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Design Problem
Design a fixed-bed adsorber that is capable of operating for 12 hours. Target breakthrough
The major parameters that must be fixed or identified are the breakthrough concentration curve,
column diameter, residence time of the influent, adsorption bed height, and time required to
achieve breakthrough.
Design Calculations
The data used in the design of fixed bed adsorber are height of column which is 10 cm, and the
column diameter which is 1 cm. The assumed density for the activated carbon was 0.58. The total
height of the used bed, height of the unused bed, area of the packed column are required in the
packed column.
Breakthrough curve
From the breakthrough curve of 10 cm; 1% w/w dye solution showed above, the height of the used
bed and total height is obtained from tb and td which are 10 and 90 minutes, respectively.
The time equivalent to the usable capacity or the time at which effluent concentration, tu, reaches
𝐴1 = 𝐶𝑑 (𝑡𝑏 )
𝐴1 = 0.92945(10) = 9.2945
𝐴2 = 𝑡𝑠 − 𝑡𝑏
𝐴2 = 47 − 10 = 37
The length of the bed used up to the break point is computed as follows;
∞
𝐶
𝑡𝑡 = ∫ (1 − ) 𝑑𝑡
0 𝐶𝑜
𝑡𝑏
𝐶
𝑡𝑢 = ∫ (1 − ) 𝑑𝑡
0 𝐶𝑜
𝑡𝑢 = 9.2945 𝑚𝑖𝑛.
𝑡𝑢 9.2945
=
𝑡𝑡 46.2945
𝑡𝑢
= 0.2008
𝑡𝑡
𝑡𝑢
𝐻𝐵 = (𝐻 )
𝑡𝑡 𝑇
𝐻𝐵 = 0.2008(10)
𝐻𝐵 = 2.008 𝑐𝑚
𝐻𝑈𝑁𝐵 = (1 − 0.2008)(10)
𝐻𝑈𝑁𝐵 = 7.992 𝑐𝑚
For a 12 hours operation, the length of used bed is obtained by the ratio of the breakpoint times
𝑡𝑏𝑛𝑒𝑤
𝐻𝐵 = (𝐻𝐵 )
𝑡𝑏
12ℎ(60𝑚𝑖𝑛. )
𝐻𝐵 = (2.008 𝑐𝑚)
30𝑚𝑖𝑛.
𝐻𝐵 = 48.192 𝑐𝑚
𝐻𝑇 = 𝐻𝐵 + 𝐻𝑈𝑁𝐵
𝐻𝑇 = 48.192𝑐𝑚 + 7.992𝑐𝑚
𝐻𝑇 = 56.184 𝑐𝑚
The total length of the fixed-bed adsorber that is capable of operating for 12 hours is 56.184 cm.