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Calculate Saturated-Cas l,oads for
r/acuum Systems
Use this procedure tu find the amount of noncondensable gas
saturated uitb condensable gas being discbarged.
COMMON PROBLEM
in designing vacuum
systems for chemical
processing applications
is the calculation of load
requirements. This is es-
pecially true when dealing with ex-
isting process equipment. One of
the key factors is an accurate deter-
mination of operating conditions.
The calculation of load is rela-
tively straightforward. To illustrate
the appropriate procedure, we will
look at a representative case: a dis-
tillation column with an overhead
reflux condenser. (The reflux con-
denser may 0r may not be followed
by a vent condenser, see Figure l.)
The operating parameters needed
to size the vacuum system are
l. the load going to the vacuum
system from the reflux or vent con-
denser (if present) in mass flow
terms,
2. the pressure of the load, and
3. the temperature of the load.
The load can be considered as the
amount of noncondensable gas sat-
urated with the condensable gas be-
ing discharged from the reflux or
vent condenser.
First calculate the pressure and
temperature of the gas going to the
vacuum svstem. In a new system,
this can be cletermined from the
condenser design. For an existing
system, actual measurements can be
taken.
C)nce this information is known,
the nontondensable gas load must be
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EDWARD B. MYERSON, STOI(IS VACUUM, INI
calculated. Unless a reaction occurs glands. The procedure is as follon's:
or some carrier gas is injected into l. Evacuate the systern to about
the system, the amount of noncon- 125 mm Hg abs.
densable gas in the process str€am 2. Isolate the system from the vac-
can be considered equivalent to the uum source and turn off the vac-
amount of air leakage into the uum source.
equipment. There are several meth- 3. Record the time required for a
ods of determining air leakage. change in pressure (the pressure
They include change must be large enough to al-
l. a rate-of-rise test to find the air
low for an accurate time reading);
leakage of an existing system (1), do not allow the system pressur€ to
2. measurement using an air-leak- rise above 380 mm Hg abs.
age meter (1), 4. Given the system volume , the
3. determination via standard pressure change, and the elapsed
charts based on system size and op- time, calculate the air-leakage rate
erating pressure (1) or, (at 70"F') via:
4. calculations based on system
size, fittings, openings, and operat- L -- O.39'lVLPlt (1)
ing pressure (2).
The rate-of-rise method yields a 5. Repeat the test with the vac-
reasonable representation of the air uum system running to eher'k for
the tightness of t he isolation valve. I I
the leak rate is similar, then the valve
is tight.
Another rnethod for finding the
noncondensable-gas flow rate of att
existing system is to use an air-lcak-
age meter to measlrre the gas flo$'
rate at almospherir: pressure. All oÍ
the gas from the vacuurn s)'stc:Í11
must go through the air-leakagc I
leakage of a system. The test, how- meter. If any water, \rater vap()r, ot. I
ever, can only be done on a system cortdcnsable gas arc prescnt. usc t'i s
that can be taken off line, emPtied ther a separator or a surface-tvpc af-
of process fluids, and then evacu- ter condenser ahead of thc rnetcr to
atecl to a pressure of 125 mm Hg remove as much of them as possiblc.
abs. or less. The test should be per- Measure the ternperaturc eif the gas
f<rrmed with all agitators and other going to the rneter and cleclur:t thc
rotating equipment running to du- saturation anl()unt frorn the readirrg.
plicate any leakage through seals or The other rnctl'rods of calcrrlating
(.ttt-lrtr rt hrr,tttlHtrr. I'R(x.R!s5
 Lr = l'2ArDL.P'26 (6) be understood; the concePt states
noncondensable-gas florv rate are that the total pressure is equal to the
empirical and. thus, not as rigorous' (for 100 to l0 tcrr)
sum ofthe paitial pressures' and the
FT Áir-leakage curves are Published total pressure times the mole frac-
bv the Heat Exchange lnstitute, see Lr : 1i'DLsPosa
tion of a gas is equal to its Partial
Figure 2. To use thése t'urves. both (for 10 to I torr) (7)
Dressure.
system volumc and operattng I)res- ' T., .alculate the saturation of a
sure data are reqtrired. \\'hcn using The total air leakage is:
noncondensable with two condensa-
ordinary shaft seàls, add up tn 5 lbih bles, first calculate the partial pres-
to allon' for additional leakage' L,:L+[Lr (8)
sure of the noncondensable:
The final method is basecl on both
system size and the number and
Once the air-leakage rate and non-
sizes of flanges, ports, etc. The pro-
conclensable-gas flow have been de-
Toble l. Eslimoles Íor
cedure coniists of two stePs (2)'
First, estimate the air-leakap;e rate termined, the saturation can be eas- speciÍic leok roles.
according to vesset size using the fol- ilv calculated. For a simple problem
leol
oí air or other dry gas saturated with
Specillt
{, l}lc. lowing equations: ComPonenl tole (lb/h/in.)

iows: Stotir Seols

rbout Threoded (onnedions 0.015
(onvenlional Gosket Seols 0.005

0-tings 0.002
i vac-
' vac- Thermolly (ycled Goskels
r< 200'F 0.005

200 < r< 400'f 0.018

for a I > 100"Í 0.03?
'isure Rolary Seols
to al- Potking Glonds 0.25
iing); lilethonicol Seols 0.t0
ire to lsolotion líolves
Vstuum Plug (ock 0.01
", the Syslem 0.02
Bolt
psed Globe 0.02
"rate Gole 0.01

Throllling Yolves 0.2s

Aaess Porls 0.02

(l) Yiew Vtlindows 0.015

'vac- Its*, tJ.,*m ryrlem lor dirtillotion column wilh ovetheod teílux condenser'
k for L : O.l 06pl^,06 (2) a single condensable.gas, the satura- NOMENCLATURE
ve. If (forTti0tol00torr)tionamountlS(.al(.ulateovla : seal diarneter (in.);
D
valve : flow of saturated vapor (lb/h);
S : À'Mzu,P,lMw"(P - P') (9) S
: air leakage into s1'stem (lb/h):
L
q thc L : 0.072po.o26yoorr (3) L, - specific leak rate tlb/h/in.):
(for 100 to l0 torr) When there is more than one non- Ll, = leaLage rate ol fittirrgs. ralre:'
of an condensable, the average molecular seals, etc., (lb/h/in )
-leak- M :
flow (4) weight of the noncondensables
f : 0.026P{'{r34y006 (+) Mu, :
molesl

\ll of (for r0 ro I rorr) ïï* Ï:1^l: i:ï:iil: N :

P :
molecular weightl
ílow of noncondensables (lb/h):
pressure (torr, lnm Hg abs ):
stenr
weight is alculaterl
t b1 Í = rinre (mlll)r
kage
{)r, or
'fht' nt'xt step is to determittc the air
leakace frt.'ln atl valves, Í'ittings,
"Hfii:
ÀÍu',,* : ll(14',lLIu/1\t'
l' :
W :
sl'stem vrtlume (Ítr):
mass flow (Ib,,,/h)l
se ei-
,eals, ït.. 'I-his is done for each item + ... + \4t,lN1trt,lW,) (10) avg =
c =
average
condensablest
prc af-
usilrg thc frrllorn ing equati('n\ and i = comportent ii
ier to
f inrling the sllctific leakage rate. L., For applicati.ns in'ol'ing rnore n : n()Ircotrdertsablcs:
'sible. -lablc 1 : p =
:c gas
frorn than one'condensable and at least t :
partial:
t{)tal:
t the one n()n('ontlensablc, the technique \' : \'ap()r (cottclerrsables at tclÍlPer-
rling. :
L, 3.98ri'Dls (5) is sorncwhat clif{erent' lt reqtrires ature ].).
ating (for 760 to 100 torr; that the concept of partial prejsut'c

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\l tigure 2. Àir-leokoge volues Íor commerciolly lighl syslems'
\1
P,: Prn * P*r * P*: ( I I ) Third, calculàte the total number of vent condenser to the vacuum sls-
I
moles Present: tern because both the air leakagc
o -l-he
partiaf pressure of a condensrtbLe M,IM, and the saturatcd \aPor loads arc
Pr"lP,: (15)
knon'n. along r+ith thc prcssrrre arrd
c, when saturated is equal to the vaPor
.l;
pressure of the condensable at the
then, temperature. To fi nish vacuuln-svs-
I saturation temperature in a mixture M,: M"(P,lPu,,) (16) tem-sizine sim pl,v involves determin-
\: ing the nutnber, tvpe, and size oÍ lhe
of multiple condensables. So, Fourth, calculate the number of required pumps. r
S;
moles of each condensable present:
k P,", : P,*r (12)
. )! hí,ilM, : P,;1P, ... (17)
LtTERATtTRE CITEI)
St
the n, Finallr, calt ulate the salttrali()ll l. "Starrdarrls Íir Steanr .fct Vat'rtrtttt
)(l
am()unt of each condensable: Systcnrs." ,1tlr Etl.. Hcat Exchange
II'rstitrrtc, (.lcr cllrrd
i€
.s
Fu,, - P, - P,,*, - P,sr (13) l{"' : t14.75t''" (18) 1 I {)8t11.

c
Next. calculatc the number of rnolcs
'I'his procedure applies regardlcss 2. Rvans, J. L., and D, L. RoPer'
"Prrxtss \';rt'ttunr Systettt l)esigtt
t
of noncondensablcs: o{'the quantity of condensables ancl ()pcrirtiorr." l\'lc(irau-Hill^
(l present. It allows for the dett'rmitra- Ncu \irrk (ll)tl(i).
1 lr|,,: W,,lhLu" ( l4) iion oÍ' the load frorn the refltrr or