9/12/2011

Gas Liquid Contact Operations

Topic 4
Part 1

Lecture Objectives

To be able to differentiate between the

following gas-liquid contact operations:
 Adiabatic Humidification
 Dehumidification
 Cooling Tower Operation
To be able to obtain properties of air-water
systems using Handbook data & formulas
 Definition of Terms
 Use of Saturation Tables
 Use of Psychrometric Charts

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Gas Liquid Contact Operations

(Introduction)
Usual Equipment: Packed Tower
Gas Out Liquid In
1. Adiabatic Humidification – gas is cooled
by liquid resulting in the evaporation of
some liquid under adiabatic conditions
2. Dehumidification – saturated gas is cooled
by liquid resulting in the condensation of
some vapor from the gas
3. Cooling Tower Operation – liquid is cooled
by the gas resulting in the evaporation of
some liquid
Usual Gas: Air Usual Liquid: Water
Note: The gas(B) is usually assumed to
contain some vapor (A)
Gas In Liquid Out ©UST Ch.E. Department

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Humidity Terminology
Dry Bulb Temperature Humid Heat
Absolute Humidity Humid Volume
Saturation Humidity Humid Enthalpy
Relative Humidity Adiabatic Saturation
Temperature
Percent Humidity Wet Bulb Temperature
Dew Point

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Psychrometric Charts

Gas (B or g)-Vapor(A or v) System

Basic Properties:
1. Dry Bulb Temperature (t): actual temperature of the air
2. Absolute Humidity (H or Y): weight of A or v per weight of B or g

H or Y = PA/(P – PA) x MA/MB or Mv/Mg

where PA= vapor pressure, P = total pressure, M = MW

3. Saturation Humidity (HS or YS): the absolute humidity at saturation;

the maximum weight of A per weight of B at given T and P

HS or YS = PS/(P – PS) x MA/MB

where PS = saturation vapor pressure at T
See Equations 12-4a/12-5 & Table 12-3/12-5 from the Handbook
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Use of Psychrometric Charts

See Figs. 12.1, 12.3 (S.I.), 12.2a and 12.2b, 12.4 (English) of Handbook
Basis: P = 1 atm

Saturation Line

Grosvenor Type
Y

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Psychrometric Charts

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Mollier Type

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Gas (B or g)-Vapor(A or v) System

Basic Properties:
4. Percent Relative Humidity (%RH or Ψ): PA/PS x 100
5. Percent Humidity (%H or S): Y/YS x 100
6. Dew Point (tD): the temperature attained by the gas if it is made
saturated at constant humidity (Y = YS)
7. Humid Heat (CS) = the specific heat of the moist air per weight
of dry gas. CS = CPB + Y CPA
For Air, assume CPB = 1.005 kJ/kg-K
For water vapor, assume CPA= 1.884 kJ/kg-K
Use of CS: Sensible Heat Rate = w CS t, where w = dry gas rate
CS = 1.005 + 1.884Y or 1 + 1.9 Y

©UST Ch.E. Department

Use of Psychrometric Chart

Y
%RH

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Use of Psychrometric Chart

%RH
Y

tD t

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Gas (B or g)-Vapor(A or v) System

Basic Properties:
8. Humid volume (VH): the specific volume of the mixture per
weight of dry gas

VH = R T [1/MB + Y/MA]/P
Volumetric rate (q) = w VH

9. Humid Enthalpy(H): enthalpy of mixture per weight of dry gas

H = CPB ( t – to) + Y [ o + CPA (t – to)]
where to = reference temperature
for air-water and with to = 0:
H = 1.005 t +Y (1.884 t +2501)

©UST Ch.E. Department

Gas (B or g)-Vapor(A or v) System

Basic Properties:
10. Adiabatic saturation temperature (tas): the temperature attained
by a gas if it is made saturated by spraying with liquid under
adiabatic conditions
w CSm (t – tas) = w (Yas – Y) as
(Y – Yas)/ (t – tS) = - CSm/as
11. Wet bulb temperature (twb): the steady state temperature
attained by a small mass of liquid exposed in a continuous
stream of a gas under adiabatic conditions
ky (Ywb – Y) wb = h (t – twb)
(Y – Ywb)/ (t – tW) = - h/(ky wb)

Note: For Air-water system, CSm = h/ky (Lewis Relation)

This means that tas = twb for the system.
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Use of Psychrometric Chart

tas = twb

tD t

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Vapor Pressure of Water, MPa

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Gas (Air)-Vapor( Water) System

Basic Properties:
1. Dry Bulb Temperature (t): actual temperature of the air
2. Absolute Humidity (H):
H = Pw/(P – Pw) x 18/29
= nw / ndry air x 18/29
3. Saturation Humidity (HS ):
HS = PS/(P – PS) x 18/29

4. Percent Relative Humidity (%RH):

%RH = Pw/PS x 100
5. Percent Humidity (%H):
% H = H/HS x 100 ©UST Ch.E. Department

Gas (Air)-Vapor( Water) System

Basic Properties:

6. Dew Point (tD): the temperature attained by the gas if it is made

saturated at constant humidity (H = HS)
7. Humid Heat (CS) = the specific heat of the moist air per weight
of dry gas.
CS = 1.005 + 1.884Y kJ/kgK
8. Humid volume (VH): the specific volume of the mixture per
weight of dry gas R= 0.08205 T(K) P(atm)
VH = R T [1/29 + H/18]/P m3/kg
Volumetric rate (q) = w VH

9. Humid Enthalpy(H): enthalpy of mixture per weight of dry gas

H = 1.005 t +H (1.884 t +2501)

Gas (Air)-Vapor( Water) System

Basic Properties:
10. Adiabatic saturation temperature (tas): the temperature attained
by a gas if it is made saturated by spraying with liquid under
adiabatic conditions
w CSm (t – tas) = w (Has – H) as
(H – Has)/ (t – tS) = - CSm/as

11. Wet bulb temperature (twb): the steady state temperature

attained by a small mass of liquid exposed in a continuous
stream of a gas under adiabatic conditions
ky (Hwb – H) wb = h (t – twb)
(H – Hwb)/ (t – tW) = - h/(ky wb)

CSm = h/ky (Lewis Relation)

This means that tas = twb for the system. ©UST Ch.E. Department

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Psychrometer Equation (Eqn 12.11) – used to find Twb

Exercises on Psychrometry:

Determine the missing properties of the following air:

1. Saturated at 25oC
2. At 30oC and 75% Relative Humidity
3. At 30oC and 85% Humidity
4. At 60oC and 20oC dew point
5. At 35oC dry bulb and 20oC wet bulb

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