CHEE2001 Process Principles

Week 2 Tutorials
 Week 2 Tutorial 1

Exercises for today:

• Engineering conversion calculations

• DOF and mass balance questions

– Ammonia synthesis reactor
– Sugar cane juice evaporator
– Flow splitter
– Fuel air mixer
Week 2 Tutorial 1
 Q2.1 Ammonia synthesis reactor
The feed to an ammonia synthesis reactor contains 25 mole% nitrogen
and the balance hydrogen. The flowrate of the stream is 3,000 kg/h.
Calculate the rate of flow of nitrogen in the reactor feed in kg/h.
Hint : first convert mole% composition to mass%

Feed Reactor Product

mol % N2 = 25
mol % H2 = 75

Mol % # mol for basis MW Mass g Mass %

of 100 mol
N2 25 25 28 700 82.4
H2 75 75 2 150 17.6
Total 100 100 850 100

So, flowrate nitrogen into the reactor = 82.4% * 3,000 kg/h = 2,472 kg/h
Q2.2 Sugar cane juice evaporation
DOF & mass balance

Clarified sugar cane juice, containing 10 wt% sugar and the balance water, is sent to a
triple-effect steam evaporator to produce a concentrated syrup with 70 wt% sugar.
a) Draw a labelled flowchart for the evaporator.
b) Perform a DOF analysis around the sugar evaporator. Prove that the mass balance is not
solvable.
c) Assuming a basis of 100 kg/hr feed, calculate the amount of water leaving the evaporator
as steam.
Use the systematic approach.
 Sugar cane juice evaporation solution

M2
Steam
xS2 = 0
xw2 = 1
Sugar cane M1
juice Evaporatorr
xS1 = 0.1
xw1 = 0.9

M3
Sugar syrup
xS3= 0.7
xw3 = 0.3 Legend
M mass kg/h
DOF Analysis x mass fraction
# unknowns = 3 (M1, M2, M3) S Sugar
# component bal = 2 (sugar, water) W Water
DOF =1 therefore can’t be solved
 Sugar cane juice evaporation solution
- assume a basis of 100 kg/h feed

M2
Steam
xS2 = 0
xw2 = 1
Sugar cane M1 = 100 kg/h
juice Evaporator
xS1 = 0.1
xw1 = 0.9

M3 Sugar syrup
xS3 = 0.7
xw3 = 0.3 Legend
DOF Analysis M mass kg/h
x mass fraction
# unknowns = 2 (M2, M3)
S Sugar
# component bal = 2 (sugar, water) W Water
DOF =0 therefore can be solved
 Sugar cane juice evaporation - solution
Assumptions: Steady state, no generation, no consumption

General Mass Balance (GMB):

Accumulation = Input – Output + Generation – Consumption
Simplified GMB: 0 = Input – Output
Balances:
Overall: 0 = 100 - M2 - M3
Sugar: 0 = 100*0.1 - M3*0.7
Water: 0 = 100*0.9 - M2 - M3*0.3
Solving:
M3 = 14.3 kg/h
M2 = 85.7 kg/h

Ans: Mass of water leaving the evaporator as steam = 85.7 kg/h

Q2.3 Splitter example - DOF

100 kg/h aqueous caustic solution (40 wt% NaOH) enters a flow splitter
to form two exit streams which are sent to different parts of the plant.

a) Draw a labelled flowsheet for the splitter

b) Perform a DOF analysis around the splitter
c) Solve the system if possible.
Splitter example - DOF
Legend:
C – caustic (NaOH)
W – water
F – flowrate kg/h
x – mass fraction

F2
F1 = 100 kg/h xC2 = 0.4
Splitter xW2 = 0.6
xC1 = 0.4 F3
xW1 = 0.6 xC3 = 0.4
xW3 = 0.6
DOF Analysis
# unknowns = 2 (F2, F3)
# component bal = 2 (caustic, waster)
DOF = 0 therefore can be solved

But can the mass flows be solved ??

Splitter example - DOF
F2 Legend:
F1 = 100 kg/h
xC2 = 0.4 C – caustic (NaOH)
xC1 = 0.4 Splitter xW2 = 0.6 W – water
xW1 = 0.6 F – flowrate kg/h
F3 x – mass fraction
xC3 = 0.4
xW3 = 0.6
Assumptions:
Steady state, so accumulation = 0
No reaction, so generation and consumption = 0

General Balance Equation:

Accumulation = Input – Output + Generation – Consumption

Simplified Mass Balance equation:

0 = Input – Output
Equations:
Overall balance: 0 = 100 – F2 – F3
C balance: 0 = 0.4 * 100 – 0.4 * F2 – 0.4 * F3
W balance: 0 = 0.6 * 100 – 0.6 * F2 – 0.6 * F3

BUT, are these questions independent ? NO, so DOF = 1.

We need another piece of information to solve.

For example, if ratio of flowrates F2/F3 = 4, we can solve to give F2 = 80 kg/h and F3 = 20 kg/h
 Q2.4 Fuel gas exercise
If the percentage of fuel in a fuel-air mixture falls below a certain value called the lower
flammability limit (LFL), the mixture cannot be ignited. For example, the LFL of
propane in air is 2.05 mole% C3H8. If the percentage of propane in a propane-air
mixture is greater than 2.05 mole%, the gas mixture can ignite if it is exposed to a flame
or spark; if the percentage is lower than the LFL, the mixture will not ignite.

A mixture of propane in air containing 4.03 mole% C3H8 (fuel gas) is the feed to a
combustion furnace. If there is a problem in the furnace, a stream of pure air (dilution
air) is added to the fuel mixture prior to the furnace inlet to make sure the ignition is not
possible.

a) Draw a labelled flowchart of the fuel gas dilution air mixing unit, presuming that the gas
entering the furnace contains propane at the LFL,
b) Do a degrees-of-freedom analysis.
c) If there is 150 mol/s propane in the original air/fuel mixture, what is the minimum molar
flowrate of the dilution air?

Use the systematic approach.

 Fuel gas exercise - solution Legend
F flowrate mol/s
y mole fraction
P propane
F1 A air
Propane/air
y P1 = 0.0403
y A1 = 0.9597 F3
Air Fuel Propane/air mix
F2 y P3 = 0.0205
Dilution air to furnace
y P2 = 0 Mixer y A3 = 0.9795
y A2 = 1

b) Degrees of Freedom: DOF = NU – NE

NU = 3 (F1 F2 F3)
NE = 2 (propane, air balances)
DOF = 1 so underspecified, can’t solve
 Fuel gas exercise - solution
c) Given feedrate propane = 150 mol/s, so DOF = 0

Fuel air mix feedrate F1 = 150/0.0403 = 3,722 mol/s fuel gas-air mix

Assumptions: Steady state so no accumulation,

no reactions so no generation or consumption

General Mass Balance (GMB):

Accumulation = Input – Output + Generation – Consumption
Simplified GMB: 0 = Input – Output
Balances:
Overall: 0 = F1 + F2 - F3
Propane: 0 = 0.0403 F1 - 0.0205 F3
Air: 0 = 0.9597 F1 + F2 - 0.9795 F3

Solving:
F2 = 3,595 mol/s air
F3 = 7,317 mol/s mixed air

Minimum volume of dilution air = 3,600 mol/s

CHEE2001 Process Principles

Week 2 Tutorials