Separation Process and New Technologies

GRADE:
Final Exam
Department of Chemical and Biochemical processes

Name: ________________________________________________ Code: __________________

Rules:

 All the procedure, calculations, figures, and diagrams must be performed by hand. You have to deliver this sheets
with all the above information. You can use the following items: Book, notebook, and copies. Tablets and Laptops
are forbidden. You have to use your own materials. It is not allowed to lend any material including pen, pencils,
rules, eraser, among others. Cellphones are FORBIDDEN. If you use your cellphone your grade will be 0.0. Turn-
off the Wi-Fi during the exam. If you do not follow any of the rule, the professor could annul the exam.
 All the exams must be solve by hand. I will not receive McCabe-Thiele in Excel or any software.
 This exam will be graded according to the following ABET competitions:
NOVATO APRENDIZ BUENO EXPERTO
ITEM % COMPETENCIA
20% 50% 80% 100%
Produce solutions to complex
Solve some Calculate some mass and energy Propose solutions to complex separation process separation process by calculating
An ability to identify, formulate, and solve balances related to balances relevant in the solutions by calculating partially the mass an energy completely and perfectly all the mass an
complex engineering problems by applying separation process. to complex separation process. balances required to develop the design. energy balances required to develop the
1 30% 1
principles of engineering, science, and design.
mathematics Perfectly Perfectly calculate the mass balance
Perfectly solve the Calculate perfectly all the liquid and vapor
calculate the of the pervaporation system and the
pervaporation unit streams in the distillation unit (6 in total)
external balance distillation unit.
Sketch completely and perfectly the
Identify some
Sketch the basic diagram of the Sketch partially the diagram of the complex diagram of the separation process,
variables of the
separation process, including separation process, including, at least, all the including, among others, all the
An ability to apply engineering design to separation process
some important variables variables, flows, values, and proper units variables, flows, values, internal
produce solutions that meet specified needs in a diagram
sections, and proper units
2 20% 2 with consideration of public health, safety, and
The sketch is complete. Include all the relevant The sketch is complete. Include all
welfare, as well as global, cultural, social,
There are issues The sketch of the pervaporation information (feed stage, number of equilibrium the relevant information (feed stage,
environmental, and economic factors
drawing the unit is perfectly. Units are stages, area of pervaporation, flow rates and number of equilibrium stages, area of
complete scheme. missing. compositions), but there are problems drawing pervaporation, flow rates and
the condenser and reboiler. compositions)
Size partial solutions to recover
Identify some Size solutions to recover and purify compounds Refine perfect solutions to recover and
and purify compounds coming
design variables of coming from chemical processes, using manual purify compounds coming from chemical
from chemical processes, using
separation and/or graphical calculations, which partially meet processes, using manual and/or
manual and/or graphical
processes. the requirements. graphical calculations.
calculations.

3 30% 3
Perfectly Perfectly calculate the number of
An ability to apply engineering design to Perfectly calculate 3 operating
calculate 2 Perfectly calculate 4 operating lines. equilibrium stages and the feed stage
produce solutions that meet specified needs lines
operating line. for both feeds.
with consideration of public health, safety, and
welfare, as well as global, cultural, social,
environmental, and economic factors

The membrane
Perfectly calculate the cut of Perfectly calculate the outlet temperature of the Perfectly calculate the area of the
4 20% 4 was properly
the pervaporation membrane pervaporation membrane. pervaporation membrane
selected.

Distillation coupled with pervaporation: Production of anhydrous ethanol is important to decarbonize the transport
sector. To produce anhydrous ethanol, a fermentation broth mainly formed by water and ethanol is fed to a distillation
train. This train is formed by a must train that purifies the ethanol from 15 mol.% to almost 50 wt.% ethanol. 100 kmol/h of
the product of this column (i.e., 50 wt.% ethanol) is fed to the rectification column to produce an ethanol stream of 74 mol.
%. This feed is 80 degree over the dew point. The product from the distillation column is sent to a pervaporation system to
produce anhydrous ethanol. Table 1 shows the available membranes to carry out the pervaporation process. In this
process, one stream is the anhydrous ethanol (99.9 mol.%) and the other stream is returned to distillation unit. You have
to design the complete process (i.e., pervaporation and distillation unit). To do so, please fulfill the following table. You
must design the column and describe all the assumptions required to design the system. Please avoid internal issues in
the column by selecting a proper reflux ratio. Be careful with the units.
 Separation Process and New Technologies
GRADE:
Final Exam
Department of Chemical and Biochemical processes

Table 1. Pervaporation membranes available to purify ethanol.

Membrane A B C
Separation factor (EtOH-Water) in wt. 150 1500 620
%
Flux (g/m2.h) 330 590 250
Tin (°C) 50 50 50

Data: Cp(EtOH) = 112 J/mol.K; Cp(Water) = 75.4 J/mol.K; Heat of vaporization (EtOH) = 43500 J/mol; Heat of
vaporization (Water) = 40650 J/mol; Cp (EtOH-vapor) = 41.7 J/mol.K; Cp (Water-vapor) = 1.996 kJ/kg.K. Molecular weight
(EtOH) =46; molecular weight (Water) =18.

You have to design:

1. Pervaporation unit with all the information: (area, outlet temperature, cut). Membrane selection must be justified.
2. Distillation unit with all the information: (equations for the 6 operating lines, feed quality, number of equilibrium
stages, optimal feed stage for both feeds, flow rates, and compositions)
3. Deliver a complete diagram with all the relevant information.
4. Case study: Proposed an alternative to improve the distillation system. You have to include either of the following
configurations: Pump-around, inter-condenser, or inter-reboiler. The alternative must include a briefly discussion
on the use of these devices. In addition, the reboiler must be replaced by a direct open-steam heating.

Figure 1. Txy diagram for the ethanol/water system

 Separation Process and New Technologies
GRADE:
Final Exam
Department of Chemical and Biochemical processes

Name: ________________________________________________ Code: __________________

 Separation Process and New Technologies
GRADE:
Final Exam
Department of Chemical and Biochemical processes

Answer sheet

Component Unit Answer

Pervaporation unit
Feed flow rate to the pervaporation unit kg/h

Composition of the feed flow rate wt.% EtOH:

Water:
Permeate flow rate kg/h

Composition of the permeate wt.% EtOH:

Water:
Retentate flow rate kg/h

Composition of the retentate wt.% EtOH:

Water:
Cut

Area of the membrane m2

Outlet temperature °C

Distillation unit
Component Unit Answer Operating Line 1:

Feed 1 (Flow rate) kmol/h Operating Line 2:

Feed 1 (composition) mol.% EtOH: Operating Line 3:

Water:
Feed 2 (Flow rate) kmol/h Operating Line 4:

Feed 2 (composition) mol.% EtOH: Type of condenser:

Water:
Distillate (Flow rate) kmol/h Type of reboiler:

Distillate (composition) mol.% EtOH: Quality of the feed 1:

Water:
Bottom (Flow rate) kmol/h Quality of the feed 2:

Bottom (composition) mol.% EtOH: Liquid flow rate (top section, kmol/h):
Water:
Minimum reflux ratio Vapor flow rate (top section, kmol/h):

Actual reflux ratio Liquid flow rate (Intermediate section, kmol/h):

Number of equilibrium stages Vapor flow rate (Intermediate section, kmol/h):

Optimal feed stage of Feed 1 Liquid flow rate (Bottom section, kmol/h):
 Separation Process and New Technologies
GRADE:
Final Exam
Department of Chemical and Biochemical processes
Optimal feed stage of Feed 2 Vapor flow rate (Bottom section, kmol/h):