CHEMICAL AND PROCESS SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

MASS TRANSFER ECP 224

Test

Date: 05/06/2020 Start Time 5:00pm - End time: 7:00pm

Instructions:

This exam is to be submitted electronically Google classroom or Whatsapp.

The answers should be send as a pdf file and it should be saved with you name and student Number as
the name of file.

All the answers should be submitted by 7:30pm

Answer all questions:

1. An oil containing 2.55 mole per cent of a hydrocarbon is stripped by running the oil down
a column up which live steam is passed, so that 5 kmol of steam are used/lOO kmol of oil
stripped. Determine the number of theoretical plates required to reduce the hydrocarbon
content to 0.1 mole per cent, assuming that the oil is non-volatile. The vapour-liquid
relation of the hydrocarbon in the oil is given by ye = 25x, where ye is the mole fraction in
the vapour and x the mole fraction in the liquid. The temperature is maintained constant
by internal heating, so that steam does not condense in the tower.
[25 marks]

Solution:
Given data:
x1=0.0255; X1=0.0255/(1-0.0255)=0.0262
x2=0.001; X2=0.001/(1-0.001)=0.001

y1=? ; Y1=?
y2= 0.0 ; Y2 =0.0

Lm=100kmol;
Gm=5kmol;
Oil
Y1=? x1=0.0255
X1= 0.0262
L=100kmol

x2= 0.001
Y2=0
G=5kmol
Steam
 Mass balance:
Lm X +Gm Y 2=Lm X 2 +Gm Y
Lm ( X −X 2 )=G m ( Y −Y 2 )
Y 2=0
Lm
Y= ( X− X 2 )=20 X −0.02
Gm
Equilibrium Data:
ye = 25x
Using x from x=0 to x= 0.3

Equilibrium Data
Total basis data
x y
0 0
0.005 0.125
0.01 0.25
0.015 0.375
0.02 0.5
0.025 0.625
0.03 0.75

Solute free basis

Equilibrium Data
Solute free basis
X Y
0 0
0.005 0.143
0.010 0.333
0.015 0.600
0.020 1.000
0.026 1.667
0.031 3.000

Operating line data

Lm
Y=
( X− X 2 )=20 X −0.02
Gm
[10marks]
Using Solute free basis equilibrium and operating lines are drawn

[15marks]
2. Water at 25oC is flowing in a covered irrigation ditch below ground. Every 100 ft there is a
vent line 1.0 in. inside diameter and 1.0 ft long to the outside atmosphere at 25oC. There
are 10 vents in the l000ft ditch. The outside air can be assumed to be dry. Calculate the
total evaporation loss of water in Ibm/d. Assume that the partial pressure of water vapor at
the surface of the water is the vapor pressure, 23.76 mm Hg at 25oC. Use water- air
diffusivity of 0.260 x 10-4 m2/s in calculations. Values for gas constant (R) are: 8314.3
m3.Pa/kg mol. K; 82.057 x 10-3 m3.atm/kg mol. K; 82.057 cm3.atm/g mol. K
[10 marks]
 Solution:

23.76 mm Hg
P A 1=23.76 mm Hg= ∗1 atm=0.031 atm
760 mm Hg
P A 2 =0 Outsider air is considered dry
D AB=0.260∗10−4 m2 / s
Total evaporation loss= molar flux * Area * Number of vents
Total evaporationloss=N A∗A∗10
2
1
Area for each vent=π =
d2 ( π∗ )
39.37 m
=5.06701∗10−4
4 4
D AB P ( P A 1−P A 2 )
N A=
RTZ P B ,lm
PB 1 =P−P A 1 =1.0−0.031=0.969
PB 2=P−P A 1 =1−0.0=1.0
P −P B 1 1−0.969
PB ,lm= B 2 = =0.984
PB2 1
ln
( ) ( )
PB1
ln
0.969

D AB P ( P A 1−P A 2 ) 0.260 ¿ 10−4 m2 / s∗1atm∗( 0.031−0.0 ) atm

N A= =
RTZ P B ,lm 82.057∗10−3 m 3 atm/kg mol . K∗298 K∗¿ 0.30478 m∗0.984 atm=¿ ¿
2
¿ 1.0985∗10−7 kg mol / m . S ¿
¿
Total evaporationloss=1.0985∗10−7 kg mol /m2 . s∗5.06701∗10−4 m 2∗10
¿ 5.566∗10−9 kg mol /s
¿ 1.0985∗10−3 Ib m /day [10 marks]

3. A mixture of water and alcohol containing 0.5 mole fraction alcohol is continuously
distilled in a plate column to give a product containing 0.95 mole fraction and a waste of
0.02 mole fraction alcohol. The operating reflux is 1.3Rmin. The feed enters as saturated
liquid at a rate of 100 kmol.h-1
i. Determine the number of plates
ii. Determine the feed plate
iii. What is the actual number of plates if plate efficiency is 60%
[25 Marks]
Equilibrium data:

X 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0

Y 0.0 0.27 0.42 0.51 0.59 0.67 0.75 0.82 0.89 0.95 1.0

Solution:
XD=0.95
xF= 0.5
Xw=0.02
R= 1.3Rmin

F= 100kmol/hr

Determination of minimum reflux

[5marks]
Intercept =xD/(Rmin +1) = 0.36
Rmin=0.95/0.36-1=1.64 [2marks]

Operating reflux
R= 1.3*Rmin= 1.3*1.64=2.132 [2marks]]

ROL line
R xD
y=x +
R+ 1 R+1
 2.132 0.95
y=x +
2.132+1 2.132+1

y=0.681 x +0.303 [2mark]

[10marks]

FEED PLATE = stage 8 [2marks]

Actual stages = theoretical stages/ efficiency = 15/0.6 = 25 [2 marks]