Question

i) Gas, from a petroleum distillation column, has its concentration of H2S reduced from 0.03 kmol H2S/kmol of inert hydrocarbon gas to 1 per cent of this value, by scrubbing with a triethanolamine water solvent in a counter-current packed tower, operating at 300 K and at atmospheric pressure.H2S is soluble in such a solution and the equilibrium relationship may be taken as Y = 2X, where Y is kmol of H2S/kmol of inert hydrocarbon gas and X is kmol H2S/kmol of solvent.The solvent enters the tower free of H2S and at a flow rate of 0.035 kmol/m2s of tower cross section. If the flow of inert hydrocarbon gas is 0.015 kmol/m2s of tower cross section, and the overall mass transfer coefficient (times specific surface area of the packing, a) KGa = 0.04kmol/sm3 of tower cross section, calculate (a) the concentration of the H2S in the solvent leaving the tower, and; (b) the height of the packed tower.

Answer 1