG X HOG or HETP = NTU X HTU and therefore, HETP = 9 X 1.26 = 11.34m ~ 12 m.
Please let me know if my understanding is correct. If I want to check if this height is correct,
how do I check it i.e. how do I calculate NTU and HTU?
2) If the column is designed for higher flowrates why it is not possible to operate it at higher feed
rate?
3) I understand that the caustic is added to increase the ammonia solubility in the infeed waste
water and thus to give uniform ammonia concentration in the feed etc but lets say if I increase
pH from 11.5 to 12.5, how will it make difference in terms of mass balance apart from increased
caustic flowrate? Is it not more of chemistry side?
Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks
KS:

s each 6 m
perating at
olution. The
he pH of 11.5.
nia top
ent has tried
centration in

it seems it was
c.

ater and NH3.

for the feed

18 T/hr] has 9
mentioned
hat HETP =
m ~ 12 m.
t is correct,

t higher feed

eed waste
y if I increase
from increased

1.4 barg =

20.30532 psig =

35.00132 psia

Stripper Feed Rate =

15
Stripper Inside Diameter =
970
Overhead vapor Density =
Overhead vapor flow rate =
Stripper cross-sectional area =
7.95
Superficial velocity =
ft/sec

tonnes/hr =
mm =
lbs/ft3
kg/hr =
ft2

33,069 lb/hr
38.189 inches =
lb/hr =

3.18 feet
ft3/hr =

ft3/sec

Isobaric Properties for Water

Fluid Data
Isobaric Data for P = 20.305 psia
Temp oF

Pressure
psia

225
226
227
228
228.72
228.72
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250

20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305
20.305

Density
lbm/ft3

59.497
59.471
59.445
59.419
59.399
0.050485
0.050463
0.050382
0.050302
0.050222
0.050142
0.050063
0.049984
0.049905
0.049827
0.049749
0.049671
0.049594
0.049516
0.049440
0.049363
0.049287
0.049211
0.049135
0.049059
0.048984
0.048909
0.048835

Volume
ft3/lbm

0.0168
0.0168
0.0168
0.0168
0.0168
19.808
19.817
19.848
19.880
19.912
19.943
19.975
20.006
20.038
20.069
20.101
20.132
20.164
20.195
20.227
20.258
20.289
20.321
20.352
20.383
20.415
20.446
20.477

Internal
Entropy
Cv
Cp
JouleEnthalpy
Sound
Energy
Btu/lbm- Btu/lbm- Btu/lbmThomson
(Btu/lbm)
Spd. ft/s
Btu/lbm
R
R
R
F/psia

193.39
194.40
195.41
196.42
197.15
1,082.8
1,082.9
1,083.3
1,083.7
1,084.0
1,084.4
1,084.8
1,085.2
1,085.6
1,086.0
1,086.4
1,086.7
1,087.1
1,087.5
1,087.9
1,088.3
1,088.6
1,089.0
1,089.4
1,089.8
1,090.2
1,090.5
1,090.9

193.45
194.46
195.47
196.48
197.22
1,157.3
1,157.4
1,157.9
1,158.4
1,158.9
1,159.4
1,159.9
1,160.4
1,160.9
1,161.4
1,161.9
1,162.4
1,162.9
1,163.4
1,163.9
1,164.4
1,164.9
1,165.4
1,165.9
1,166.4
1,166.9
1,167.4
1,167.9

Auxiliary Data
Reference States
Internal energy

U = 0 at 273.16 K for saturated liquid.

Entropy

S = 0 at 273.16 K for saturated liquid.

0.33176
0.33323
0.33470
0.33617
0.33724
1.7318
1.7321
1.7328
1.7335
1.7342
1.7350
1.7357
1.7364
1.7372
1.7379
1.7386
1.7393
1.7400
1.7407
1.7414
1.7422
1.7429
1.7436
1.7443
1.7450
1.7457
1.7464
1.7471

0.89169
0.89101
0.89034
0.88966
0.88917
0.37815
0.37800
0.37749
0.37700
0.37652
0.37606
0.37562
0.37520
0.37479
0.37439
0.37401
0.37364
0.37328
0.37293
0.37259
0.37226
0.37194
0.37163
0.37133
0.37104
0.37075
0.37048
0.37021

1.00970
1.00990
1.01000
1.01020
1.01040
0.50692
0.50671
0.50598
0.50527
0.50458
0.50392
0.50327
0.50265
0.50205
0.50147
0.50090
0.50035
0.49981
0.49929
0.49879
0.49829
0.49781
0.49735
0.49689
0.49644
0.49601
0.49558
0.49517

5,040
5,038
5,036
5,034
5,032
1,564
1,565
1,566
1,567
1,569
1,570
1,571
1,573
1,574
1,575
1,576
1,578
1,579
1,580
1,581
1,583
1,584
1,585
1,586
1,588
1,589
1,590
1,591

-0.0022
-0.0022
-0.0021
-0.0021
-0.0021
0.74017
0.7385
0.73249
0.72661
0.72085
0.7152
0.70966
0.70422
0.69888
0.69363
0.68847
0.68339
0.6784
0.67348
0.66864
0.66387
0.65916
0.65453
0.64996
0.64545
0.641
0.63661
0.63227

Additional fluid properties

o

Critical pressure (Pc)

C
3200.11 psia

Critical density (Dc)

20.1018

Critical temperature (Tc)

Acentric factor

373.946

lbm/ft3

0.3443

Normal boiling point

99.9743

Dipole moment

1.855

C
Debye

Viscosity
cP

0.2617
0.2603
0.2589
0.2575
0.2565
0.0126
0.0126
0.0126
0.0126
0.0127
0.0127
0.0127
0.0127
0.0127
0.0128
0.0128
0.0128
0.0128
0.0128
0.0129
0.0129
0.0129
0.0129
0.013
0.013
0.013
0.013
0.013

Therm.
Cond.
W/m-K

0.6811
0.6812
0.6813
0.6815
0.6815
0.0262
0.0262
0.0262
0.0262
0.0263
0.0263
0.0264
0.0264
0.0264
0.0265
0.0265
0.0265
0.0266
0.0266
0.0267
0.0267
0.0267
0.0268
0.0268
0.0268
0.0269
0.0269
0.027

Phase

liquid
liquid
liquid
liquid
liquid
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor
vapor