UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

SECOND SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS MAY 2010

PROGRAMME BEng (Hons) Chemical and Environmental Engineering BEng (Hons) Chemical and Renewable Energy Engineering MODULE NAME DATE Chemical Process Design Wednesday 19 May 2010 TIME NO. OF QUESTIONS SET 9:30 12:30 hrs 6 MODULE CODE DURATION NO. OF QUESTIONS TO BE ATTEMPTED CHE 3202(5) 3 Hours 4

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES There are 2 Sections in this paper: Section A and Section B. Answer 2 questions from each Section. Section A consists of 3 questions. Question 1 is compulsory. Answer any other one question from Section A. Section B consists of 3 questions. Answer any 2 questions from Section B. Use Separate Answer Book for each Section.

CHEMICAL PROCESS DESIGN - CHE 3202(5)

SECTION A
Answer 2 questions from this Section. Question 1 is COMPULSORY. Answer any other question from this Section. Use separate answer books for each Section. Question 1 - [COMPULSORY] Recovery of Na2CO3 and its conversion to NaOH are the key elements of the Kraft process. In the simplified flowsheet shown in Figure 1.0, Na2CO3 is reacted with Ca(OH)2 in the calciner via the reaction Na2CO3 + Ca(OH)2 2NaOH + CaCO3 The CaCO3 is washed in a thickener and converted to CaO in a kiln via the reaction CaCO3 CaO + CO2 The resulting lime (CaO) is hydrated in the slaker to again obtain Ca(OH)2 as CaO + H2O Ca(OH)2 Use the compositions shown on the flowsheet and the additional specifications that

F 5 = 4F 3

and

1 FH = F10 20

And assume that all reactions have 100% conversion. All compositions are in weight percent. (a) (b) (c) Deduce with justification that the given reactions are independent. [4 marks] Show that the problem is completely specified. [18 marks]

Deduce a calculation order which may be used to determine all streams. Give your reasoning. [4 marks] Solve the overall balances to the problem and determine the number of kg CaCO3 required per kg Na2CO3 processed. [14 marks] Atomic masses: Na 23 Ca 40 C 12 O 16 H1 g/mol g/mol g/mol g/mol g/mol [continued next page]

(d)

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CHEMICAL PROCESS DESIGN - CHE 3202(5)

Question 1 (continued) Figure 1.0

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CHEMICAL PROCESS DESIGN - CHE 3202(5)

Question 2 Hydrodealkylation is a process in which side chains, consisting of alkyl groups, are removed from aromatics by reaction with hydrogen to form parent aromatic compounds. Toluene can be converted to benzene as follows: C6H5CH3 + H2 Xylene can be converted to toluene: C6H4(CH3)2 + H2 C6H5CH3 + CH4 Pseudocumene and other C9 hydrocarbons containing three CH3 groups can be converted to xylenes: C6H3(CH3)3 + H2 C6H4(CH3)2 + CH4 In a given application, a refinery reformate stream consisting of 5% benzene, 20% toluene, 35% xylene and 40% C9 hydrocarbons is reacted with hydrogen. If 5 mol H2 is used per 1 mol of feed, 80% conversion of toluene, 74% conversion of xylene and 70% conversion of C9 hydrocarbons are attained. The product stream is found to contain a small amount, 0.1% of biphenyl, indicating that the side reaction 2C6H6 C6H5C6H5 + H2 occurs to some extent. Calculate the complete composition of the reactor outlet stream. Atomic masses: C 12 g/mol H 1 g/mol [20 marks] C6H6 + CH4

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CHEMICAL PROCESS DESIGN - CHE 3202(5)

Question 3 In a new process, HD3A4B is reacted with AD to produce primary products A2B and A3D3 via the reaction HD3A4B + AD However, there are two side reactions, HD3A4B + 2 AD HAD2 + A2B + A3D3 HAD2 A2B + A3D3 + HD

HD + AD

which produce undesirable by-product HAD2 (Figure 2.0). It is desired to limit the HAD2 in the A3D3 product stream to 15% on a molar basis because it is difficult to separate HAD2 from A3D3. The stream leaving the reactor contains 20% A3D3 on a molar basis. Calculate the production rates of products A2B and A3D3 and the fresh HD3A4B feed rate if the feed rate of AD is 750 lbmol/h and the AD is completely reacted. [20 marks] Figure 2.0

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CHEMICAL PROCESS DESIGN - CHE 3202(5)

SECTION B
Answer 2 questions from this Section. Use separate answer books for each Section. Question 4 Evaporators are typically used to concentrate solutions by boiling off some of the solvent. To economize on the energy input required, evaporation is often carried out in stages, with each stage providing some of the evaporation duty. In the multistage evaporation shown in Figure 4.0 below, a 50% by weight sugar solution is concentrated to 65% by evaporating an equal amount of water in each of the four stages. With the total input of 50,000 lbm/hr, determine the concentration of the intermediate streams.

V4

V3

V2

V1

Product = 65% sugar Feed L0 = 50,000 lbm/hr 50% Sugar

Figure 4.0

[20 marks]

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CHEMICAL PROCESS DESIGN - CHE 3202(5)

Question 5 The feed to a unit consisting of the two columns contains 30% benzene (B), 55% toluene (T), and 15% xylene (X). The overhead stream from the first column is analyzed and contains 94.4% B, 4.54% T, and 1.06% X. The bottoms from the first column is fed to the second column. In this second column, it is planned that 92 % of the original T charged to the unit shall be recovered in the overhead stream and that T shall constitute 94.6% of the stream. It is further planned that 92.6% of the X charged to the unit shall be recovered in the bottoms from this column and that the X shall constitute 77.6% of that stream ( see Figure 5.0 below). If these conditions are met and all compostions stated in mass percent, calculate: (a) (b) The composition of each stream leaving the whole unit. Percentage recovery of benzene in the overhead stream from the first column.
2 94.4 % 4.54 % 1.06 % B T X 4 B 94.6 % T X

Column 1

Column 2

3 1 30% B 55% T 15% X

B T X 77.6%

[20 marks] Question 6 Determine the root of the equation f(x) = 3x e-x -1 = 0

using interval halving and the initial estimates xL = 1.0 Use eight trials. [20 marks] END OF QUESTION PAPER
sg/

xR = 2.0

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