Using an absorption tower packed with two-inch ceramic Intalox saddles, 90% of SO2 is
wanted to be removed from a gas stream of 85 m³/min containing 3% SO2 by volume at 293
K and 101.3 kPa. If the operating liquid flow rate and gas flow rate are 3710 kg/min and
102.7 kg/min successively, determine the packed bed tower diameter.
(Hint: The gas velocity should be no greater than 75% of the flooding velocity.)
($\rho_{water}$ = 1000 kg/m³, $MW_{air}$= 29 g/mol, $g_c$= 9.82 kg/m²s, $\phi$ = 1.0, $\mu$=0.0008 Pa.s,
Fp=131m²/m³, R=8.314 L.kPa/Kmol)