GAS ABSORPTION OF AMMONIA USING WATER AS SOLVENT

{Applied in the urea industry}

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE

SEPARATION PROCESSES

Angelica L. Catli

Van Janssen R. Lim

Yvette Xyra R. Savellano

BSChE V
 May 2019

Table of Contents
Chapter I............................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3
1.1The Problem and its Background .............................................................................................. 3
CHAPTER II.......................................................................................................................................... 4
Review of Theories ......................................................................................................................... 4
2.1 Ammonia Capture Strategies ................................................................................................... 4
2.2 Pure Water as a absorption Solvent ........................................................................................ 4
2.3 Technical Discussion of Absorbers ......................................................................................... 4
Chapter III............................................................................................................................................ 5
Design Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 5
Chapter IV ............................................................................................................................................ 7
Case Study ........................................................................................................................................ 7
4.1 Statement of the problem ........................................................................................................ 7
4.2 Objective .................................................................................................................................. 7
4.3 Assumptions............................................................................................................................. 7
4.4 Design Calculations ................................................................................................................. 7
Chapter V............................................................................................................................................. 11
CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................. 11
 Chapter I
Introduction
1.1The Problem and its Background

Gas absorption is an operation in which gas mixture is contacted with a liquid for the
purpose of preferentially dissolving one or more components of the gas mixture and to provide
a solution in the liquid. An ammonia absorption is used in a variety of industrial applications
ranging from small refrigerators of less than 25 refrigeration tons of cooling capacity to massive
heat recovery machines installed with power plants. This is because ammonia is an excellent
refrigerant with a high latent heat and excellent heat transfer characteristics. Ammonia
absorption is suited to extremely cold temperatures.

The packed bed absorber are used in chemical industry to absorb a gas from a mixture
of gases or strip a volatile substance from a liquid. The columns are usually counter-current gas
liquid contactors in which gas flows upward and liquid downward. Environmental regulations
prohibit discharge of the ammonia into the air, and a small packed bed scrubber has been set
up to pilot the ammonia removal process.
 CHAPTER II
Review of Theories
2.1 Ammonia Capture Strategies
2.2 Pure Water as a absorption Solvent
2.3 Technical Discussion of Absorbers
2.4
 Chapter III
Design Methodology
d.

Inputs
Gas and Liquid Inlet flow rates
desired percentage of separation
Available area for absorber
installation
Hery's Constant For NH3

Calculations Procedures

Pounds of ammonia absorbed

per houre
partial pressure of ammonia
in equilbirium with soultion
discharged from tower
log mean average partial
pressure
column height
Design Procedures

Solution technique used in calculating the required tower height for a certain Percent separation

1. Analytical algebraic calculation using material balance and equilibrium relations to

identify the components of inlet and outlet streams

2. Identify the log mean average partial pressure difference of the entire column
 p A1  p A1   PA2  p A2 
PA  PA lm  p  p 
ln A1  A1
PA2  p A2 
3. Calculate the height required using overall coefficient KGA, and the log mean partial
pressure difference

First, solve The volume of the column required

VT ( y1  y2 )  N A  KGaVT  pa  p * a lm

Then, calculate the Height by using the Volume and the Area given

VT  SZ
 Chapter IV
Case Study

4.1 Statement of the problem

A urea plant wants to clean their exhaust gases before releasing it to the atmosphere. The
exhaust stream delivers 500lb/h of gas which contains 2% ammonia and 98% air. 98% of
ammonia is desired to be absorbed using water as a solvent. The operating temperature is
20°C at 1 atm. The water sprayer delivers a feed water flow rate of 500 lb/h. the allotted
space for the packed column is 2.08ft 2 .Assume that the operation is isothermal.

4.2 Objective
The objective is to determine the height of column based on the area and flow rates to
absorb the desired ammonia from the exhaust gas.

4.3 Assumptions
Absorber type: packed Column
Counter current orientation
Pure water solvent
Operating conditions 20°C and 1 atm
Henry’s Constant for NH3 at 20°C=600mm Hg per mass ratio

4.4 Design Calculations

For th rich Gas,V1;

lbmol NH3
y 1  0.02
lbmol gas
0.02 lb mol NH3 lbmol NH3
Y1   0.024
0.98 lbmol air lbmol air

lb gas
M v 1  28.60
lbmol gas
 lbmolgas lbmol NH3 lbmol NH3
mol NH3 in V1  17.4832  0.02  0.34266
h lbmol gas h

For NH3 absorbed

For the lean Gas,V2;

mol NH 3 in V2  0.3466  0.336  0.00666

lbmol NH 3
0.0067
Y2  h  0.0004
lb mol air
17.33
h
0.0004 lb mol NH3
y2   0.0004
1  0.0004 lbmol gas

For the entering water, L2:

x2  X 2  0
lb H2O lb molH2O lbmol H2O
L2  500   27.77
h 18 lb H20 h

For the liquid leaving the water, L1;

0.336 lbmol NH3 lb mol NH 3

X1   0.0121
lbmol H2O lbmol H2O
27.77
h
0..0121 lbmol NH3
x1   0.012
1  0.0121 lbmol liquor
For the log mean average partial pressure difference

 p A1  p A1    PA2  p A2 
PA  PA lm   p A1  p A1 
ln
PA2  p A2 
p A1  y 1 P  0.02760  15.2mmHg
p A2  y 2 P  0.00041760  15.2mmHg
p * a  HC
p* a2  0
P* mmHg  lbmol NH3 17 lb NH3 lb mol H2O 

a1   600  0.0123   
 massratio  lbmol H2O lbmol NH3 18 lb H2O 
p * A1  6.97mmHg

 p A  p * A lm  15.2  6.97   (0.3116  0)

15.2  6.97
ln
0.3116  0

 p A  p * A lm  2.4187mmHg  1 atm

760mmHg
 p A  p * A lm  0.0032 atm
For the Height of the column,Z

VT ( y 1  y 2 )  N A  K G aVT  pa  p * a lm
lb
55.708
VT  h
 lb 
 163 0.0032atm
 h. ft.atm 
VT  10.9403 ft 3
VT  SZ
10.9403 ft 3
Z
1 ft 2
300in 2 
144in 2
Z  5.25 ft

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This section discusses the results obtained from the column design Calculation of Ammonia
absorption
Parameters Values
INLET WATER FLOW 500lb/h
INLET AMMONIA-AIR FLOW 500 lb/h
INLET CONCENTRATION OF AMMONIA- 0.3466moles NH3
AIR
OUTLET CONCENTRATION OF AMMONIA- 0.00666 mols NH3
AIR
 OUTLET CONCENTRATION OF WATER- 0.0123moles NH3
AMMONIA per moles of H2O
ABSORPTION EFFIECIENCY 98%
ALLOWED AREA OF COLUMN 02.08 ft2
HEIGHT OF COLUMN 5.25 ft

Table x. design parameters and absorber specifications

The absorber design is based on the two inlet flow rates and allowed area from the case of
problem. The inlet ammonia concentration is 0.3466 and reduced to 0.00666moles at outlet
stream. For this degree of separation the required height of the tower is 5.25 ft.
For the design of gas absorber several parameters are given from the start of calculation as
calculation basis. The design is based from percent separation of ammonia. A more convenient
design method is used for ammonia contamination is minimal according Coulson and Richardson
if it is the last Less than 10%, the flow of liquids are constant throughout the column and the
height of absorber is 5.25 ft.
 Chapter V
CONCLUSION
Gas absorption using water as solvent is an economical choice for certain substances such as
ammonia. Water has its own advantage over commercial solvents, it offers a minimal cost and can
perform the desired percent separation. Water is used to absorb 98% of ammonia present in the
flue gas with a 5.25 ft tall and 2.028ft total area. Therefore we can say that using water as a solvent
to absorb ammonia is an effective and economical way.