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Hi,

I am a Chemical Engineer working in a fatty acid distillation plant.
We distill Crude fatty acid to get Pure fatty acid under vacuum. The vapours created from the main ditillation still passes thro' 4 shell and tube heat exchangers before the uncondensible vapours escapes into the vacuum system.

Vacuum system we use has a direct contact barometric condensor and the problem we are facing is carry over of fatty acid into the barometric seal pot and contaminating the whole water that circulates in the barometric system.

I have thought of condensing the escaping fatty acid vapours from the final shell and tube heat exchanger by using cooler fatty acid. Please refer to the diagram attached.

Please let me know,
1) How to calculate the optimum height of the packed column?
2) Pressure drop across the packed column
3) How to calculate the amount of liquid required to condense the vapours?

Please ask me if more details are required and thanking you in advance....

Mallu