TABLE OF CONTENTS K.J.McNulty, Sc.D.
Technical Director
Research and Development
Koch Engineering Co., Inc.
Wilmington, MA
Gas and liquid are to be contacted countercurrently in a packed tower. The approach to flooding is not to exceed 80 percent as defined at constant liquid loading. What column diameter should be used for 2-in Koch Flexiring (FR) packing (i.e., 2-in slotted-ring random packing), and what diameter should be used for Koch Flexipac (FP) Type 2Y packing (i.e., structured packing having 1/2-in crimp height, with flow channels inclined at 45 to the axis of flow)? The packings are to be of stainless steel. Calculate and compare the pressure drops per foot of packing for these two packings. The operating conditions are
| Maximum liquid rate: 150,000 lb/h |
| Maximum gas rate: 75,000 lb/h |
| Liquid density: 62.4 lb/ft 3 |
| Gas density: 0.25 lb/ft 3 |
1. Calculate the tower diameter. Various methods are available for the design and rating of packed towers. The method shown here is an extension of the CVCL model, which is more fundamentally sound than the generalized pressure drop correlation (GPDC). The basic flooding equation is
where C VF is the vapor or gas capacity factor at flooding, C LF is the liquid capacity factor at flooding, and s and c are constants for a particular packing. The capacity factors for the vapor and liquid are defined as
where U g is the superficial velocity of the gas...
