H8BPME-E1

The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus

DEPARTMENT CHEMICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING A LEVEL B MODULE, SPRING SEMESTER 2009-2010 PARTICLE MECHANICS Time allowed TWO Hours

Candidates may complete the front cover of their answer book and sign their desk card but must NOT write anything else until the start of the examination period is announced Answer TWO questions in Section A and TWO questions in Section B Only silent, self contained calculators with a Single-Line display or Dual-Line display are permitted in this examination. Dictionaries are not allowed with one exception. Those whose first language is not English may use a standard translation dictionary to translate between that language and English provided that neither language is the subject of this examination. Subject specific translation dictionaries are not permitted. No electronic devices capable of storing and retrieving text, including electronic dictionaries, may be used. DO NOT turn examination paper over until instructed to do so

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL:

Data and Formula Sheet

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2 SECTION A 1.

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In order to determine the particle diameter of a bulk sample of uniform spherical particles which density of 2000 kg/m3, the particles are allowed to free fall in water. The particles take 30 s to settle at the bottom of a column which contains pure water of 1 m height. (a) Name the principle that is applied in this particle size measurement. [2 marks] (b) Determine the particle size diameter based on the principle that you named in part (a). [7 marks] Determine the particle Reynolds number and comment on the accuracy of the particle diameter with reference to the Reynolds number. [6 marks] If elutriation principle is used to determine the particle diameter of the bulk particles in question, briefly describe how the particle measurement is to be conducted. If atmospheric air is used in this measurement, determine the air velocity that suspends the bulk particles in the air stream. [10 marks]

(c)

(d)

2.

Air flows through a 0.5 m height packed bed of particles. The particle has a diameter of 1 mm and density of 2500 kg/m3. The bed voidage is 0.4. (a) State one application of packed bed in industry and briefly describe the application. [5 marks]

(b)

Determine the critical air velocity for: i) The transition of laminar packed bed regime to intermediate regime. [5 marks]

ii)

The transition of intermediate regime to turbulent packed bed regime. [5 marks]

iii)

The transition of packed bed to minimum fluidisation [5 marks]

(c)

Comment on the critical velocity of the transition of packed bed to fluidised bed by referring the velocity to the two velocities that you obtained in part (b) (i) and (ii). State the dominating force or forces that affect the fluid flow across the bed of particles during minimum fluidisation. [5 marks]

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3 3.

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You work in a company that processes powder type 1 using a conventional fluidised bed. Powder type 1 is spherical, 250 m in diameter, particle density is 3000 kg/m3. The processing fluid used in this process is atmospheric air. The conventional fluidised bed works well and the fluidisation quality is satisfactory. One day, the plant manager instructs you to process another type of powder, Powder Type 2, using the existing unit operation. The new powder is slightly irregular in shape and the particle diameter, dp is 20 m. The density of the particle is 500 kg/m3. Immediately after the processing material is changed, from Powder Type 1 to Type 2, the fluidisation is upset. (a) Explain why Powder Type 1 works well in conventional fluidised bed and why Powder Type 2 does not. [4 marks]

(b)

Name the problems that may occur in the processing of Powder Type 2? Briefly describe the problems and explain how these problems might affect the fluidisation quality. [8 marks]

(c)

Your plant manager asks you to recommend two suitable unit operations to rectify these operational problems. State the unit operations. [4 marks]

(d)

Briefly describe how the unit operation that you recommended in part (c) would overcome the operational problems that you stated in part (b). Briefly describe the limitations of the two unit operations. [9 marks]

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4 SECTION B 4.

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A suspension in water of uniformly sized spheres of diameter 80 m and density 1800 kg/m3 has a solids volume fraction of 0.25. The suspension settles to a bed of solids which volume fraction is 0.55. (a) Determine the single particle terminal velocity of the spheres in water. [5 marks]

(b)

Determine the velocity at which the clear water / suspension interface settles. [10 marks]

(c)

Determine the velocity at which the sediment / suspension interface rises. [10 marks]

5.

250 kg of particles which size is 150 m and absolute density 2000 kg/m3 is fluidised by air. At minimum fluidisation, the bed of particles has a voidage of 0.4. The cross sectional area of the fluidised bed column is 0.2 m2. (a) Determine the bed height. [4 marks]

(b)

Determine the maximum pressure drop across the bed of particles. [4 marks]

(c)

Determine the minimum fluidisation velocity from Ergun equation. [7 marks]

(d)

Determine the minimum fluidisation velocity from empirical correlation. Justify the correlation that you use to calculate the velocity. [5 marks]

(e)

Comment on the difference between the minimum fluidisation velocities that you obtained in part (c) and (d). [5 marks]

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5 6.

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Sand-like powder is loaded in a column. Atmospheric air is blown from the bottom of the column.

(a)

Briefly describe the phenomena and flow regimes when the air velocity is increased from zero to a velocity that carries over all particles in the column to the gas exit. [8 marks]

(b)

Sketch the pressure gradient across the bed of particles versus superficial gas velocity. Comment on the pattern of pressure gradient across the bed. [8 marks]

(c)

When calculating the overall pressure drop of a piping system for pneumatic conveying, various pressure components are to be taken into account. Briefly explain the components based on three piping systems, namely vertical piping system, horizontal piping system and slanting piping system. [6 marks]

(d)

A size reduction unit operation is used to reduce the particle size of the sand-like powder in question. Name the mechanism or mechanisms that are suitable for this operation. Name a suitable machine for this operation. [3 marks]

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