Packed Columns vs.

Plate Columns
The difference in cost between plate and packed columns is not too great, although packings are generally more
expensive than plates.
In addition, the difference in column height is not usually significant if the flow rates are such that efficiencies are
near maximum.
Conditions favouring packed columns:
small-diameter columns (less than 0.6m)
more choices in materials of construction for packings especially in corrosive service (e.g. plastic, ceramic,
metal alloys)

lower pressure drop (important in vacuum distillation)

less liquid entrainment low liquid hold-up, especially suitable for thermally sensitive material

foaming liquids can be handled more readily (less agitation of liquid by the vapour)

Conditions favouring plate columns:

variable liquid and/or vapour loads
low liquid rates large number of stages and/or diameter

high liquid residence time

dirty service (plate columns are easier to clean)

presence of thermal or mechanical stress due to large temperature changes which might lead to cracked
packings

exotherms requiring cooling coils inside column

As a rule of thumb, plates are always used in columns of large diameters and towers that have more than 20 to 30
stages.
Packed columns offers narrower operating range than cross-current columns:
For too low liquid flow rate: the wetting of the packing material may not be adeguate.
For too high liquid flow rate: the treatment in plate columns is often more economic.
Moreover,
If solid particles are present in the liquid: the cleaning of a packing section is much too complicated and
expensive compared with the plate discharge.
Working under stressed conditions of temperature variations and pressure: the packing elements are
easily breakable.
However packed column are the best options when:
Costs: packed column tends are less expensive than plate column for small column diameter (<0.6 m).
Corrosive chemicals handling: cheap ceramic packing material, or other chemicals resistant packing
element can be easily used.
For foaming liquid: handling of foaming liquid in packed column is more appropriate because of the
relatively low degree of agitation by the gas.

PACKED COLUMN FOR GAS ABSORPTION (DILUTE SYSTEMS)

Gas absorption can be carried out in a packed column. We will look at both column diameter and packed height in
this Section.The Figure below showed a typical gas-liquid flow in a packed column. Click here for more information
of packings.

Determination of column diameter involves the analysis of pressure drop across the packed bed.
As for packed height, the design used in the early days was based on the HETP method. This was largely replaced
by the Method of Transfer Units.
Comparison between number of theoretical trays, HETP and Method of Transfer Units
The Number of Transfer Units (NTU) and Height of Transfer Units (HTU) such as NOG, HOG should not be confused
with the number of theoretical trays (N), and the height equivalent to theoretical plate (HETP) respectively.When the
operating line and equilibrium line are straight and parallel:
NTU = N ; and HTU = HETP
Otherwise, the NTU can be greater than or less than N as shown in the Figure below:

When the operating line is straight but not parallel, we have the following relationships:

where

is the Absorption Factor.