A Method for Estimating Mass Transfer Coefficients in a Packed Column Using Reactive Absorption Data

Abstract

This paper is devoted to the development of a new method for estimating mass transfer coefficients and effective area in packed columns in the case of reactive absorption. The method is based on a plug-flow model of reactive absorption of carbon dioxide with sodium hydroxide solution. The parameter estimation problem is solved using an optimization technique. Some mass transfer parameters are found to be correlated. Global sensitivity analysis by Sobol's technique showed that the unit model with the defined objective function is sensitive to the estimated parameter. Case studies of reactive absorption with different packings illustrate application of the proposed method for estimating mass transfer coefficients and effective area from column operation data. The model calculations are compared with experimental data obtained by other authors. The concentration profiles calculated by the unit model with the estimated parameters are shown to match well with experimental profiles from literature. A good agreement between estimated values and experimental data from literature confirms the applicability of this method.