Stripping Towers: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

If you have any questions about stripping towers, you will find all answers right here.

From the definition, advantages, classification criteria, a working principle to quality specifications, and testing – everything you’re looking if right here.

Keep reading if you want to be an expert in stripping towers.

What are Stripping Towers?

Stripping towers are equipment that you will use for physical separation of different substances such as liquid mixtures using vapor streams.

 Stripping tower

How Many Categories of Stripping Towers are There?

Stripping column can be categorized into three main groups including:

• Plate Towers or Columns
• Packed bed Towers or Columns
• Spray Towers or Columns

What is the Plate Column in Stripping Towers?

Plate columns in stripping towers are chemical equipment for separating between the gas phase and the liquid phase.

In this case, the liquid and the gas come into contact with each other at different stages.

At every stage, there is a delimitation by two plates except the stages at the bottom and the one at the top.

It consists of vertical columns where you will introduce the liquid to flow from the top and the gas from the bottom.

Within the column, you will notice plates and trays that force the liquid to flow back and forth horizontally.

Apart from that, it will force the vapor bubble to flow upwards through the holes found within the trays.

The plates are responsible for increasing the contact between the liquid and the gases thus maximum separation.

Fractional tower

How Does the Packed Bed Colum Compare to the Spray Column?

Packed bed columns or towers are chemical equipment that consists of pipes, hollow tubes, and packing materials among others.

You can either decide to come up with structured packing or fill it with smaller objects such as Raschig rings.

Packed bed column

It is responsible for increasing contact between different phases of the chemical separation process.

You can use it in different applications such as distillation, chemical reactors as well as absorption towers.

On the other hand, spray columns are gas-liquid contractors that you can use for mass transfers between gas and liquid phases.

It has empty plastic or metal cylindrical vessels and nozzles responsible for spraying of liquid within the vessels.

In this case, you will introduce the gas from the bottom while the sprayers add the liquid as gas moves upwards.

It also employs the countercurrent flow of fluids to enable proper contact and separation of impurities from the fluid.

They are often larger than other towers because of the need to maintain low gas velocities.

The collection efficiency also increases with a decrease in the size of the spray droplets.

What are Air Stripping Towers?

Air stripping tower

Air stripping towers are columns that you will use to eliminate volatile organic compounds from water.

It forces streams of air through contaminated water to evaporate volatile organic compounds.

The air that will flow through the air stripping towers will take away the evaporated contaminants from water.

It will get rid of the air that carries volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere if the concentration is low enough.

What are the Advantages of the Air Stripping Towers?

You will realize quite a number of benefits by using the air stripping towers.

Here are some of the main advantages that you will enjoy just by using the air stripping towers.

· Achieves 99% Elimination of VOC

You are sure of eliminating about 99% of the volatile organic compounds from water thus increasing its efficiency.

· Economic Alternative

Air stripping towers are the most economical type of device that you will use especially in flow rates above 50gpm.

· Cost-Effective

You will also spend less in the separation process of volatile organic compounds from water using the air stripping towers.

In other words, it is the most cost-effective method or device among other types of devices in the industry.

· Versatile Applications

You can use the air stripping towers to eliminate volatile organic compounds (VOC) wide range of airflow rates.

· Operates at Low Ratio Requirements

You will also require very low air to water ratios to operate the air stripping columns or towers accordingly.

How does Air Stripping Towers Work?

It is important to have proper knowledge of how the air stripping towers work.

Here is a step by step process that you can follow to successfully eliminate volatile organic compounds.

You will begin the whole process by setting up the machine according to the stripping requirements.

After that, you will introduce the contaminated water to flow into the towers or columns.

The contaminated water will flow downwards through the columns through the packing.

As that happens the air stripping towers will flow upwards through the columns thus interacting with the contaminated water.

The process by which the two fluids flow within the air stripping towers is known as the countercurrent flow of fluids.

The packing within the air column will act as special barriers that increase the interaction period between air and contaminated water.

As a result of an increase in interaction between air and contaminated water, the stripping process is enhanced.

It will lead to the elimination of the volatile organic compounds from water leaving clean water to flow in the opposite direction.

The air stripping towers will then eliminate the contaminated air to the atmosphere if the level of contamination is low.

What are Packed-Towers Air Strippers?

Packed towers air strippers are devices that you will use to eliminate contaminants from contaminated water.

It employs a misted stripping process to get rid of the contaminants (volatile organic compounds) in the contaminated water.

What are the Benefits of Using the Packed-Towers Air Strippers?

There are quite a number of benefits that you will enjoy by using the packed-towers air strippers.

Here are the main advantages of using packed-towers air strippers.

· Highly Effective

You are sure of eliminating 99% of the volatile organic compounds from contaminated water.

It can achieve the highest level of contaminant removal from the contaminated water sources.

· Economical Alternative

You will also spend less in the elimination of volatile organic compounds by using the packed-towers air strippers.

· Wide Range of Applications

You will also use the machine in a wide range of applications that have extended air flow rates.

It employs very low air to water ratio to eliminate the volatile organic compounds from contaminated water.

You must also use the packed-towers air strippers in water which tends to foam to work effectively.

What are the Limitations of Using the Packed-Towers Air Strippers?

Despite the benefits, you will also experience a few limitations by using the packed-towers air strippers.

Here are some of the limitations that you will experience with the use of packed-towers air strippers.

· Air Laden or Contamination

You must treat the air that contains the volatile organic compounds before releasing it into the atmosphere.

This is a measure that you must undertake to reduce air pollution and might increase the overall cost of operation.

· High Cost of Maintenance

You must remove the bed packing from the packed-towers air strippers for proper cleaning with acid.

This will also increase the overall cost of using the packed-towers air stripping columns.

· Risk of Fouling

There is a very high risk for the occurrence of fouling within the packed-towers air strippers.

· Requires Tall Columns

You will achieve the right efficiency of volatile organic compounds elimination by using very tall towers.

In other words, you must increase the height of the packed towers considerably to achieve proper results

What is Sieve-Tray Air Strippers?

Sieve-tray air strippers are special types of air strippers that have sieve trays to assist in the elimination of volatile organic compounds.

It depends on the principle of countercurrent flow of fluids over sieve-trays to increase the stripping process.

Packed bed stripper vs sieve tray stripper

What are the Advantages of Using Sieve-Tray Air Strippers?

Just like the other types of air-strippers, you will enjoy considerable benefits with the sieve-tray air strippers.

Here are some of the advantages of using sieve-tray air strippers.

· High Levels of Accuracy

You will achieve 99% level of accuracy by using the sieve-tray air stripper machines to eliminate volatile organic compounds.

·  Easy to Clean

You will also have an easy time in the process of disassembling and cleaning the sieve tray air strippers.

· Eliminates the Possibility of Fouling

You can also eliminate or prevent the possibility of fouling using the sieve tray air strippers.

· Easy to Adjust

In case you need additional treatment, you can adjust the sieve tray air strippers by adding more sieve trays.

· Compact Design

It also boasts of a compact design that is usually very efficient in the tight areas of cleaning the contaminated water.

What are the Limitations of using the Sieve-Tray Air Strippers?

Well, you are also likely to come across a few setbacks while using the sieve-tray air strippers.

Here are some of the limitations that you might come across by using the sieve-tray air strippers.

· Possibility of Air Pollution

You must treat the air laden with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) before releasing it to the atmosphere to prevent pollution.

In that case, you will have to increase the expenditure on the process of getting rid of volatile organic compounds.

· Inevitable Fouling

You must also be extra careful to prevent the possibility of fouling that is usually very difficult to prevent.

· Narrow Air Flow Rates

There is a very narrow range of airflow rates that you can employ to achieve volatilization without interrupting flow of water.

· Specific Geometry and Tray Placement

You must also have specific geometry and tray placement for the machine to work effectively.

In many cases, the manufacturer will dictate the placement of the trays to avoid machine failure.

What has Diffused Aeration Tanks Air Stripping Towers?

Diffused aeration tanks employ the principle of direct contact between the fluid to eliminate the volatile organic compounds.

It does not require the use of sieve trays and packed beds or towers to increase the contact between air and water.

What are the Benefits of Using the Diffused Aeration Tanks Air Stripping Towers?

There are quite a number of benefits that you will enjoy by using the diffused aeration tanks.

Some of the merits of using the diffused aeration tanks include:

· Simple to Use

You do not require a very high level of expertise or training to operate the stripping towers.

· Resistant to Fouling

It is the best type of machine that you can employ to reduce the occurrence of fouling.

· Handles More Solid Products

You can use the diffused aeration stripping towers more efficiently without worrying about high levels of turbidity.

In other words, this device can comfortably handle very high levels of turbidity and suspended sold matter.

· Low Cost of Upkeep

It is the cheapest type of stripping tower that you can use as the cost of use and maintenance is quite low.

· Easy to Clean

You will also clean the diffused aeration tanks very easily by purging enough water into the columns.

Do the Diffused Aeration Tank Air Stripping Towers Have Limitations?

Unfortunately, diffused aeration tanks have particular limitations that you should note.

Here are the main limitations that should never worry you.

· High Risk of Air Pollution

There is a very high risk of air pollution if you eliminate the air into the atmosphere without proper treatment.

Treating the air before releasing it is important but also costly thus increasing the overall cost of product stripping.

· Not Highly Efficient

In comparison to other methods, you will realize that a diffused aeration tank is not as effective in VOC elimination.

It lacks various components that increase the contact between the two fluids thus reducing its efficiency.

What is Steam Stripping Towers?

This is a type of stripping tower that employs the services of steam in the process of eliminating volatile organic compounds.

In this device, instead of air, you will use a stream of steam to eliminate volatile organic compounds from liquid streams.

Steam stripping

What are the Benefits of the Steam Stripping Towers?

It is capable of eliminating the heavy soluble organic compounds that the other devices cannot eliminate.

Apart from that, here are some of the advantages that you should enjoy the use of steam stripping towers.

· Highly Effective

The steam stripping towers have the capacity of eliminating contaminants at very high rates and low effluent concentrations.

· Very Economical Process

It is one of the most economical removal techniques that you can use at feed concentrations above 0.1% weight organics.

· Energy Efficient

Through energy recovery processes, you can achieve very high levels of energy efficiency with the steam stripping towers.

· Reduces Air Emissions

You will also minimize air emissions at a very high rate and reduce loads to incinerations.

· Easier Solute Recovery

It will also make the process of solute recovery quite simple and easy with minimal hitches in comparison to others.

What are the Limitations of the Steam Stripping Towers?

Steam stripping towers also have particular limitations that might hinder you from using them.

Here are the main limitations that you need to look out for.

· Not Useful in Some Applications

You will not use the steam stripping towers in the elimination of particular types of contaminants.

Some of the contaminants that you cannot eliminate include glycols, ionic compounds, glycerin, and propylene among others.

· Fouling

There is a high possibility of the occurrence of fouling within the stripping towers of the steam stripping towers.

How Do the Stripping Towers Compare to the Absorption Towers?

You can either use stripping towers or absorption towers to eliminate contaminants from different fluids.

In the case of absorption, you will use a stream of liquids such as glycol solvents to eliminate contaminants from Air.

On the other hand, you will use stripping towers to eliminate volatile organic compounds from a liquid substance.

You can either use a stream of flowing air or steam to get rid of the contaminants from the water.

In both stripping and absorption towers, you will depend on the assistance of packing beds and sieve trays.

Apart from that, there will be no change in the chemical species of fluids within the absorption and stripping towers.

How Do the Trayed Stripping Towers Compare to the Packed Striping Towers?

Stripping of contaminants from different fluids always occurs in packed or trayed stripping towers among others.

Trayed Towers consist of different components such as vertical columns and trays that increase contact between the fluids.

On the other hand, packed stripping towers have packed beds which also increase the contact period between the fluids.

You can use both packed and trayed stripping towers to increase the efficiency of eliminating volatile organic compounds.

In both cases, you will introduce a stream of water from the top while the stream of air comes through the bottom.

What are the Typical Applications of the Stripping Towers?

You will use the stripping towers in different industrial applications to eliminate contaminants from waste products.

For instance, you can use the stripping towers to eliminate PAH and TBT contaminants from harbor soil.

Apart from that, you can also use it in water treatment plants to eliminate volatile organic compounds from water.

How Long Does It Take for the Stripping Towers to Perform Perfect Treatments?

The time it will take for the stripping towers to eliminate contaminants from different fluids usually vary considerably.

The variation is often as a result of different systems in different applications as well as varying sizes of tanks.

Apart from that, the duration will also vary according to the rate of fluid flow within the stripping towers.

In most case, it will take a few minutes to filter water using the stripping towers.

You might also experience a longer filtration period due to the type of contaminants available in the water.

For instance, you will spend several hours in the process of eliminating NH3-N from a solution of water.

Which Components Do You Eliminate Using the Stripping Towers?

You will use the stripping towers to eliminate different types of contaminants from the water system.

The main contaminants that you will eliminate using the stripping towers are volatile organic compounds.

Some of the components that you will eliminate from the water include:

• Perchloroethylene (PCE) Contaminants
• Vinyl Chloride Contaminants
• Carbon Tetrachloride Contaminants
• BTEX Contaminants
• MTBE Contaminants
• Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) Contaminants
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Contaminants
• Freon Contaminants
• Ammonia Contaminants
• Trichloroethylene (TCE) Contaminants

How Do the Distillation Towers Compare to the Stripping Towers?

The major difference between distillation towers and stripping towers is within the processes.

Distillation towers employ the distillation process to eliminate different types of contaminants.

It involves the separation of a mixture of fluids into constituent fluids by using the boiling point differences.

In this case, as soon as a particular liquid reaches its boiling point, it will evaporate.

As it evaporates, it will go through a cooling system that will condense the steam and change it back to a liquid state.

The process will continue until you reach a point where all the liquids are separated.

On the other hand, stripping will use different types of fluids to get rid of contaminants from contaminated water.

With the help of different types of stripping towers, different fluids will interact with contaminated water.

In the process, the fluids will eliminate or absorb contaminants from the flowing water thus leaving it clean.

Which is the Best Material for Making the Stripping Towers?

You will use different types of materials in the process of making stripping towers.

In this case, you will use different types of materials for different parts of the stripping towers.

Stainless steel is among the best materials that you will use in making the stripping towers.

It has very high tensile strength and does not corrode very easily in the presence of different fluids.

It is also a very clean piece of material that will not cause further contamination.

Apart from that, you can also use carbon steel to make the stripping towers.

This is the best material that you will use for stripping towers that handle less-corrosive fluids.

 Air stripping tower

Which Verification Documents Do You Receive After Stripping Towers Quality Verification?

Well, apart from the quality standards mark, you will receive verification documents from your manufacturer.

The main verification documents that you will receive from your manufacturer will act as proof of verification.

You can verify the stripping towers by performing a series of tests such as:

• Factory Acceptance Test (FAT)
• Installation Qualification Test (IQ)
• Operation Qualification Test (OQ)

In that case, you will receive the following verification documents after completing the tests above.

• FAT Verification Document
• IQ Verification Document
• OQ Verification Documents

How Much Do Stripping Towers Cost?

The cost of stripping towers will vary depending on the type of stripping towers you intend to purchase.

High-quality stripping towers will cost you more due to the type of high-quality products in use.

Apart from type and quality, the capacity of the stripping towers also contributes to cost variation.

The greater the capacity of the stripping towers, the higher the cost of the stripping towers.

In general, the cost of stripping towers will range between 2000 to 300,000 US dollars.

I hope you found all the information you’re looking for about stripping towers.

In case you have any questions or inquiries, contact FilSon Filters team right now for free consultations.