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EngineersGuide:WettedWallColumnExperimentandSetUP

EngineersGuide

WettedWallColumnExperimentandSetUP
Wettedwallcolumnisusedtostudydistillation,gasabsorptionandvaporizationoperationofvariouschemicalsystems,toobtaindataandcorrelation
between components present in different phases which exist in equilibrium condition during the operation.The experiments of wetted wall column
providedatafordesignofseparationoperations.

Aimofwettedwallcolumnexperiment:
EvaluationofMassTransfercoefficientinawettedwallcolumn

Objective:Theratesofdiffusionintogasesflowingthroughpipesarestudiedinwettedwallcolumn.

Principle/Theory:
Athinfilmofliquidfallingdowntheinsideofaverticalpipethroughwhichthegasflows,constitutesawettedwallcolumn.Wettedwall
columnshavebeenusedasabsorbersforHydrochloricacid,Ammonia,Acetone,Benzeneandothervolatileliquids.Theyhavealsobeenstudiedfor
theoreticalstudiesformasstransferbecausetheinterfacialsurfacebetweenthephasesiskeptundercontrolandismeasurable.
The height of wetted wall column required for mass transfer operations is excessive and consequently this is not widely used, where large
quantities of liquid or gas have to be handled, it would be necessary to arrange many vertical pipes in parallel and this leads to difficulties in the
distributionofliquidintotheinnersurfaceofthetubes.Thegaspressuredropforthisisconfinedtoskinfrictioneffects,withfewornoexpansionor
contractionlosses
.
Masstransferratesforfluidsflowingthroughpipeshavebeenstudiedmorecompletelythanothercases.
Theratesofdiffusionintogasesflowingthroughpipeshavebeenstudiedinwettedwallcolumns.

Avolatileliquidissubmittedtoflowdowntheinsidesurfaceofacirculartube,whileagasflowsupwardordownwardthroughthecenterofthepipe.
Measurement of the rate of evaporation of a liquid into the gas stream over known surface permits calculation of mass transfer coefficient for the
diffusion of vapor into gas stream. Since the liquid is pure, the concentration gradient for diffusion exists entirely within the gas phase , the mass
transfercoefficientKgmaybecalculated.SherwoodandGillardconductedaseriesofexperimentsusingavarietyofvolatileliquidswithairinturbulent
flow.
HerethemasstransfercoefficientintheformofdimensionlessgroupareplottedagainsttheReynoldsnumberofthegasforthesystemair
water(Sc=60).Forgases,valuesofRefrom2000to35,000werecoveredandfrom0.6to2.5withgaspressuresvaryingfrom0.1to3atm.
Theequationwhichdescribesallthedataforbothliquidandgasflowis
(K G d/DW(PBM/P)(K ld/D)=0.023Re0.83Sc1/3
Thisempiricalrelationisquiteremarkableinthemannerinwhichitgenerallyconfirmstherelationshipbetweenheatmassandmomentumtransfer
developedtheoretically.However,theevaporationofthevolatileliquidsinawettedwallcolumnresultsincoolingoftheliquidsandconsequent
simultaneousheattransferbetweenliquidandgas.Theheattransferratesaregivenbytheequation
hd/k=0.023Re0.8Pr0.3
Owingtoripplesandwavesontheliquidsurface.
InterphaseMassTransfer
Equipmentused:WettedWallcolumnunit,Humiditymeter
Materialused:Water
EXPERIMENTALPROCEDURE:
1.Waterisfedtothecolumnatarateatwhichcompletewettingwithaminimumofripplesformationisvisible.
2.Theblowerisstartedandminimumflowofairismaintained.
3.Afterabout5minutes,whensteadystateconditionreaches,thehumidityofairatinletandoutletaredeterminedbythereadingsofthewetand
drybulbthermometersandbytheuseofapsychometricchart.
4.Waterflowratesandinletandoutlettemperaturesarenoted.
5.Vaporpressureofwateratdifferentwatertemperaturesiscalculated.
6.CalculationsaremadeatdifferentflowratesandvaluesofKgVsN Reareplottedonaloglogscale.

OBSERVATIONS:
S.No
Airflowrate
fromM2Qalpm

Waterflowrate
Qwlpm

Airtemperature
Inlet
Td1tw1

Outlet
Td2tw2

Water
temperature0C
T1T2

AirPDmmH 20
acrossorifice
M1M2

1
2

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EngineersGuide:WettedWallColumnExperimentandSetUP

Lengthofthetube=
Diameteroftube=
Fromthereadings,Td1,tw1andTd2,tw2andfromapsychometricchart,
Partialpressureofwatervaporatinlet=P1KN/m2
Partialpressureofwateratoutlet=PBKN/m2

DATAANALYSIS:
MeanairpressureincolumnPt=PB*(P1/2)X1000/13600*1.013*100/760KN/m2
Airflowrate=
9.22XSQRTP2/106kgmoles/sec
Drivingforceatinletofair=pW1=PW1pw1
Where,
pw1=purecomponentvaporpressureofwateratoutletwatertempT1
PW1=Partialpressureofwateratbottom
Drivingforceatoutletofair
pW1=PW2pw2
where,
pw1=purecomponentvaporpressureofwateratoutletwatertempT2
PW2=Partialpressureofwateratthetopofcolumn
Pwm=(pW1pW2)/ln(pW1/pW2)
Amountofwaterevaporated
NW=QA*(pw2/Ptpw1/Pt)
IntermsofmasstransfercoefficientKg,therateofmasstransferisgivenby
Nw=KG*A*Pwm
whereA=DLm2whered=i.dofcolumnandL=Effectivelengthofcolumn
Foreachflowrateofair,Kgcanbecalculated.
Pam=(Ptpw1)(PtPw2)/ln(Ptpw1/PtPw2)isalsocalculated
ToplotGillardcorrelation,Kg*(d/DW)*(Pam/Pt)*(ADw/air)0.44
WhereDw=diffusivityofwatervaporinair=0.13X104m2/sec
air=viscosityofair=1.85X103kg/m/sec
Nre=dG/air=d.QA.AC/air
Ac =crosssectionareaofcolumn
d=diameterofcolumn

Kg*(d/DW)*(Pam/Pt)*(ADw/air)0.44VsN reisplottedonaloglogsclae.
Thisvalueiscomparedwithreportedvalues.
RESULTS:
Reportedvalue=

Calculatedvalue=
The above setup is used to calculate experimental mass transfer coefficient of the liquid
and gas system at different temperature and different flow rates of course the main
application of wetted wall is to determine the data of the gas and liquid mass transfer
coefficient.
Blower is provided with two valves at suction so that when the studies are focused on
vaporsofchemicalsubstancewhichare

WettedWallColumnSetUp

DehraDun
Lucknow

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EngineersGuide:WettedWallColumnExperimentandSetUP
stored in a storage vessel and the vapors from the vessel are sucked by the blower and passed into the column or if the vapors are required to be
mixedwithairthananoptionatthedischargelineoftheblowerwhichisfacilitatedwithnozzlehelpsinmixingthevaporwithair.
Aheaterisprovidedatthedischargelinetosupplyheattothevapororairtomaintainthetemperatureofthesystemandwholepipelineisinsulatedto
preventloss,byusingtherotameter,flowrateofthevaporcanbecontrolled.

PSYCHROMETRIC
CHARTS

Labels:Experiment,Wettedwallcolumn

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