Chemical Engineering Science, 1974, Vol. 29. pp. 501-507. Pergamon Press.

Printed in Great Britain

EFFECTIVE INTERFACIAL AREA IN

IRRIGATED PACKED COLUMNS

S. S. PUBANIK* and A. VOGELPOHL

Institut fiir Thermische Verfahrenstechnik, Universitlt Karlsruhe, 75 Karlsruhe, Germany

(Received 30 April 1973; accepted 1June 1973)

Abstract-A generalized correlation is proposed for the values of effective interfacial area during
Vaporization, Absorption with and without Chemical Reaction and the values of wetted surface area in
terms of dimensionless numbers. The values of effective interfacial area are analysed based on the
concept of static and dynamic area, which appears to represent the mechanism of mass transfer for the
above cases.
A generalized correlation in terms of Hatta’a group or the reaction factor is also proposed.
The results are limited to packed columns with liquid as the dispersed and gas as the continuous phase
operated counter-currently below the loading point.

INTRODUCTION LlTERATuRE SURVEY

Various methods are available in the literature [ l-31
for the prediction of the effective interfacial area
during absorption without chemical reaction (am),
absorption with chemical reaction (a&, vaporiza-
tion (a”) and the wetted surface area (a& But there
exists a considerable amount of discrepancy re-
garding the values of effective interfacial area and
the values of wetted surface area, in particular the
values of a,@ and cAC are not at all comparable
under otherwise similar conditions.
Further, these values of aAP, av and aw have been
correlated in the literature but, for the different
cases of area, different forms of correlations are
available[4-101. Depending on the types of resis-
tances, the pattern of flow etc., even different forms
of correlations have been proposed[5,9]. No corre-
lation is available in the literature to predict the val-
ues of ant. Further, no generalized correlation is
available which will predict the values of aAP, aAc,
av and aw and at the same time interpret the
mechanism of mass transfer during these opera-
tions particularly during absorption.
Hence it was thought desirable to analyse avail-
able data of interfacial areas and to develop a
generalized correlation. Further an attempt was
made to elucidate the mechanism of mass transfer
during the above mentioned operations.
*Present address: Laxminarayan Institute of Technol-
ogy, Nagpur, India.
Tables l-3 indicate the types of the operation,
types of systems, and such relevant aspects. In all
the cases due care was taken to see that end effects
or wall effects are practically unimportant and that
the desired packing density was reached so that the
effect of the void factor (e) could be eliminated.
CONCEPT OF STATIC AND DYNAMIC AREA
Itis quite conceivable that the liquid hold-up in a
column is closely connected with the interfacial
area. Three types of hold-up have been discussed in
the literature11 11, namely static hold-up, dynamic
hold-up, and total hold-up. Further it is now a well
established fact that the total hold-up equals the
sum of the static and the dynamic hold-up (also
called the operating or moving hold-up). Extensive
work has been done by Elgin and coworkers[12],
Shulman and coworkers [13], and Gelbe[34] in this
respect. If it is assumed that the static hold-up cor-
relates with static area and the dynamic hold-up
with the dynamic area, then the maximum total
effective interfacial area available for mass transfer
under certain conditions should be the sum of these
two areas, which in turn will be given by the follow-
ing equations:
aw = aMax.= as, + aDY. (1)
(this area will obviously be equal to the wetted area
a,+). All interfacial area data were analysed based
on this concept of static and dynamic area.

501
502 S. A. FURANIK antd A. VOGELPOHL

ANALYSIS BASED ON THE CONCEPT under otherwise similar conditions by the following
OF STATIC AND DYNAMIC AREA equation:
If the column is used for vaporization, the effec-
tive interfacial area consists of the surface area of as, = aAc- aAp. (2)
the moving liquid as well as the area of the liquid in
the semistagnant pockets. Both these parts appear A GENFJULISRD CORRELATION FOR THE
to be effective during vaporization. Thus av will be VALUES OF (I,,,, aAc AND av

equal to the sum of the values of as, and a,. The following correlation obtained by a statisti-
If the column is used for absorption without cal analysis of the available data is suggested for
chemical reaction the semistagnant pockets tend to predicting the values of aw, aAC and av:
become saturated in a very short time and hence
this surface becomes ineffective for mass transfer. 2 = 14)5(Re)0’M7(We)““‘(a/uJ”‘” (3)
Thus the effective inter-facial area is substantially
that of the moving liquid alone and asp will be equal
to aoP It was found by Shulman and coworkers [ 131 where a, denotes the predicted value of effective
that the ratio of IL-a” and KoaApis proportional to interfacial area and
the ratio of total and dynamic hold-up. If it is as-
sumed that Kc remains substantially constant, then ap aAc aw av
-=_=-=-.
the ratio of the area becomes porportional to the a, at at at
corresponding values.
The standard error of the prediction of aP/al is 12.5
In the case of absorption accompanied by chemi-
per cent. Figure 1 is a plot of (ap/ar)pred,cted vs
cal reaction (such as absorption of Cot in alkali sol-
(akJal)exFr~menfah which indicates that practically all
utions), the following analysis appears to be ap-
the values of aw, aAcand av could be correlated by
propriate:
the above equation within a maximum error of 220
When CO2 is absorbed in water or a very dilute
per cent.
solution of alkali, the value of the effective interfa-
cial area will be that of the moving liquid and anp
I.0
will be that of ati. As the concentration of NaOH is
increased, the semistagnant liquid, even with its
slow turnover, will have an increasing capacity to
absorb CO*. As the concentration of NaOH is 0.8 -
further increased finally a condition will be reached
where the semistagnant liquid will be as effective as
the moving liquid. Thus ant will be equal to the sum
O-6-
of asr and aoY.
It should be noted that the concentration of the 1 _
solute in the gas phase will also influence the effec- <
tiveness of the semistagnant pockets of liquid. The $ 0.4 -
greater this concentration, the lower the effective- ’
ness, as the NaOH in the pockets will be reacting at
a faster rate than at a low concentration. Sherwood 0.2-
and Pigford[14] provide an excellent discussion of
simultaneous absorption and chemical reaction.
From their analysis and the analysis due to Hatta
and coworkers it appears that the term 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.6 I-O
d/D. K2 . (B) and the ratio of K/ and K, will be the (0,/orLxp
governing factors for the prediction of the effec-
Fig. 1. Comparison of predicted vs experimental data. The
tiveness of the semistagnant pockets. This aspect legend is indicated in Tables 1 and 2. (Due to overlapping
has been discussed further elsewhere. only 50 per cent of the data points are shown in this figure.
All the values of aAcreported in the literature are
obtained generally under the conditions of a fast A CORRELATION FOR STATIC AREA
pseudo-first order reaction. For this case sac= DURING ABSORPTION

ast+aD,. Hence the values of static area could be Under otherwise similar conditions of aAp/ar,the
evaluated if the values of asp and ant are available values of aP/a, were calculated by Eq. (3) and the
 Effective interfacial area in irrigated packed columns

difference between these two values was taken as I.0

the measure of static area (~,/a,). The Eq. (4) is the

generalized correlation obtained for the corres-
ponding values of static area: 0.6

2 = 0.229 - 0.091 In ( We/Fr) (4)

06

The Eq. (4) indicates that there exists a critical p

value of We/Fr at which static area will be zero. 2
For the case of absorption such critical value of < o_4
WelFr is 12.5. Thus, when the ratio of WelFr is S?
greater than 12.5 the static area will be zero and the
value of the effective inter-facial area will be equal
0. 2
to the area of moving liquid only. Under these con-
ditions the values of sac and uAp will be
comparable.
The Eq. (4) also indicates that with an increase o
0
in a,, an increase in a, and a decrease in pL, the
static area increases. Thus for the packing size of
the order of 1in. and above, the values of static area Fig. 2. Comparison of predicted vs experimental data. A
are likely to be very small under normal operating Absorption without chemical reaction A Absorption with
conditions. chemical reaction 0 Vaporization 0 Wetted surface area.
(Due to overlapping only 50 per cent of the data points are
shown in this figure.)
A GENERALIZED CORRELATION FOR ALL
THE VALUES OF AREA REPORTED
IN THE LITERATURE for physical absorption; the maximum error of pre-
When absorption is accompanied by a chemical diction for most of the points being + 20 per cent.
reaction (under the conditions of fast pseudo-first The range of variables and the physical proper-
order reaction), the whole area (a,,+ a,,) is effec- ties covered by Eq. (5) is as follows: ada,=
tive. In the case of physical absorption, only the
area of the moving liquid is effective and the area
which is ineffective is given by the Eq. (4). Thus a
generalized correlation could be prepared for the
values of a in the following manner: 06

Let

where ada, is obtained by the Eq. (4) under other- 2%o 4

wise similar conditions of uAP/al.Thus all the values ,
of aw, aAc, av and aApcould be analysed and a final 3
generalized correlation could be written as: 2
- o-2

0.2 0.4 06 0.6 0

The standard error of the predicted up/al is 12.5 per
cent. Figure 2 is a, plot of (adadpmdicldvs. (~da,).~,,~..
. .. . _ ..
All values ot a (av, aAC, aw and aAp+ a,) could be
correlated within a maximum error of 2 20 per cent.
Figure 3 is a plot of predicted vs actual values of a
(OaP‘0, Lx,
Fig. 3. Comparison of predicted vs experimental data. The
legend is indicated in Table 3. (Due to overlapping only 75
per cent of the data points are shown in this figure.
504 S. A. PURANIK and A. VOGELPOHL

0.08-0.8, i = 0+025-1.2 g/cm* set, vL=0.5-13 cp, quid. Hence a correlation for the prediction of a
cr = 25-75 dynes/cm, pL = 0.8-1.9 g/cm’, dp = during absorption, irrespective of the type of ab-
10-37.5 mm. sorption, could be written as:
The dimensionless numbers cover the range:
z=(z)+(:)(tanh(r)-1) (6)
We/Fr = O-4-14, We = 21 x lo-’ to 12 x lo-),
=(~)+($r/e,-1, (7)
Re = O-5-85
where up/a, is the value of area predicted by equa-
Fr = 7.7 x lo-‘-4.7 x 10m3,u/oC = 0.3-1.05.
tions (5), as,/a, is the value of area predicted by
Eq. (4) and r = I’D. Kf . (B)/KL, tanh r = r//3 and
ACORRELATIONFORauINTHE
MODIFIEDFORM KgK, = p.
As discussed elsewhere, it appears that the val- LIMITINGCASES

ues of d/o. K2. (B) and K//K, may be considered Case I. When r is greater than 5, absorption is
the governing factors for the prediction of the accompanied by a fast pseudo-first order reaction
effectiveness of the semistagnant pockets in the li- and the values of r and /I become identicalI21.

Table 1. Summary of literature for chemical absorption and vaporization

No. Operation System Packing Reference Legendt

size (cm)

1 Vaporization Air and water 2.5 16

2 Vaporization Air and water 1.1 17
3 Vaporization Air and water 1.6 17
4 Vaporization Air and water 1.3 17 A
5 Chemical CO, and NaOH of 1 M 1.25 18 A
absorption strength
6 Chemical CO, and 1 M NaOH 1.25 19 v
absorption
7 Chemical CO, and 2 M NaOH 1.25 20 V
absorption
8 Chemical CO, and 1 M NaOH 1.25 21 0
absorption
9 Chemical CO, and 5 M NaOH q
absorption
10 Chemical CO, and 1 M NaOH 1.25 22 q
absorption
11 Chemical CO, and 1 M NaOH 1.25 18 @
absorption
(Same as case (5), except the values of a being high.)
12 Chemical CO2 and 1 M NaOH 2.54 18 @
absorption
13 Chemical CO, and 1.5-1.8 NaOH 0.95 23 *
absorption
14 Chemical CO, and Monoethanol amine 0.95 23 n
absorption
15 Chemical O1 and 5 M NaOH 0.95 24 q
absorption and O&t M Dithionote
16 Chemical Ozand5MNaOH 0.95 24 q
absorption and 0.27 M Dithionote
17 Chemical 0, in 5 M HCl and 0.95 24 q
absorption 0.57-0.23 M CuCl
18 Chemical O2 in 45 M HCl and 0.95 24 q
absorption 6 M CuCl+ 2.8 M CuCb
19 Chemical Iso-butylene in 0.95 25 0
absorption 11.5 M aq. H,SO,
20 Chemical CO, in 1 M NaOH 3.75 26 0
absorotion
IThese are the legenda for Fig. 1.
 Effective interfacial area in irrigated packed columns 505

Table 2. Summary of literature for wetted surface area

No. Operation System Packing Ref. Legendt

size

1 Determination of No gas Paper R.R. 27

wetted surface area Solvent-H,0 0.95
2 Determination of Solvent-H,0 1.25 1
wetted surface area No gas
3 Determination of Solvent-H,0 1.5 28
wetted surface area No gas
4 Determination of Solvent-H,0 2.6 28
wetted surface area
5 Determination of Solvent 2.5 29
wetted surface area u/u,= 1.06
6 Determination of Solvent 2.5 29
wetted surface area ulu, = 0.492
7 Determination of Solvent 2.5 29
wetted surface area U/UC= 0.82
8 Determination of Solvent 2.5 29
wetted surface area u/u, = 0.632
9 Determination of Solvent 1.5 29
wetted surface area U/UC= 0.557
10 Determination of Solvent 2.5 29
wetted surface area u/u,= 1.01
11 Determination of Solvent 2.5 29
wetted surface area u/u< = 1.08
UL= 0.038
12 Determination of Solvent 3.5 29
wetted surface area u/u~ = 0.984
ur = 0.038
13 Determination of Solvent 0.8 13
wetted surface area U/U<= 1.09
14 Determination of Solvent 0.8 13
wetted surface area U/UC= 0.75
U‘ = O*OlOl
15 Determination of Solvent 0.8 13
wetted surface area U/UC= 0.738
u‘ = 0.0203
16 Determination of Solvent 0.8 30
wetted surface area u/u, = 1.23
~1.= 0,025
17 Determination of Solvent 0.8 30
wetted surface area u/u, = 1.23
ur = 0.108
18 Determination of Solvent 0.8 30
wetted surface area U/UC= 1.24
VI.= 0.075

IThese are the legenda used for Fig. 1.

Under this condition Eq. (7) reduces to the follow- aA ap asr

ing form:
-z-c-

at a, al
(9)

This equation indicates that the area due to the

This equation indicates that all the area available is
effective.
Case II. As the value of r approaches zero, the
value of j3 approaches one and the value of Tanh r
also approaches zero and Eq. (6) or (7) reduces to
the following form:
moving liquid is the only effective interfacial area.
(As the value of r approaches zero the phenomenon
of absorption approaches the case of physical ab-
sorption.)
Case III. In the transition regime (i.e. the regime
where the static area is partly effective) the values
of KL and KL are required. Calculation of KL: the
well known Sherwood and Holloway [15] correla-
506 S. A. FTJRANIK and A. V~GELP~HL

Table 3. Summary of literature for absorption without chemical reaction

No. Operation System Packing Ref. Legendt

size
1 Physical absorption Air + Methanol 1.5 3 A
vapour
Physical absorption Solvent-Water 2.5 3 A
Physical absorption CO, and Water 1.5 3
Physical absorption NH, in Water 1.25 31 .o
Physical absorption NH, in Water 2.54
Physical absorption Air + Methanol 2.5 31
3 ;
vapour
Solvent-Water
7 Physical absorption Solvent-Water 3.8 3
8 Physical absorption CO, in Water 1.5 32 :
9 Physical absorption CO, in Water 2.5 32 *
10 Physical absorption CO, in Methanol 1.5 32
11 Physical absorption CO, in Methanol 2.58
12 Physical absorption CO, in 60% Methanol 1.5 32 :
13 Physical absorption CO, in 60% Methanol 2.5 32 0
14 Physical absorption CO, in 30% Methanol 1.5
15 Physical absorption CO, in 39% Methanol 2.5 32 z
16 Physical absorption CO, in 10% Methanol 1.5 32 El
17 Physical absorption CO, in 10% Methanol 2.5 32 A
18 Physical absorption CO, in 5% Cane-Sugar 1.5 32 A
Solution
19 Physical absorption CO, in 10% Cane-Sugar 1.5 32 hl
Solution
20 Physical absorption CO, in Water 1.5 33 a
21 Physical absorption CO, in Water 2.58 33 A
22 Physical absorption NH, in Water 2.5 31 Q
23 Physical absorption NH, in Water 3.75 31 w

iThese are the legenda used in Fig. 3.

tion is used to find the values of KL . aAp.With the posed as follows:

help of Eq. (5) the value of aApcan be predicted and
hence the value of KL calculated.
Calculation of KI: using the value of KL calcu-
lated in the above manner, the value of KL is
evaluated by the following equation:
K: = VD. K, . (B)+KL . KL.
Using the values of true mass transfer coefficients
with and without chemical reaction, Eq. (6) or (7)
can be applied in the transition regime also.
SUMMARY
Based on the concept of static and dynamic area
the following correlations are proposed for predict-
ing the values of the effective interfacial area (a):
p 1.O&(Reyy We)@ya/&~‘8*
T = O-229- 0.091 In (We/R)
where up= a”= aw= aAc= (anp+ as*).
A correlation for the values of a during absorp-
tion (irrespective of the type of absorption) is pro-
(III)
With the help of above equations all the values of
interfacial area during vaporization, absorption
with and without chemical reaction, and wetted sur-
(10) face area as covered in Tables 1-3 can be predicted
within a range of k20 per cent.
Acknowledgement-One of the authors (S.A.P.) wishes to
thank the authorities of the 7th International Seminar for
an award of scholarship which enabled this work to be
carried out. Thanks are also due to Prof. Dr.-Ing. E. U.
Schlunder, Director of the Institut fur Thermische Ver-
fahrenstechnik for valuable discussions.
NOTATION
a effective interfacial area per unit volume of
(I) the column, cm*/cm3
an effective inter-facial area per unit volume of
(II) the column during absorption, cm*/cm”
asp effective inter-facial area per unit volume of
the column during physical absorption (ab-
sorption without chemical reaction),
cm*/cm’
 Effective interfacial area in irrigated packed columns 507

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[3] YOSHIDA F. and KOYANGI T., A.Z.Ch.E. JI. 1962
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- __-.
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