Packed Columns

Tanveer Ahmad(M07-110)
Fahad Ali Rabbani(M07-126)
 Packed Column
It is Used to bring two phases in contact
with one another, as a consequence a
strong interaction occurs between the
fluids
Packed columns are filled hollow packing
elements
Fluid flow through packed column is at
high Reynolds number.
 Packed Column Vs Plate column
Contact pattern
Diameter
Pressure drop
Liquid hold up
Size and cost
Schematic Diagram of Packed Column
 Liquid Distributor
 Hold-down plate
 Packing
 Packing Support
 Gas injection system
Material of Construction of Column
• The shell of the column may be constructed
from:

 Ceramics
 Glass
 plastics material
 Metal with a corrosion-resistant lining

• Note: Column should be mounted truly

vertically
 Types of Liquid Distributors
• Simple Orifice type
Distributor

 Gives very fine

distribution
 It must be correctly sized
for a particular duty
 Should not be used
where there is any risk of
the holes plugging
 Types of Liquid Distributors
• Notched Chimney
type Distributor

 It has a good range of

flexibility for the
medium and upper
flow rates
 It is not prone to
blockage
 Types of Liquid Distributors
• Notched Trough
Distributor

 It is suitable for the

larger sizes of tower
 It is also suitable for
the higher gas rates
 Types of Liquid Distributors
• Perforated Ring
Type Distributor

 It is used where:
 High gas rates and
relatively small liquid
rates are encountered
 pressure loss must be
minimum
 Installation through
manholes is necessary
 Pressure Drop
• Increase in Gas and
Liquid flow rate
increases the
pressure drop.

• “X” is loading point.

• “Y” is flooding point.

 Characteristics of Packing
• The Principal Requirement of a Tower packing are:

 Chemically inert
 Strong
 Cause less liquid hold up or pressure drop
 Provide good contact between the phases
 Reasonable in cost
 Corrosion resistant
 Non porous
 Easy to wet
 Easy to fabricate
Fahad Ali Rabbani

M07-126
 Types of Packing
• Packings can be divided into four main
classes
 Broken solids
 Shaped packing
 Grids
 Structured packing
Broken Solids
 Cheapest form
 used in sizes from about 10 mm to100 mm
 form a good corrosion-resistant material
 they are not as satisfactory as shaped
packings
 Shaped Packing
• In case of Shaped Packings:

 Channelling is much less marked

 Resistance to flow is much less
 Effective surface per unit volume is more
 Film flow is much improved compared with
broken solids.
 The voidage obtainable with these packings
varies from about 0.45 to 0.95.
 But shaped packings are more expensive,
particularly when small sizes are used
 Grid Packing
• Grid packings are:

 relatively easy to fabricate

 usually used in columns of square section
 frequently used in cooling towers
 made from wood, plastics, carbon, or ceramic
materials
 give low pressure drops
 ability to accept fluids with suspended solids
 ease of wetting even at very low liquid rates
Shaped Packings
Structured Packings
 Common Packings
• Berl Saddle
• Intalox Saddle
• Raschig rings
• Lessing rings
• Pall rings
• Nutter rings
• Intalox
• Intalox metal saddles
• Hy-Pak
• Mini rings
 Packings used in Laboratory

1. Dixon packings (Lessing rings)

2. fine wire mesh packing

 Properties:

• In case of these packings:

• interfacial areas are high
• transfer characteristics are very good even at low liquid
rates
• the volume of liquid hold up in such a packing is low
• pressure drop is also low
 Effects of Packings on Tower
Design
• The size of packing used influences:

 height of column
 diameter of column
 pressure drop
 cost of packing
 mass transfer efficiency
 Wetting
• Complete wetting is needed
• Wetting rate is given by

 Lw = volume liquid rate per unit cross-sectional area of column

Packing surface area per unit volume of column
 Design Consideration
1. Entering gas or liquid 5. Minimum solvent
flow rate, composition (stripping agent) flow rate
2. Desired degree of and actual absorbent
recovery of one or more (stripping agent) flow rate
solutes 6. No. of equilibrium stages
3. Choice of solvent 7. Heat effects and need for
4. Operating pressure and cooling or heating
temperature, and 8. Type of packing and its
allowable gas pressure size
drop 9. Height of column
10. Diameter of column
 General Applications
• Absorption
• Distillation
• Liquid-liquid Extraction