INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY KANPUR

Department of Chemical Engineering

ChE 251A: Chemical Process Calculations; 2015 - 2016 (I)
Instructor: P. K. Bhattacharya
(FB 468; Phone # 7093)

Problems Set 1
Continuous Steady State Non-Reacting System
Single and Multiple Units

1. A gas containing equal parts (on a molar basis) of H2 & N2 and H2O are passed through a
column of calcium chloride pellets, which absorb 97 % of the water and none of the other
gases. The column packing was initially dry and had a mass of 2.00 kg. Following 6 h of
continuous operation, the pellets are reweighed and are found to have a mass of 2.21 kg.
Calculate the molar flow rate (mol/h) of the feed gas and the mole fraction of water vapour in
the product gas.
(Ans: 6.01 mol/h, 0.015)

2. A mixture containing 45 % benzene (B) and 55 % toluene (T) by mass is fed to a distillation
column. An overhead stream of 95 wt % B is produced, and 8 % of the benzene fed to the
column leaves in the bottom stream. The feed rate is 2000 kg/h. Determine the overhead
flow rate and the mass flow rates of benzene and toluene in the bottom stream.
(Ans. D = 870 kg/h, Tolune = 1060 kg/h)

3. A spent lye sample obtained from a soap-making unit contains 9.6 % glycerol and 10.3 %
salt (NaCl). It is concentrated at the rate of 5000 kg/h in a double-effect evaporator until the
final solution contains 80 % glycerol and 6 % salt. Assume that about 4.5 % glycerol of feed
is lost by entrainment. Find (a) the evaporation taken place in the system and (b) the amount
of salt crystallized out in the salt box of the evaporator. All percentages are by weight.
(Ans. (a) 3946.38 kg/h, (b) 480.52 kg/h)

4. Upon completing the design of the washing system based upon the calculations carried out in
the example of TiO2 washing problem, the engineer submits his project to the local
regulatory agency for approval of a permit to divert 60,000 lb/h river water and discharge a
stream of 62,000 lb/h water containing 3.23 % salt. The agency rejects the permit request on
the grounds that such a discharge would significantly affect the portability of the downstream
river water (an acceptable limit for human consumption being 0.02 %). The agency rules
that at most a discharge of 30,000 lb/h with a salt content of 0.5% is allowable. The
chastened engineer, who should have foreseen the pollution problem, returns to his systems
diagram and enters the new information, as shown in Figure. The product specifications must
be still being met, namely, a dry-basis salt composition of 0.01 % and a dry basis product
flow rate of 4000 lb/h.
 F2

F1 1 Washing Unit 4 F4 =
wTiO2 . = 0.4
1 4
wsalt = 0.005
w1salt = 0.2
3 F3
3
wTiO 2.
= 0 .5
3
wsalt

Home Assignment:

5. A feed stream to a process is to consist of 1000 kg/h of a gas containing 25.0 mole % N2 and
the H2. The stream is obtained by blending gases from two tanks, Tank A and Tank B. The
gases in both tanks are mixtures of nitrogen and hydrogen, with nitrogen mole fractions xA
and xB, respectively.

i. Suppose xA = 0.10 and xB = 0.50, Calculate the required molar flow rates (mol/h) of
the two gas mixtures.
ii. What mathematical condition or conditions involving xA and xB must be satisfied for
a 25 mole% blend to be obtainable from the two tank gases? (For example: If xA =
0.10 and xB = 0.20, there is no way to produce a 25 % mixture. Convince yourself
that this statement is true, and then come up with the requested condition).
iii. Write a computer program to do the following things:
iv. Read (input) values of xA and xB.
v. Quit if xA = -1.0.
vi. See whether it is possible to make up a 25 mole% mixture from the two given feed
gases. If it is not possible, print out an error message and go back to step 1.
vii. Calculate and print the molar flow rates of gases A and B needed to make 1000 kg/h
of the 25 % blend.
viii. Go back to step 1.
ix. Run your program with the following input data:

xA 0.05 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.25

xB 0.50 0.50 0.35 0.20 0.50 0.35 0.20 0.50

6. A gas consisting of NO2 in air is bubbled through a scrubbing tower into which water is fed
at a rate of 1 m3/h. The water absorbs most of the NO2 and none of the air. The volumetric
flow rate of the feed gas is determined with an orifice meter, with a differential mercury
manometer being used to measure the pressure drop across the orifice. Calibration data for
this meter are tabulated below.

2
 Exit gas NO2 and Air 1 m3 H2O (liquid)/h

Orifice

Feed gas NO2 dissolved in H2O

H

NO2 in air

The molar density of the feed gas may be determined from the formula
⎛ mol ⎞ 12.2 P(atm )
ρ⎜ ⎟=
⎝ liter ⎠ T (K )
Where, P and T are the absolute pressure and temperature of the gas. An
electrochemical detector is used to measure the NO2 concentration in the inlet and
outlet gas stream: NO2 in the sampled gas is absorbed in a solution across which a
fixed voltage is applied and the mole fraction of NO2 in the gas is determined from the
resulting current. The calibration curve for the analyzer is a straight line on a semi log
plot of y (mol NO2/mol total) versus R (analyzer reading), which passes through the
points

y (log scale) R (Rectangular scale) H (mm Hg) φ (m3/h)

0.00166 20 100 142
0.1107 90 200 204
300 247
400 290

The following data are taken for Feed Gas:

T = 75 0F; R (NO2 analyzer) = 82.4; R (NO2 analyzer) = 11.6 (outlet gas)
P = 150 psig; H (orifice meter) = 210 mm

Determine:
i. The orifice meter calibration formula by plotting φ versus h on log paper.
ii. Determine the NO2 analyzer calibration formula.
iii. Draw and label a process flowchart.
iv. Calculate the mole fraction of NO2 in the liquid effluent stream. (Neglect the
small quantity of water that leaves with the exit gas).
v. How much NO2 is removed each hour from the feed gas?

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7. A labelled flowchart of a continuous steady-state two-unit distillation process is shown
below. Each stream contains two components, A and B, in different proportions. Three
streams whose flow rates and/or compositions are not known are labelled 1, 2, and 3.

40 kg/h 30 kg/h
0.9 kg A/kg 0.6 kg A/kg
0.1 kg B/kg 0.4 kg B/kg

100 kg/h 1 2 3

0.5 kg A/kg
0.5 kg B/kg

30 kg/h
0.3 kg A/kg
0.7 kg B/kg

Calculate the unknown flow rates and compositions of stream 1, 2, and 3.

[Ans: F (3, 1 – 60, 60 kg/h); (x3, x1 – 0.0833, 0.233)]

8. In a distillation train a liquid hydrocarbon containing 20 mol % ethane, 40 moles % propane

and 40 mol % butane is to be fractionated into essentially pure components as shown below.
On the basis of F = 100 moles, what is P (in moles) and the composition of stream A?
Downstream output of Unit-I doesn’t contain C2 compounds.

Ethane fraction Propane fraction

95 %C2 99 % C3
E 4 % C3 P 1 % C4
1 % C4
(1) (2)

F
Feed
20 % C2
40 % C3
40 % C4
A B
Butane fraction
X = mole fraction 91.6 % C4

[Ans: P- 35.9]

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9. A simplified flow sheet for the manufacture of sugar is shown in figure given below.
M (Sugar)
1000 lb/hr

F (Cane)
16 % Sugar Crystallizer L (Water)
25 % Water
59 % Pulp K (40 % Sugar)
E H
Mill Screen Evaporator J (water)
13 % Sugar 15 % Sugar
14 % Pulp

D Bagasse Solids G Contain 95 % Pulp

80 % Pulp
Sugarcane is fed to a mill where syrup is squeezed out, and the resulting “bagasse” contains
80 % pulp. The syrup (E) containing finely divided pieces of pulp are fed to a screen, which
removes all the pulp and produces a clear syrup (H) containing 15 % sugar and 85 % water.
The evaporator makes “heavy” syrup and the crystallizer produces 1000 lb/hr of sugar
crystals.
a. Find the water removed in the evaporator, lb/hr
b. Find the composition of the waste stream G
c. Find the rate of feed of cane to the unit, lb/hr
d. Of the sugar fed in the cane, what percentage is lost with the bagasse?
e. Is this an efficient operation? Explain why or why not?

[Ans: % sugar recovered as product – 25.43]

10. Seawater is to be desalinized by reverse osmosis using the scheme indicated in figure given
below. Use the data given in the figure to determine:
a. The rate of waste brine removal (B)
b. The rate of desalinized water (called potable water) production (D)
c. The fraction of the brine leaving the osmosis cell (which acts in essence as a separator)
that is recycled. (Note: ppm designates parts per million).

Brine Recycle

Sea Water 4.0 % Reverse Brine Waste (B)

1000 lb/hr Osmosis
3.1 % Salt Salt Cell 5.25 % Salt

D
Desalinized Water 500 ppm Salt

[Ans: Fraction of brine from RO cell recycled – 0.551]