CPE420 ASSIGNMENT 1 | SEMESTER 20234

CPE420 INTRODUCTION TO CHEMICAL ENGINERRING

ASSIGNMENT 1

DURATION 4 WEEKS

DATE OF RELEASE: 6 NOVEMBER 2023

DEADLINE: 4 DECEMBER 2023, 5:00 PM

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. This assignment is an INDIVIDUAL work. Answer ALL questions.

2. Late submission will not be entertained.

3. Plagiarism is TOTALLY PROHIBITED. If plagiarism is detected in the submitted work, severe

penalty could be imposed on the identified students.

PLAGIARISM STATEMENT

• I certify that this report is our own work, based on our personal study.
• I also certify that this work has not previously been submitted for assessment either at
Universiti Teknologi MARA or elsewhere.
• I have not copied in part or whole or otherwise plagiarized the work of other students and/or
persons.
• I confirm that I have read and understood the University regulations on plagiarism.

NAME: RAISS HAKIM BIN ZULKARNAIN

STUDENT ID NUMBER: 2023606826

SIGNATURE:

DATE: 16 NOVEMBER 2023

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 CPE420 ASSIGNMENT 1 | SEMESTER 20234

QUESTION 1
(PO1, CO1, C2)

Methanol is produced from the reaction of syngas. In this method, two streams, one containing
hydrogen gas and the other, carbon monoxide, are fed into a reactor. The reaction which takes
place at around 300-375oC in the reactor is assisted by some identified catalysts. The output
stream of the reactor contains mainly methanol (CH3OH), some amount of dimethyl ether
(DME), water (H2O), traces of impurities (ketones and aldehydes), and also small amount of
unreacted reactant gasses. The stream is then cooled by a cooler prior to being condensed in
a pressurized condenser. At the condenser, a methanol-rich liquid is withdrawn while the
uncondensed residual gasses are recycled. The methanol-rich liquid is then fed into the first
purification unit. In this unit, permanganate is introduced into the system to remove traces of
ketones and aldehydes. Then, the output stream which is now free of the impurities enters a
stripper which strips out dimethyl ether. Finally, it is at a distillation column that methanol is
collected as the overhead product while water is withdrawn at the bottom of the column.

a) If the molar flow rates of both hydrogen and carbon monoxide gasses are 1000 and 3000
kmol/h respectively, express these flow rates in terms of:

i) kg/s and ii) m3/min

b) Determine how many of the following contains in 1 tonne of methanol:

i) kmol of CH3OH
ii) kmol of H
iii) kmol of O
iv) kg of C
v) kg of hydroxyl group (OH)

c) Figure 1 below shows the schematic diagram of the separation of gasses from the
reactor’s outlet stream for the process described above. The composition of the reactor’s
outlet stream is provided in Table 1.

Figure 1 Separation of gasses from Methanol-rich stream

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Table 1 Composition of the streams

STREAM 1 2 3 4
Mass flow rate, 𝑚𝑚̇ 𝑛𝑛 3200 3200 340 P
(kg/h)
Composition (kg/h):
CH3OH 1536 1536 -
DME 736 736 S
H2O 544 544 -
Unreacted Gasses Q Q R -
(UG)
Impurities 64 64 -

i) Determine P (in kg/h)

ii) Determine Q (in kg/h)
iii) Express the mass fraction for each of the listed compounds in stream 1
iv) If the mass fraction of the unreacted gasses (𝑥𝑥𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈 ) in stream 3 is 0.941,
calculate R and S (each in kg/h)
v) Determine the mass fraction for each of the components in stream 4.

vi) The temperature of stream 1 (T1) is reduced from 350 oC to 200oC (T2) by a
cooler as shown in Figure 1. At the cooler, cooling water, which is used as the
cooling medium, enters at 10oC, and is assumed to absorb 100% of the heat
that is released by stream 1 (i.e., no heat loss to surroundings). If the mass
flowrate of cooling water required to achieve the desired cooling of the process
stream is 2.45 kg/s, determine the outlet temperature of cooling water (in oC).

(Hint: take the specific heat capacity of stream 1, 𝑐𝑐𝑝𝑝,𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 = 1.92 kJ/kg·K and
specific of water, 𝑐𝑐𝑝𝑝,𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤 = 4.18 kJ/kg·K)

d) Identify the processes involved and draw the block diagram for the process description
of methanol production given above.

(30 marks)

QUESTION 2
(PO1, CO3, C4)

According to the Brundtland Report (1987) published by the World Commission on

Environment and Development, Sustainable Development is defined as ‘Meeting the needs of
the presence without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.
United Nation has outlined the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which serves as a
plan of action towards a greener, more prosperous, and equitable world by 2030.

Chemical industry is the key industry that provides the services and products which
instrumental to meeting the needs of mankind. Numerous ideas and innovations to incorporate
‘sustainability’ have been realized into processes as efforts towards attaining SDG.

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 CPE420 ASSIGNMENT 1 | SEMESTER 20234

In a form of short essay, examine the roles of engineering towards attaining SDG.
Your essay must include the followings:

a) the identified innovation (e.g., new product or process, process modification, etc)
b) the problems that drive the innovation
c) the detailed description of the innovation (includes the flowchart, if any) and how it
helps to attain one (or more) SDG.
d) Citations of all the references that you have used to support your points for the
essay.

(20 marks)

END OF QUESTION

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 CPE420 ASSIGNMENT 1 | SEMESTER 20234

1. ANSWER FOR QUESTION 1

a) I) kg/s

Hydrogen, H2
Molar mass of H2 = 2 g/mol
Molar flow rate of H2 = 1000 kmol/h
Mass flow rate of H2 = (Molar flow rate of H2) x (Molar mass of H2)

𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 × 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝒎𝒐𝒍 𝟐 𝒈 𝟏 𝒌𝒈 𝟏𝒉 𝒌𝒈

× × × = 𝟎. 𝟓𝟓𝟔
𝒉 𝒎𝒐𝒍 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒈 𝟑𝟔𝟎𝟎 𝒔 𝒔

Carbon Monoxide, CO
Molar mass of CO = (1 x 12) + (1 x 16) = 28 g/mol
Molar flow rate of CO = 3000 kmol/h
Mass flow rate of CO = (Molar flow rate of CO) x (Molar Mass of CO)

𝟑𝟎𝟎𝟎 × 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝒎𝒐𝒍 𝟐𝟖 𝒈 𝟏 𝒌𝒈 𝟏𝒉 𝒌𝒈

× × × = 𝟐𝟑. 𝟑𝟑
𝒉 𝒎𝒐𝒍 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒈 𝟑𝟔𝟎𝟎 𝒔 𝒔

II) m3/min

Hydrogen, H2
Molar flow rate of H2 = 1000 kmol/h
Molar mass of H2 = 2 g/mol
1L = 1 kg
1 m3 = 1000 L = 1000 kg

𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 × 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝒎𝒐𝒍 𝟐 𝒈 𝟏 𝒌𝒈 𝟏𝒉 𝟏 𝒎𝟑 𝟔𝟎 𝒔

× × × × ×
𝒉 𝒎𝒐𝒍 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒈 𝟑𝟔𝟎𝟎 𝒔 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒌𝒈 𝟏 𝒎𝒊𝒏

𝟑
= 𝟎. 𝟎𝟑𝟒 𝒎 ⁄𝒎𝒊𝒏

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Carbon Monoxide, CO
Molar flow rate of CO = 3000 kmol/h
Molar mass of CO = 28 g/mol
1L = 1 kg
1 m3 = 1000 L = 1000 kg

𝟑𝟎𝟎𝟎 × 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝒎𝒐𝒍 𝟐𝟖 𝒈 𝟏 𝒌𝒈 𝟏𝒉 𝟏 𝒎𝟑 𝟔𝟎 𝒔

× × × × ×
𝒉 𝒎𝒐𝒍 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒈 𝟑𝟔𝟎𝟎 𝒔 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒌𝒈 𝟏 𝒎𝒊𝒏

𝟑
= 𝟏. 𝟒𝟎 𝒎 ⁄𝒎𝒊𝒏

b) I) kmol of CH3OH

Molar mass of CH3OH = (1 x 12) + (1 x 4) + (1 x 16) = 32 g/mol

𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒌𝒈 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒍 𝟏 𝒌𝒎𝒐𝒍

𝟏 𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑪𝑯𝟑 𝑶𝑯 × × × ×
𝟏 𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆 𝟏 𝒌𝒈 𝟑𝟐 𝒈 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒎𝒐𝒍

= 𝟑𝟏. 𝟐𝟓 𝒌𝒎𝒐𝒍

II) kmol of H

Below is the balanced chemical equation for the synthesis of methanol

from syngas:
𝑪𝑶 + 𝟐𝑯𝟐 → 𝑪𝑯𝟑 𝑶𝑯

According to this equation, one mole of methanol is produced from 2

moles of hydrogen.

𝟐 𝒌𝒎𝒐𝒍 𝑯𝟐
Molar ratio of H2 to CH3OH = 𝟏 𝒌𝒎𝒐𝒍 𝑪𝑯
𝟑 𝑶𝑯
Number of kmol of H2 = Molar ratio x Number of CH3OH
𝟐
Number of kmol of H2 = 𝟏 × 𝟑𝟏. 𝟐𝟓 𝒌𝒎𝒐𝒍
Number of kmol of H2 = 62.5 kmol of H

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III) kmol of O

Below is the balanced chemical equation for the synthesis of methanol

from syngas:
𝑪𝑶 + 𝟐𝑯𝟐 → 𝑪𝑯𝟑 𝑶𝑯

According to this equation, one mole of methanol is produced from 1

moles of oxygen.

𝟏𝒌𝒎𝒐𝒍 𝑶
Molar ratio of H2 to CH3OH = 𝟏 𝒌𝒎𝒐𝒍 𝑪𝑯
𝟑 𝑶𝑯
Number of kmol of H2 = Molar ratio x Number of CH3OH
𝟏
Number of kmol of H2 = × 𝟑𝟏. 𝟐𝟓 𝒌𝒎𝒐𝒍
𝟏
Number of kmol of O = 31.25 kmol of O

IV) kg of C

The molar mass of carbon, C = 12 g/mol

𝒈 𝟏𝒌𝒈
𝟑𝟏. 𝟐𝟓 × 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝒎𝒐𝒍 × 𝟏𝟐 ⁄𝒎𝒐𝒍 × = 𝟑𝟕𝟓 𝒌𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝑪
𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒈

V) kg of hydroxyl group (OH)

The molar mass of OH = 1 + 16 = 17 g/mol

𝒈 𝟏 𝒌𝒈
𝟑𝟏. 𝟐𝟓 × 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝒎𝒐𝒍 × 𝟏𝟕 ⁄𝒎𝒐𝒍 × = 𝟓𝟑𝟏. 𝟐𝟓 𝒌𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝑶𝑯
𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒈

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 CPE420 ASSIGNMENT 1 | SEMESTER 20234

c) I) Determine P in (kg/h)

𝒎̇ 𝟏 = 𝒎̇ 𝟐 = 𝒎̇ 𝟑 + 𝒎̇ 𝟒

𝒌𝒈 𝒌𝒈
𝟑𝟐𝟎𝟎 = 𝟑𝟒𝟎 + 𝒎𝟒 ̇
𝒉 𝒉

𝒌𝒈 𝒌𝒈
𝒎̇ 𝟒 = 𝟑𝟐𝟎𝟎 − 𝟑𝟒𝟎
𝒉 𝒉

𝒌𝒈
= 𝟐𝟖𝟔𝟎
𝒉

II) Determine Q in (kg/h)

𝑸𝒎̇𝟏 = ̇ 𝑸𝒎̇ 𝟐

𝒌𝒈
𝟑𝟐𝟎𝟎 = 𝟏𝟓𝟑𝟔 + 𝟕𝟑𝟔 + 𝟓𝟒𝟒 + 𝑸 + 𝟔𝟒
𝒉

𝒌𝒈 𝒌𝒈
𝑸 = 𝟑𝟐𝟎𝟎 − 𝟐𝟖𝟎𝟎
𝒉 𝒉

𝒌𝒈
𝑸 = 𝟑𝟐𝟎
𝒉

III) Express the mass fraction for each of the listed compound sin
stream 1.

𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝑿
𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑿 =
𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒔

𝟏𝟓𝟑𝟔 𝒌𝒈/𝒉
a) 𝑪𝑯𝟑 𝑶𝑯, 𝑿𝒂 = 𝟑𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝒌𝒈/𝒉 = 𝟎. 𝟒𝟖
𝟕𝟑𝟔 𝒌𝒈/𝒉
a) 𝑫𝑴𝑬, 𝑿𝒃 = 𝟑𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝒌𝒈/𝒉 = 𝟎. 𝟐𝟑
𝟓𝟒𝟒 𝒌𝒈/𝒉
a) 𝑯𝟐 𝑶, 𝑿𝒄 = 𝟑𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝒌𝒈/𝒉 = 𝟎. 𝟏𝟕
𝟑𝟐𝟎 𝒌𝒈/𝒉
a) 𝑼𝑮, 𝑿𝑼𝑮 = 𝟑𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝒌𝒈/𝒉 = 𝟎. 𝟏
𝟔𝟒 𝒌𝒈/𝒉
a) 𝑰𝑴, 𝑿𝒆 = 𝟑𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝒌𝒈/𝒉 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟐
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IV) Calculate R and S (each in kg/h) if the mass fraction of the

unreacted gasses (𝑥𝑈𝐺 ) in stream 3 is 0.941.

RUG
0.941 x 340 kg/h = 319.94 kg/h

Sb
340 kg/h - 319.94 kg/h =20.06 kg/h

V) Determine the mass fraction for each of the components in

stream 4
𝒌𝒈
𝒎̇ 𝟒 = 𝟐𝟖𝟔𝟎
𝒉
𝟏𝟓𝟑𝟔
a. 𝑿𝒂 = 𝟐𝟖𝟔𝟎 = 𝟎. 𝟓𝟑𝟕𝟎𝟔
(𝟕𝟑𝟔−𝟐𝟎.𝟎𝟔)
b. 𝑿𝒃 = = 𝟎. 𝟐𝟓𝟎𝟑
𝟐𝟖𝟔𝟎
𝟓𝟒𝟒
c. 𝑿𝒄 = = 𝟎. 𝟏𝟗𝟎𝟐
𝟐𝟖𝟔𝟎
d. 𝑿𝒆 = 𝟏 − (𝟎. 𝟓𝟑𝟕 + 𝟎. 𝟐𝟓𝟎𝟑 + 𝟎. 𝟏𝟗𝟎𝟐) = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟐𝟐𝟓

VI) Determine the outlet temperature of cooling water (in oC ).

ms1Cs1 ΔTs1 = mcw Ccw ΔTcw

𝟑𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒌𝒈 𝟏𝒉 𝟏.𝟗𝟐 𝒌𝑱 𝟐.𝟒𝟓 𝒌𝒈 𝟒.𝟏𝟖 𝒌𝑱

𝒉
× 𝟑𝟔𝟎𝟎 𝒔 × 𝒌𝒈.𝑲 × 𝟏𝟓𝟎 𝑲 = 𝒔
× 𝒌𝒈.𝑲 ×(Tout −(𝟏𝟎𝟎°𝑪 +
𝟐𝟕𝟑. 𝟏𝟓 𝑲))

𝟐𝟓𝟔 𝒌𝑱 𝟏𝟎.𝟐𝟒𝟏 𝒌𝑱
= (Tout − 𝟐𝟖𝟑. 𝟏𝟓 𝑲)
𝒔 𝒔.𝑲

25 °𝑪 = (Tout − 𝟐𝟖𝟑. 𝟏𝟓 𝑲)

25 °𝑪 + 283.15 K = Tout

Tout = 308.15 K – 𝟐𝟕𝟑. 𝟏𝟓 𝑲

= 35 °𝑪

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d) Identify the processes involved and draw the block diagram for the
process description of methanol production given above.

Figure 3: Block diagram for the process description of methanol production

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2. ANSWER FOR QUESTION 2

a) The identified innovation (e.g., new product or process, process

modification , etc)
b) The problems that drive the innovation
c) The detailed description of the innovation (includes the flowchart, if
any and how it helps to attain one (or more) SDG.
d) Citations of all the references that you have used to support your
points for the essay.

One of the innovations that is powering a more sustainable future is Seabin.

The Seabin functions as a buoyant receptacle equipped with a built-in bag,
efficiently collecting debris through the utilization of an underwater pump that
directs surface water into it. By capturing oils and pollutants present on the
water's surface, this device actively removes waste from marinas and ports,
thereby enhancing the overall water quality. This environmentally friendly
innovation holds significant potential in protecting marine life and preserving
the well-being of our oceans. The Seabin project began in 2015 by Pete
Ceglinski who wished for future generations to live in oceans free of plastic.
When the Seabin was first tested in Asia at the Singapore Yacht Club, it
showed itself of being capable of collecting a variety of waste including
cigarette butts, plastic particles, food wrappers and foam particles.

Despite Seabin is useful for cleaning the ocean from the pollutants, it has its
problems. Firstly, is cost. Installing Seabin units might come with a high
upfront expense. This may be a major barrier for smaller marinas, coastal
communities and with limited budgets. Secondly, Seabin is solely limited to
surface debris only. The Seabin primarily focuses on removing surface level
debris in the water, potentially posing limitations in addressing larger or
submerged debris, thus restricting its overall effectiveness in overcoming
marine pollution. Thirdly, limited capacity. Seabin have limited capacity and
must be emptied regularly. If the amount of floating debris exceeds the bag’s
capacity, it might not be able to solve the pollution problem. Fourthly, weather
sensitivity. Severe weather, including storms or large waves, can have an
impact on how well Seabin systems work. Severe weather might cause the
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units to be damaged or dislodged, which lowers their efficacy. It is essential

to make design changes to Seabin to make them more robust to changing
weather conditions. Finally, reliance on power. The Seabin need for a power
source to run its pump, which can be a problem in isolated locations. Finding
sustainable and energy efficient power sources is crucial for the widespread
adoption of Seabin technology.

Next is how does Seabin works. For illustration refers to figure 3.The Seabin
is positioned at the water's surface and connected to a water pump on the
dock through plumbing. It operates by drawing water into the Seabin,
capturing both floating debris and liquids. The collected floating debris is
contained within the Seabin, and the water is subsequently released through
the bottom of the bin, flowing back up into the dock's pump. Next, the water
flows through the pump where there is oil and water separator. The clean
waters then, flow back to the ocean. This process is continuous, operating 24
hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Inside the Seabin, a catch
bag made of from natural fiber is used to collects floating debris. When this
bag is full, the worker in charge will change the catch bag with another one.
After the debris is gathered and disposed of, the catch bag is cleaned and
prepared for replacement with the entire one in the Seabin that is still in use.
However, if the Seabin is full, it is still working. The flow of the water simply
drawn the floating debris against the Seabin and keep it around it. The worker
at the marina would just pick up the surrounding debris and replace the catch
bag like they always did. But its better to replace the catch bag.

Seabin can help in attaining the sustainable development goal. Firstly, it helps
in achieving the SDG 14, life below water which conserve, and sustainability
use the oceans, seas and marine resource. The Seabin plays a direct role in
supporting SDG14 by eliminating marine litter such as plastics and
contaminants from the water surface. This contributes to the well-being and
conservation of marine ecosystems. Next is, SDG 6, clean water and
sanitation. As we know, Seabin helps in removing the debris on the water
surface, hence contribute to the protection and cleanliness of water. Thirdly
is SDG 9, industry, innovation and infrastructure. The Seabin is an example
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of innovative solution and how advancements in technology may support the

objectives of sustainable development. Lastly, SDG 4, quality education. The
invention of Seabin open the educational opportunities by increasing the
awareness of marine pollution.

Figure 3: Illustration of Seabin operation

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Citations

Staff, D. (2021, June 28). 10 engineering innovations powering a more sustainable

future. KnowHow. https://knowhow.distrelec.com/energy-and-power/10-

engineering-innovations-powering-a-more-sustainable-future/

The “Seabin” that could reduce plastic pollution in UK ports. (2018, April 13). UX

Connections. https://www.uxconnections.com/seabin-reduce-plastic-uk-pollution/

Ideas, O. G. (2016, February 5). SEABIN: Let’s have clean marinas, harbour, lakes and

waterways. Ocean Great Ideas. https://oceangreatideas.com/2016/02/04/seabin-

lets-have-clean-marinas-harbour-lakes-and-waterways/

United Nations. (n.d.). The 17 Sustainable Development Goals. United Nations;

sdgs.un.org. https://sdgs.un.org/goals

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