Simulation of the Effect of Process Variables on Packed Column Air Stripper Performance

Mass transfer operation such as air stripping is used in the removal of volatile organic compounds from wastewater and to improve its performance requires a critical study of many factors that affect the process performance. Using a MATLAB simulation of the process governing equations of the air stripper, the effect of process variables such as temperature, air to water flow rate, stripping factor, Henry’s constant of the VOC and the overall mass transfer coefficient on the performance of air stripper in the removal of volatile organic compounds from wastewater (benzene) was carried. The result shows that removal efficiency increases with temperature, air to water flow and the overall mass transfer coefficient. A temperature of 303K is therefore considered as the optimum operating point, since further heating will not give any commensurate change in the removal efficiency and hence uneconomical.