PICHE 2014 QUIZ

BOWL

R1-1: Nuclear Chemistry

10 pts)

(10 sec,

What is the standard fuel for a fast breeder nuclear

reactor?

Plutonium

R1-2: Industrial Waste Management

(10 sec, 10 pts)
A WTE or Waste-to-Energy technology that uses the heat
formed when an electrical discharge produces ionized
gases that can generate temperatures up to 5000
degrees C, this technology can break down municipal
solid wastes, hazardous and medical wastes into
component molecules and produce a fuel gas made of
CO and hydrogen gas. Name this WTE technology and
the fuel gas it can produce (5 points for each correct
answer).

Plasma (or Plasma Arc Technology)

Syngas (or Synthetic Gas)

R1-3: Physical Chemistry (1 min, 15

pts)
How long should a current of 3 amperes be applied into a
solution of silver nitrate to coat a surface of 80 cm^2,
with 0.05 cm thick layer? Express answer in seconds.
For silver: density = 10.5 g/cm^3
atomic mass = 108

12509 s

R1-4: Fluid Flow (1 min, 15 pts)

Liquid water is being pumped at a constant rate of 9
m^3/hr from a large reservoir resting on the floor to the
open top of an experimental absorption tower- the point
of discharge being 9.0 meters above the floor. The
frictional losses in the pipe, which measures 50.0 mm,
from the reservoir to the tower, amount to 2.5 J/kg. At
what height must the water level in the reservoir be kept
if the pump can only deliver 0.1 kW? The density of water
is constant at 1.00 g/cm^3 and g is 9.81 m/s^2.

5.18 m

R1-5: Heat Transfer (10 sec, 10 pts)

In fluid mechanics, this dimensionless number is
associated with buoyancy-driven flow also known as free
or natural convection. It is also the product of Grashof
number and Prandtl number.

Rayleigh Number

R1-6: Separation Processes (1 min,

15 pts)
Estimate the slope of the operating line for a feed to a
distillation column, given the feed condition and
properties as follows:
Temperature 30 deg C
Boiling point 85 deg C
Heat capacity 72 kJ.kgmol K
Latent heat 8,500 kJ/kgmol

3.15

R1-7: Analytical Chemistry (2 min,

20 pts)
A solution contains a mixture of Na2CO3 and NaOH.
Using phenolphthalein as indicator, 25 mL of mixture
required 19.5 mL of 0.995 N HCl for endpoint. With
methyl orange, 25 mL of solution required 25 mL of the
same HCl for the endpoint. Calculate the grams per liter
of each substance in the mixture.

Na2CO3 21.32 g/L (23.2 g/L)

NaOH 22.28 g/L

R1-8: Plant Design Optimization

(2 min, 20 pts)
In a multiple effect evaporation system, a single-effect
evaporator has an initial completely installed cost of PhP
20,000 while subsequent effects cost 20% less. The life
period of each effect is estimated to be 10 years with
zero scrap value. The annual total direct cost due to
steam is given by the equation is given by the equation:
Direct Cost = 37500/N^1.75 PhP/yr
Where N is the number of effects.
If fixed cost is mainly due to depreciation, how many
effects will give the minimum cost?

R1-9: Process Control (10 sec, 10

pts)
In the input-output model shown below, what is G(s)
called?

Transfer function

R1-10: Thermodynamics (2 min, 20

pts)
A 1.0 m^3 tank is initially evacuated. However, there is
an imperfection in one of the welds, and air leaks into the
tank. The process is slow, and heat transfer with the
surroundings keeps the tank and its contents at an
ambient temperature (300 K). Calculate the amount of
heat exchanged with the surroundings during the time it
takes for the pressure in the tank to reach atmospheric
pressure (101.325 kPa). Assume that air can be treated
as an ideal gas with constant Cv = 1.5R.

-101.325 kJ

R2-1: Biotechnology (10 sec, 10 pts)

Which of the mitotic phases is shortest?

Anaphase

R2-2: Biochemical Engineering (10

sec, 10 pts)
What mode or type of reversible enzyme inhibition is
described by a kinetic scheme wherein the inhibitor,
which is structurally similar to the target substrate, binds
non-covalently to a free enzymes active site?

Competitive inhibition

R2-3: General Chemistry (1 min, 15

pts)
A supply of NaOH is known to contain the contaminants
NaCl and MgCl2. A 4.955 g sample of this material is
dissolved and diluted to 500 mL with water. A 20.00 mL
sample of this solution is titrated with 22.26 mL of a
0.1989 M solution of HCl. What percentage of this original
sample is NaOH? Assume that none of the contaminants
reacted with HCl.

89.35 %

R2-4: Chemical Reaction

Engineering
(1 min, 15 pts)

Estimate the mean residence in a PFR, given the

following:
Reactor volume: 50 L
Entering feed rate: 5 L/min
Fractional change in volume between 0 and 100%
conversion = -0.80
Conversion = 95%
Assume constant temperature and constant pressure
operation.

41.67 min

R2-5: Separation Processes

(Evaporation)
(10 sec, 10 pts)

Write down the driving force in a steam-heated singleeffect evaporator, given the temperature quantities:
Tf feed temperature
TL concentrated product temperature
TS steam temperature
T0 surroundings temperature

TS - TL

R2-6: Heat Transfer (1 min, 15 pts)

A 5-cm outside diameter steam pipe, 10-m long, is
insulated with 1 cm of magnesia insulation whose surface
temperature is 60 deg C and surface emissivity of 0.85. If
the insulated pipe is exposed to air and surroundings at
30 deg C, calculate the heat loss in watts from the pipe
to the surroundings. The convective heat transfer
coefficient of air is 8.5 W/m2K.

978.67 W

R2-7: Chemical Kinetics (2 min, 20

pts)
The
following mechanism has been proposed for the
thermal decomposition of pure ozone in the gas phase.
Derive the rate equation.
(k1)
(k2)

-r = 2k1[O3]2

R2-8: ChE Calculations (2 min, 20

pts)
Biodiesel from palm oil has an approximate formula of
CxHyOz. This biodiesel is burned in excess air supplied dry
at 30 deg C. The exhaust gas leaves at 250 deg C with a
complete analysis of 9.859% CO2, 1.232% CO, 4.544% O2,
73.889% N2 and 10.475% H2O. What is the chemical
formula of the biodiesel.

C18H34O2

R2-9: Fluid Mechanics (10 sec, 10

pts)
For a sudden reduction of cross-section area along a
conduit, what do you call the cross section of the
minimum area at which the jet formed from the fluid
stream changes from a contraction to an expansion?

Vena contracta

R2-10: Mass Transfer (2 min, 20 pts)

Calculate the overall liquid-side mass transfer coefficient
at 25 deg C for oxygen from water into air, if each
individual mass transfer coefficient k is given by k = D/
(0.01 cm), where D is the diffusion coefficient of oxygen
in the phase in cm2/sec.
At the temperature given, the diffusion coefficient of
oxygen in air is 0.23 cm2/sec, while that in water is 2.10 x
10-5 cm2/sec. Henrys law constant is 4.40 x 104
atmospheres.

2.10 x 10-3 cm/s

R3-1: Chemical Process Industries

(10 sec, 10 pts)
What important metal can be extracted from bauxite?

Aluminum

R3-2: Equipment Design (10 sec, 10

pts)
In pressure vessels, these may be defined as a timedependent deformation at elevated temperature and
constant stress resulting in rupture.

Creep

R3-3: Environmental Engineering

(1 min, 15 pts)
Determine the theoretical oxygen demand in, mg/L, of
wastewater that contains 80 mg/L of urea, assuming that
the nitrogen is sequentially oxidized into ammonia, nitrite
and finally nitrate.

170.67 mg/L

R3-4: Physical Chemistry (1 min, 15

pts)
A balloon filled with hydrogen gas is released into the air.
Assuming that the balloon is inelastic, determine the
elevation to which it will rise.
g = 9.81m/s2
molar mass of air = 0.029 kg/mol
pressure = 1 bar

23,270 m

R3-5: Thermodynamics (1 min, 15

pts)
An enterprising young chemical engineer living in Laguna
wants to use the water (with a constant Cp= 4.18 kJ/kg-K)
from a 95.0oC hot spring at a rate of 0.200 kg/s to power
a heat engine that will, in turn, power his air compressor.
The compressor takes in ambient air at a temperature of
23.0oC. Determine the maximum theoretical power
output (kW) for this particular heat engine.

11.78 kW

R3-6: Physical Chemistry (2 min, 20

pts)
A diatomic molecule HX (X, an unknown atom) has a
harmonic vibrational force constant k = 9.6800x105g/s2.
The harmonic vibrational frequency in wave number is
4143.3 cm-1. What is the reduced mass of the molecule?

1.69 x 10-24 g

R3-7: Separation Process (Gas

Absorption)
(2
min,
20
pts)
An exhaust stream from a semiconductor fabrication unit contains 3 mol%
acetone and 97 mol% air. In order to eliminate any possible environmental
pollution, this acetone-air stream is to be fed to a mass-transfer column in which
the acetone will be stripped by a countercurrent, falling water stream at 293 K.
The tower is to be operated at a total pressure of 1.013 x 105 Pa. At 293 K the
vapor pressure of acetone is 5.64 x 104 Pa. If the combined Raoult-Dalton
equilibrium relation may be used to determine the distribution of acetone
between the air and aqueous phases, determine the following:
A. The mole fraction of acetone in the aqueous phase, which would be in
equilibrium with 3 mol% acetone in the gas phase.
B. The mole fraction of acetone in the gas phase, which would be in equilibrium
with 20 ppm acetone in the aqueous phase.
MW of acetone = 58.

A. x* = 0.054
B. y* = 3.45 x 10-6

R3-8: Membrane Separation (10 sec,

10 pts)
What is the physical state (or phase) of the feed to a
pervaporation module?

Liquid

R3-9: Chemical Reaction

Engineering
(2 min, 20 pts)

The parallel reactions shown below occur in aqueous

phase in an ideal CSTR. Determine the conversion of A.
AB
AC
Data:

k1 = 0.08/min
k2 = 0.04 mol/L-min
CA0 = 5 mol/L

t = 20 min

CB0=CC0=0

0.68

R3-10: Mass Transfer (2 min, 20 pts)

To isolate the steroid sitoserol from an aqueous vegetable
feed, 6.5 kg/hr of the feed is pumped upward through a
packed column 0.61 m high and 0.1 m in diameter. 3.0
kg/h of pure methylene chloride is allowed to trickle
downward through the bed. By experiment, the value of
the equilibrium constant m is 0.14. Current operations
however, allow only 63% recovery. If a 92% recovery is
desired, how long should the tower be? Assume flowrates
will be unchanged. Give your answer in meters.

1.71 m