Assignment 1: CHMT2021

Question 1

a) Distillation of crude oil- this takes place inside a tower. The crude oil feeds the furnace that
is before the distillation tower. This is done so that the crude oil is heated and vaporized and
produces the product that is a crude oil mixture, wanting to be separated. The mixture from
the furnace is supplied at the bottom of the distillation tower, where vapours rise up in the
distillation tower while liquids remain in the bottom. The temperature at the top is lower
than the temperature at the bottom, causing vapours to de condensed and cooled. Out of
the towers come products, which are distilled one more time to produce useful products.
This process helps creating products that can be fuels, chemicals, etc.

Extraction metallurgy of diamond- the ore is extracted from the ground by drilling and
blasting. The ore is then fed into a crushing and milling operators to separate the diamond
from the ore. The outlets of the crushing and milling operators are then fed into a separator
to separate mineral from waste rock. The mineral product is fed into a refiner to clean it. The
final product is a useful and clean mineral that can be used.

b) Batch Process- a bottle taken from the refrigerator and left on the kitchen table or Add
reactants to a tank and remove the products and unconsumed reactants sometime later
when the system has come to equilibrium.
Semi batch process-Water is boiled in an open flask
Continuous process- Pump a mixture of liquids into a distillation column at a constant rate
and steadily withdraw product streams from the top and bottom of the column.
Steady state- a bathtub with the drain open and water being added.
Unsteady state-removing water from a tank so that the volume of water at initial time is not
equal to the volume at final filling.

Question 2

a) Reciprocating pump: Positive displacement governs the operation of the reciprocating

pump. They are used to elevate a specific volume for each cycle operation, and the flow rate
remains constant as the pressure changes. It extracts fluid from a given volume repeatedly.
A reciprocating piston pump has a piston inside a cylinder that moves back and forth. With
the help of a connecting rod, the piston is linked to the crankshaft. The connecting rod
travels as the crankshaft rotates, which causes this piston to move.
A centrifugal pump moves a fluid by transferring rotational energy from one or more
impellers, which are powered rotors. Fluid enters along the axis of the quickly revolving
impeller and is discharged along its circle by centrifugal force via the vane tips. The impeller
increases the fluid's velocity and pressure while guiding it to the pump's exit. The pump
casing is made to compress fluid entering the pump, direct it into the impeller, and then
slow and control it before discharge.

b.

Usage merits Drawbacks

Packed bed reactor Used to speed up gas Higher conversion per Poor temperature
reactions by use of a unit mass of catalyst control.
catalyst. In addition, it than other catalytic
is used in a chemical reactors and low cost
 reaction with one of operation.
phase.
Fluidized bed reactors Used to carry out Heat and mass The particles of a
multiphase chemical transfer rates are catalyst become
reactions. high, compared to attrite (are reduced).
other reactors.