Ideal Gas laws problems

Q #1
Do gases A, B, and C have the same or different volumes?

Q No 2. The volume that gases occupy depends on the number of moles, the gas temperature, and
pressure. The volume of a particular gas changes as its temperature and/or pressure changes as shown
below.

A couple of very useful gas volume factors can be derived from the ideal gas law. These are illustrated
in Example Problems 1 and 2.

Example Problem 1.
Volume of One Pound Mole of Gas at Standard Conditions

What is the volume of 1 pound mole (denoted "lb mole") of combustion gas at an absolute pressure of
14.7 psia and a temperature of 68°F? (These are EPA-defined standard conditions.)

Solution:

1. Convert the temperature from relative to absolute scale (from °F to °R).

 T Absolute = 680F+460 = 5280R

2. Calculate the gas volume.

Example Problem 2.
Volume of One Gram Mole of Gas at Standard Conditions

What is the volume of 1-gram mole (denoted "gm mole") of combustion gas at an absolute pressure of
760 mm Hg (29.92 in.? Hg) and a temperature of 20°C? (These are EPA-defined standard conditions.)

Solution:

1. Convert temperature from °C to °K and pressure from units of mm Hg to atm.

T Absolute = 200C + 273 =2930K

P Absolute = 760 mm Hg = 1 atm

2. Calculate the gas volume.

#1
For each case given below what is the relationship between volumes A and B?
(i) Is volume of Gas A larger, smaller or the same as Gas B?

Gas A Gas B
Moles 1 lb mole chlorine 1 lb mole sulfur dioxide
Temperature 6000R 6000R
Pressure 15 psia 15 psia
(ii) Is volume of Gas A larger, smaller or the same as Gas B?

Gas A Gas B
Moles 2 lb mole chlorine 1 lb mole sulfur dioxide
Temperature 6000R 6000R
Pressure 15 psia 15 psia
(iii) Is volume of Gas A larger, smaller or the same as Gas B?

Gas A Gas B
Moles 1 lb mole chlorine 1 lb mole sulfur dioxide
Temperature 6000R 6000R
Pressure 20 psia 15 psia
(iv) Is volume of Gas A larger, smaller or the same as Gas B?

Gas A Gas B
Moles 1 lb mole chlorine 1 lb mole sulfur dioxide
Temperature 6000R 6600R
Pressure 15 psia 15 psia
(v) Is volume of Gas A larger, smaller or the same as Gas B?

Gas A Gas B
Moles 2 lb mole chlorine 1 lb mole sulfur dioxide
Temperature 6000R 6000R
Pressure 30 psia 15 psia

(i) Is volume of Gas A larger, smaller or the same as Gas B?

Gas A Gas B
Moles 1 lb mole chlorine 1 lb mole sulfur dioxide
Temperature 6000R 6000R
Pressure 15 psia 15 psia
Answer: i. Gas A volume equals Gas B volume.
See Figure 3.
Solution:
All inputs into the ideal gas law equation are the same for gases A and B: same number of
moles, same temperature and pressure. Therefore, their volumes are the same. The different
types of gas contained in A and B do not affect volume.

(i) Is volume of Gas A larger, smaller or the same as Gas B?

Gas A Gas B
Moles 2 lb mole chlorine 1 lb mole sulfur dioxide
Temperature 6000R 6000R
Pressure 15 psia 15 psia

Answer: ii. Gas A volume is larger than Gas B volume.

See Figure 4.

Solution:
All inputs into the ideal gas law equation are the same for gases A and B except for the number
of moles. Gas A has twice the number of moles as gas B. Therefore, the volume of A is twice
that of B.
 (iii)Is volume of Gas A larger, smaller or the same as Gas B?

Gas A Gas B
Moles 1 lb mole chlorine 1 lb mole sulfur dioxide
Temperature 6000R 6000R
Pressure 20 psia 15 psia
Answer: iii. Gas A volume is smaller than Gas B volume.
See Figure 5.

Solution:
All inputs into the ideal gas law equation are the same for gases A and B except for the
pressure. Gas A has a higher pressure than gas B. Therefore, the volume of A is smaller than
that of B.

(iv )Is volume of Gas A larger, smaller or the same as Gas B?

Gas A Gas B
Moles 1 lb mole chlorine 1 lb mole sulfur dioxide
Temperature 6000R 6600R
Pressure 15 psia 15 psia

Answer: iv. Gas A volume is smaller than Gas B volume.

See Figure 6.
 Solution:
All inputs into the ideal gas law equation are the same for gases A and B except for the
temperature. Gas B has a higher temperature than gas A. Therefore, the volume of A is smaller
than that of B.

(v) Is volume of Gas A larger, smaller or the same as Gas B?

Gas A Gas B
Moles 2 lb mole chlorine 1 lb mole sulfur dioxide
Temperature 6000R 6000R
Pressure 30 psia 15 psia

Answer: v. Gas A volume equals Gas B volume.

See Figure 7.

Solution:
Gas A has twice the number of moles and twice the pressure of gas B. From the ideal gas law
equation, these effects cancel each other out. Therefore, the volumes of Gases A and B are the
same.

#2
What is the volume of 1,500 lb moles of combustion gas at an absolute pressure of 14.7
psia and a temperature of 68°F?

Answer: 578,106 ft3

Solution:
Solve the problem using the ideal gas law equation:

1. Convert temperature to absolute scale (°R).

2. Calculate the gas volume.

 #3
What is the volume of 1,500 lb moles of combustion gas at an absolute pressure of 14.4
psia and a temperature of 350°F?

Answer: 905,344 ft3

Solution:
Solve the problem using the ideal gas law equation:

1. Convert temperature to absolute scale (°R).

2. Calculate the gas volume.

#4
Calculate the number of pound moles of combustion gas in an electrostatic precipitator
having a length of 45 ft, a width of 24 ft, and a height of 30 ft. Use the following data to
solve the problem:
Combustion gas pressure = 14.25 psia
Combustion gas temperature = 450°F

Answer: 47.28 lb moles

Solution:
Solve the problem using the following rearranged version of the ideal gas law:

1. Convert temperature to an absolute scale, °R.

T Absolute = 4500F+ 460 =9100R
2.. Calculate
V= LWHthe volume
= (45 ft)of(24ft)
the electrostatic precipitator.
(30ft) = 32,4000 ft3

V= LWH = (45 ft) (24ft) (30ft) = 32,4000 ft3

3. Calculate the number of moles using the rearranged version of the ideal gas law.

#5
Calculate the number of pound moles of combustion gas in the same electrostatic
precipitator described in question 4. Use the following data to solve the problem:
Electrostatic precipitator dimensions:
Length = 45 ft
Width = 24 ft
Height = 30 ft
Combustion gas pressure = 14.25 psia
Combustion gas temperature = 300°F

Answer: 56.62 lb moles

Solution:
Solve the problem using the following rearranged version of the ideal gas law:

1. Convert temperature to an absolute scale, °R.

T Absolute = 3000F + 460 = 7600R

2. Calculate the volume of the electrostatic precipitator.

V= LWH = (45 ft ) (24ft) (30ft) = 32,4000ft3

3. Calculate the number of moles using the rearranged version of the ideal gas law.
 V= LWH = (45 ft) (24ft) (30ft) = 32,4000 ft3

#6
Calculate the number of pound moles of combustion gas in the same electrostatic
precipitator described in question 4. Use the following data to solve the problem:
Combustion gas pressure = -20 in. W.C.
Barometric pressure = 29.5 in. Hg
Combustion gas temperature = 300°F

Answer: 54.71 lb moles

Solution:
Solve the problem using the following rearranged version of the ideal gas law:

1. Convert temperature to an absolute scale, °R.

T Absolute = 3000F + 460 = 7600R

2. Convert the relative pressure to an absolute pressure. First convert the barometric and relative
pressures to consistent units.

3. Calculate the volume of the electrostatic precipitator.

V= LWH = (45 ft ) (24ft) (30ft) = 32,4000ft3

4. Calculate the number of moles using the rearranged version of the ideal gas law.
Dry Basis Conversions
Objectives

1. Convert concentrations of gaseous pollutants between a wet and dry basis.

2. Convert gas flow rates between a wet and dry basis.

Concentration Conversions Between Wet and Dry Basis

Many air pollution regulations are written on a moisture-free basis since moisture can be a highly
variable quantity in some processes. In these cases, it is necessary to convert the gas concentration and
pollutant concentration data to a moisture-free (or dry) basis. The concentration data is converted by
using Equation 1.

Where: Conc. i (Dry) and Conc. i (Wet) can be expressed as any concentration format.

Figure 1 illustrates the difference between wet and dry concentrations.

The expressions in Table 1 will be used to present concentration data in wet and dry formats at actual
and standard conditions.
 Table 1. Wet and Dry Concentration Formats
Format Units for American Engineering CGS System Units(1)
System
Actual conditions (2) ppm mg/m3
Actual conditions,dry ppmvd mg/Dm3
Standard conditions(3) (4) mg/Nm3
Standard conditions,dry (4) mg/DNm3
(1) Others units of measurement for mass in the CGS system can be substituted for
milligrams in this column.
(2) The term “Actual conditions” means actual conditions of temperature, pressure and
moisture.
(3) Standard conditions are defined as 14.7 psia and 5280R
(4) The ppm format is a volume ratio (i.e. the volume of pollutant divided by the volume of
the total gas stream). Concentrations expressed as ppm do not change when converted
to standard temperature and pressure. Therefore, there is no need to convert actual to
standard ppm.

Example Problem 1.
Conversion to Dry Basis Concentration (Volume Percent)

What is the dry basis concentration of oxygen in combustion gas having a concentration of 74%
molecular nitrogen, 6% molecular oxygen, 11% carbon dioxide, and 9% water vapor?

Solution:

Example Problem 2.
Conversion to Dry Basis Concentration (PPM)

What is the dry basis concentration of sulfur dioxide using the concentration data given below?

Conc. SO2 (Wet) = 0.15% or 1,500 ppm

Conc. H2O = 8%
Solution:

#1
When a gas concentration is corrected to a dry basis, does its concentration increase or
decrease?

Gas Flow Rate Conversions Between Wet and Dry Basis

It is often necessary to convert gas flow rate data to a dry basis to compare gas flow rates with
equipment guarantee limits and to calculate emission rates. The use of a dry basis normalizes the gas
flow rates to a consistent value despite the variations in the moisture content due to routine changes in
process operating conditions.

Units of Measure for Gas Flow Rate

In this Module and the remainder of Basic Concepts in Environmental Sciences, the following units of
measure for gas stream flow rates will be used. The author believes that these are the most descriptive
and clear terms for the various ways of expressing gas flow rate. However, students should be aware
that there are alternative expressions for these units of measure in some technical articles.
Furthermore, many technical articles do not use complete and clear descriptions. It is important to
confirm the meaning of the terms used to describe a unit of measure.

Table 2. Units of Measurement for Gas Flow Rate

Format Units for American Engineering CGS System Units
System (1)
Actual gas flow rate (2) ACFM m3/min
Dry, actual DACFM Dm3/min
Standard gas flow rate (3) SCFM Nm3/min
Dry, stanadard DSCFM DNm3/min
1. In American Engineering Sysytems, CFM= cubic feet per minute
2. The term “Actual gas flow rate” means the flow rate at actual conditions of temperature,
pressure and moisture.
3. Standard conditions are defined as 14.7 psia and 5280R

#2
When a gas flow rate is corrected to a dry basis, does its value increase or decrease?

Dry Basis - Practice Problems

#1
A gas stream has a nitrogen oxides concentration of 584 ppm and a moisture content of
7% by volume. Will the concentration value expressed on a dry basis by higher or lower
than 584?

Answer: Higher
The definition of ppm is the number of moles of the pollutant divided by the total number of
moles.

When the concentration data is converted to a dry basis, the denominator is reduced because
the moles of water vapor are subtracted from the denominator. This conversion increases the
ppm value.

#2
Concentration data expressed on a dry basis are always _____ than the wet basis
concentration value.
a. Higher
b. Lower

Answer: a. Higher
Dry basis concentration values are always higher than the corresponding wet basis
concentration values.

#3
A gas mixture has a hydrogen chloride concentration of 100 ppm. Convert this value to a
dry basis using the measured moisture content of 14%.

Answer: 116.3 ppmvd

Solution:

#4
The concentration data in an emission test report has been provided in a dry basis. The
carbon monoxide concentration was 790 ppmvd. What is the concentration in the stack
(wet basis) if the moisture content is 63% by volume?

Answer: 292.3 ppm CO

Solution:
In this problem, the concentration must be corrected back to a wet basis. The available data is
substituted into Equation 1. The dry basis value and the moisture volume percent values are
known and the wet basis value must be calculated.
#5
What is the dry basis concentration of oxygen in a combustion gas having a concentration
of 75% molecular nitrogen, 7% molecular oxygen, 10% carbon dioxide, and 8% water
vapor?

Answer: 7.6% O2, dry basis

Solution:

#6
The concentration of lead (Pb) has been measured as 1.5 mg/m3. What is the dry basis
concentration if the moisture concentration is 12% by volume?

Answer: 1.70 ppm

Solution:

Practice Problems

Gas Flow Rate Conversions Between Wet and Dry Basis

Instructions:
Work these problems on a sheet of paper and check your answers against those provided
below.
Helpful Calculators:
The following calculator may be useful in solving these problems. You can access it either
from the "Calculators" button on the screen or from the link below.
Gas Flow Rate Converter (Wet Dry Basis)
#1
The gas flow rate from a wet process cement kiln has been measured at 83,000 SCFM.
What is the gas flow rate expressed on a dry basis if the moisture content of the gas
stream is 32% by volume?

Answer: 56,440 DSCFM

Solution:
Apply the standard equation for expressing gas flow rate in a dry basis.

#2
A gas stream exiting a stack has a measured gas flow rate of 200 m3/min. What is the gas
flow rate expressed on a dry basis if the moisture content is 25%?

Answer: 150 Dm3/min

Solution:

#3
The gas flow rate reported in an emission test report is 1,000 Dm3/min. What is the gas
flow rate on a wet basis if the moisture content is 11%?

Answer: 1,123.6 m3/min

Solution: