CHE 312 Final Exam2013 - 2014 - Rain

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY, ILE IFE

B.Sc. (Chemical Engineering) Degree Examination RAIN SEMESTER, 2013/2014 SESSION
CHE 312 – MASS TRANSFER OPERATIONS
INSTRUCTION: Attempt ANY 4 Questions TIME ALLOWED: 3 HOURS
QUESTION 1
a. A tube 1 cm inside diameter and 50 cm long is filled with H2 (A) and CO2 (B) at a total pressure of 250 kPa
at 0C. Under these conditions, the diffusion coefficient of the H2 – CO2 system is 2.75 ×10–5 m2/s. If the
partial pressure of CO2 is 150 kPa at one end of the tube and 70 kPa at the other end, find the rate of
diffusion for steady state counter diffusion where NB = – 0.75 NA
b. Mass transfer is occurring from a ball of naphthalene having a radius of 10 mm. The ball is suspended in still
air at 325.6 K and 100 kPa. If the vapour pressure of naphthalene at 325.6 K is 1.0 mmHg and the diffusivity
of naphthalene in air at STP is 5.16 × 10-6 m2/s,
(i) Estimate the diffusivity of naphthalene at 325.6 K and 100 kPa
(ii) Calculate the rate of evaporation of naphthalene from the surface in kg mol/s.m2
(iii) If air starts blowing across the surface of the naphthalene ball with a velocity of 4.0 cm/s, by what
factor will the evaporation rate increase? For spheres, use the relation
Take the density and viscosity of air under the prevailing conditions to be 1.127 kg/m3 and 1.7×10-5 Pa.s, respectively.
QUESTION 2
a. The vapour pressures of n -pentane and of n -hexane are given in the table below.
Pressure (kN/m2) 1.3 2.6 5.3 8.0 13.3 26.6 53.2 101.3
n-pentane 223.1 233.0 244.0 257.0 260.6 275.1 291.7 309.3
Temperature (K)
n-hexane 248.2 259.1 270.9 278.6 289.0 304.8 322.8 341.9
(i) Determine the relative volatility of pentane to hexane at 273, 293 and 313 K.
(ii) A mixture containing 0.52 mole fraction pentane is to be distilled continuously to give a top product
of 0.95 mole fraction pentane and a bottom of 0.1 mole fraction pentane. Determine the minimum
number of plates by the graphical McCabe – Thiele method.
(iii) Using the conditions in (ii), determine by the McCabe – Thiele method the total number of plates
required, and the position of the feed.
(iv) Calculate the stage efficiency.
It may be assumed that the feed is all liquid at its boiling-point.
b. Explain in details, the conditions in which liquid-liquid extraction is advisable to be used for separation
purposes.
c. Schematically represent counter-current liquid extraction process and write the overall material and
component balances for the operation.
QUESTION 3
a. A gas stream containing 5.0 mol.% of a certain pollutant A is passed through a packed column to remove 99
percent of the A by absorption in pure water. The absorber will operate at 298 K and 760 mmHg, and the gas
and liquid rates are to be 0.06 mol/s.m2 and 0.30 mol/s.m2, respectively. Mass transfer coefficients and
equilibrium data are given below:
kxa = 0.59 mol/s.m3.(mol fraction)
kya = 0.15 mol/s.m3.(mol fraction)
y* =3.1x
(i) Calculate the number of transfer units (NOx) required.
(ii) Calculate the height of each transfer unit (HOx). Hence, determine the height of the absorber required.
b. A 20 wt.% solution of uranyl nitrate (UN) in water is to be treated with tributyl phosphate (TBP) to remove
95 % of the uranyl nitrate in batchwise equilibrium contacts.
(i) Determine the required solvent ratio for an infinite number of countercurrent stages.
(ii) How many ideal countercurrent extraction stages would be required for 10 kg/s of the uranyl nitrate
solution, if 1.25 times the quantity of TBP required for an infinite number of stages is used?
At equilibrium, (g UN/g TBP) = 5.5(g UN/g H2O). Assume water and TBP are mutually insoluble.
Take the density of TBP to be 970kg/m3.
QUESTION 4
Experimental data of Sherwood (1929) for the surface drying of a 3.18-cm-thick × 6.6-cm2 cross-sectional area slab
of a thick paste of CaCO3 from both sides by air at TDB = 40 oC and TWB = 23 oC and a cross-circulation velocity of 1
m/s exhibit the complex type of drying-rate curve shown in Figure Q4 with the following constants:
Constant-rate period: Xo = 10.8 %, Xc1 = 8.3 %, and Nc1 = 0.053 g H2O/h-cm2
First falling-rate period: Xc2 = 3.7 %; and Nc2 = 0.038 g H2O/h-cm2
Second falling-rate period to X = 0.2%: N = 29.03X2 – 0.048X
a. What is the relative humidity of the drying air?
b. If it is required to dry a slab of the same dimensions at the same drying conditions, but from Xo = 0.10 to Xf =
0.02, determine the drying time required for the
(i) constant rate period
(ii) first falling rate period
(iii) second falling rate period.
Assume an initial weight of 46.4 g. Ignore the initial adjustment (preheat) period.
Figure Q4
QUESTION 5
a. Write briefly on the following as it applies to psychrometry:
(i) humid heat (ii) humid volume (iii) enthalpy (iv) relative humidity (v) saturation vapour pressure
b. Air at 101.32 kPa, having a dry bulb temperature of 40 oC and 2.5 % moisture (wet basis) is to be dried by
first cooling to 10 oC to condense water vapour, followed by heating to 30 oC. Determine the following:
(i) the initial and final molar humidity
(ii) the final relative humidity
(iii) the change in humid heat
(iv) amount of water removed per cubic meters of the air
(v) the humid volume of the dried air
(vi) the partial pressure of the water vapour content of the dried air.
QUESTION 6
a. An equimolar mixture of benzene and toluene is subjected to flash distillation at 100 kN/m2 in the separator.
Using the equilibrium data given below, determine the composition of the liquid and vapour leaving the
separator when the feed is 25 per cent vaporised. What is the temperature of the exit liquid stream?
x, benzene 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.5 0.7 0.9 1.0
y, benzene 0.0 0.23 0.51 0.71 0.84 0.96 1.0
T (K) 383 379 371 365 360 356 354
b. It is desired to remove ethylene glycol (solute) from water (carrier) into solvent (furfural). If 100kg of feed
containing 45 % solute is extracted with 200 kg of pure solvent each in a two-staged cross current extraction.
Calculate (i) the mixture composition, M in each stage and (ii) the equilibrium compositions in E and R
phases in each stage. (iii) What is the composited extract composition? The equilibrium diagram for ethylene
glycol-water-furfural is given in Fig. Q6 below.
c. (i) Sketch a well labeled hypothetical enthalpy-composition diagram.
(ii) In the analysis of aqueous methanol distillation, it was observed that the net heat flow upwards in
rectifying section was 6,295,818kJ/h, with a distillate rate of 84.5 kmol/h. The enthalpy of the feed and
the liquid entering into plate 1 from the condenser were 2,533.5 and 3,645.2 kJ/kmol respectively. Also,
the internal reflux was evaluated to be 0.478. Determine the heat duty of the condenser. Hence, or
otherwise, determine the enthalpy of the saturated vapour leaving plate 1.
Fig Q6: Equilibrium diagram for ethylene glycol-water-furfural

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DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY, ILE IFE

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