CE408: Chemical Engineering Plant Design

Exam #2 – Monday, April 30, 2018

Please read over the entire exam first thing so that you can make a rational decision about how to
budget your time. Please think calmly and logically so that your answers reflect your true level of
knowledge.

Please turn in any pages from this booklet that you have marked up and be sure
to put your name on them!

1.) (35 points) Elroy (being inspired by his love of peanut butter, jelly, and SpamTM sandwiches) is
considering building a plant to produce either peanut butter or grape jelly.
a. Which project will lead to a greater net present worth (NPW)?
b. Would either project be worth pursuing? (Just do a simple comparison of TCI to NPW).

Peanut Butter Grape Jelly

Plant Life 3 years
Sale price of product $1.50 per pound
Annual Production 7,000,000 pounds per
year
Purchased equipment cost for all units $3,000,000
in plant
Variable Production costs $0.63 per pound of
peanut butter
Fixed Charges (except for depreciation) $400,000 per year
Plant Overhead $250,000 per year
General Expenses $100,000/year
3 years
$0.60 per pound
12,000,000 pounds per year
$1,800,000
$0.30 per pound of grape
jelly
$400,000 per year
$200,000 per year
$90,000 per year

For both projects assume operation at full capacity in all years of production, use straight line
depreciation, take the tax rate to be 35%, and assume that the working capital is recovered as lump sum
at the end of the project. The NPW should be calculated using a nominal discount (interest) rate of 6%,
with discrete year-end cash flows and discrete annual compounding.

NOTE: Both of these projects will be for Solid-Fluid processing plants

Bonus question (0 points): Should Elroy’s preference for strawberry jelly be a factor in his decision
relative to pursuing these ventures?
 2.) (45 points) Consider heat integration for the process streams defined in the following table. All
streams are liquid phase at the temperatures and pressures of this process. Design the heat
exchange network with a minimum approach of 20 F.

Stream Type Flow rate Compound Heat Source Target

Number (pounds Capacity (inlet) (outlet)
per minute) [BTU/(pound temp. in F temp. in F
x F)]
1 Hot 60 A 1.0 180 75
2 Hot 80 B 0.75 120 90
3 Cold 40 C 1.1 70 140
4 Cold 80 D 0.9 100 170
ₒ
a. What is the pinch temperature ( F) and what are the theoretical minimum hot and cold
utility requirements (BTU/minute) needed to produce the indicated temperature
changes?
b. Design a heat exchanger network that achieves the required temperature changes for
all streams using not more than the theoretical minimum hot and cold utility
requirements.
c. What are the savings in hot and cold utilities that your network achieved? (Give answer
in BTU/minute)

3.) (20 points) A piping system with the following system curve data is to be installed

Head (feet) Flow rate (gpm)

15 22
20 35
25 50
30 65
35 80
40 95
45 112
50 125
55 135
60 150

a. Which of the two Bell & Gossett pumps (pump curves supplied) would be appropriate if
your required flow is 110 gpm? Determine the model number and impeller size
b. Assuming that the system is pumping water at the same temperature as the pump
curves were generated for, what is the required actual energy usage in horsepower (hp)
c. Assuming that the frictional pressure drop in the suction piping can be neglected, what
is the minimum number of feet below the surface of the liquid in this atmospheric tank
that you need to locate the pump inlet?
Capital Investment, continuedfeet