Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology

Department of Chemical Engineering

Online End Semester Examination
Chemical Engineering Mathematics (CML 224) – Semester IV
Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes Date: 27.04.2021 Marks: 35

Instructions to students:
1. Missing Data, if any, may be suitably assumed.
2. Draw neat diagram wherever required.
3. Use of scientific calculator is permitted.

Approximate length of answer booklet for all questions is less than 10 pages.
Q1. Consider the following two reactions taking place in a batch reactor:
+ →
+ →
The concentration of various species with time are given by the following differential equations:

For component A: =−

For component B: =− −

For component C: = −

For component D: =

The initial conditions are: at t = 0, CA = 1 mol/m3, CB = 1 mol/m3, CC = 0 mol/m3, and CD = 0 mol/m3.

The rate constant of the reactions are k1 = k2 = 1 m3/mol-s. Using Runge-Kutta fourth order method
determine the concentration of species A, B, C, and D up to 1 s. [8 Marks]

Q2. The following data for the density of nitrogen gas versus temperature comes from a table that was
measured with high precision. Use upto fourth order polynomials to estimate the density at a
temperature of 330 K.
T, K 200 250 300 350 400 450
Density, kg/m3 1.708 1.367 1.139 0.967 0.854 0.759
[7 Marks]

Q3. A firm uses milling machines, grinding machines and lathes to produce two motor parts. The machining
times required for each part, the machining times available on different machines and the profit on each
motor part are given below:
Type of machine Machining time required for the motor part (minutes) Maximum time available
I II per week (minutes)
Milling machines 10 4 2000
Grinding machines 3 2 900
Lathes 6 12 3000
Profit / unit (Rs.) 100 40
Determine the number of parts I and II to be manufactured per week to maximize the profit using
graphical method. [8 Marks]

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Q4. The concentration of E. coli bacteria in a swimming area is monitored after a storm:
t (hr) 4 8 12 16 20 24
c (CFU/100 mL) 1600 1320 1000 890 650 560
The time is measured in hours following the end of the storm and the unit CFU is a ‘colony
forming unit’.Use this data to estimate (a) the concentration at the end of the storm (t = 0) and (b) the
time at which the concentration will reach 200 CFU/100 mL. Note that your choice of model should be
consistent with the fact that negative concentrations are impossible and that the bacteria concentration
always decreases with time. [7 Marks]

Q5. The schematic diagram of a stirred tank with coil heater is shown in Figure below.

m´ m´

M
T

Ts

Figure . Stirred tank coil heater.

The energy balance equation is given by Accumulation = Input – Output. The input is due to energy
input by the entering stream and heat input from the steam, and the output is the energy carried away by
the exit stream. From the energy balance equation, we get
= ′ ( − )+ ′
where T1 is the temperature of the entering stream and T is the temperature of exit stream and is equal
to temperature of water in stirred tank. The heat transfer between the steam in the coil and the fluid is
given by Q = UATlmtd = UA(Ts-T). The temperature throughout the coil is Ts and the steam is
saturated, and outside the whole coil, that is inside the tank uniform temperature, T exists as the vessel
is stirred; therefore Tlmtd = (Ts-T). The temperature in the tank is uniform, it varies with time.

Consider that stirred tank heater is a square tank of 0.5 m on its sides and 2 m high and is filled with
water at 20°C. Water is fed to the tank at a flow rate of 1 L/s and exits out at the same flow rate from
the top of the tank. The temperature of inlet water is 20°C. At time t = 0 s, water in the tank is heated by
a coil containing steam whose overall heat transfer coefficient based on the outside area of the coil is
200 W/m2 K. The outside area of the coil through which heat exchange takes place is 1 m2. The
temperature of the steam is 250°C. The specific heat capacity of water is 4184 J/kg K. Write the steps to
find the temperature using Comsol Multiphysics. [5 Marks]

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