Simulation of Low Pressure Absorption Tower of Amine Gas Treating Unit Using Structured Packing to Improve Its Operation

In the present study the absorption tower of the amine gas treating unit was simulated by using rate base method of Aspen Plus simulator. The industrial tray column was selected due to problems in capacity. The first aim of the work was to evaluate the simulation results by operational characteristics of the tower. In the next part of investigation, the application of various types of structured packings to absorb H2S in packed columns was presented. The effect of different parameters, such as inlet gas concentration and flow rate, and packing characteristics such as sheet thickness, on the tower performance are investigated. The results show that the use of Mellapak 250Y, instead of current trays, causes a considerable improvement in pressure drop. On the other hand, this change in tower structure introduces an extra capacity which can be used either to decrease circulating amine flow rate for energy benefits, or increase inlet gas flow rates for capacity enhancement purposes.