Separation Processes and Process Calculations 2 (U01503)

General Information
Separation Processes and Process Calculations 2 constitutes one 6th of the normal load for the second year of a
student studying for the BEng or MEng Chemical Engineering degrees. This course runs throughout the year.
The aim of the course is to provide an introduction to Separation Processes and Process Calculations. The
course consists of 2 lecture modules accompanied by tutorials and workshops and laboratory sessions. The
two lecture modules are Separation Processes and Process calculations. Separation Processes meets in the first
semester and Process calculations in the second semester. There are three scheduled lecture hours per week
throughout the two semesters for the lectures and their accompanying tutorials and workshops. The
continuously assessed work associated with the course consists of a Separations Processes Lab and Process
calculations both of which meet in the second semester. There are three Separations processes laboratory
sessions at times to be arranged and the process calculations workshop takes place once a week.
Coursework Assessment
The coursework assessment for the Separation Processes Lab and the Process Calculations workshop consists
of a coursemark based on reports submitted following the laboratory sessions and the process calculations
coursework comprises 40% of your grade:
Separations processes lab
Process calculations
Total

20
20
40

Degree examination assessment

There will be one two hour paper in May which comprises 60% of your grade:
Paper (2 hours)
Section A: Separation Processes, 2 questions 20 marks each
Section B: Process Calculations, 1 question 20 marks
Answer all questions

Overall Assessment

Paper
Coursework
Total

Marks Assigned
60
40
100

Email: J.Ponton@ed.ac.uk
J.Skilling@ed.ac.uk

SEPARATION PROCESSES& PROCESS

C A L C U L A T I O N S 2:
SEPARATION PROCESSES COMPONENT
SEMESTER 1

LECTURER
J.M.Skilling

NO. OF LECTURES
18

AIMS
The aims of this course are:

To introduce students to the three unit operations Absorption/Stripping, Distillation and Solvent
Extraction.

To introduce the concepts of phase equilibrium and the theoretical contacting stage.

To cover graphical methods of design for absorbers and strippers for systems involving one solute, a
gaseous diluent and a nonvolatile solvent, binary distillation and solvent extraction involving a solute, a
diluent and a solvent.

To familiarise students with the concepts of minimum number of stages, minimum solvent or stripping
agent rate and minimum reflux ratio.

SYNOPSIS

Descriptions of separation processes, stages, cascades, co- and countercurrent flow.

Phase equilibrium: gas-liquid, liquid-vapour etc. vapour pressures and relative volatility.

Material balance calculations on separation cascades. Mole fraction and mole ratio coordinates, graphical
representation, the operating line.

Effect of L/V ratio in absorption. Minimum L/V ratio. Stripping and minimum V/L.

Distillation: rectifying and stripping sections, material balances. Constant molal overflow.

Balances over top plate/condenser and bottom plate/reboiler.

Feed plate location and the q-line. McCabe-Thiele construction.

Minimum reflux ratio and minimum number of stages. Fenske equation.

Partial condensers, multiple feed/product streams.

Stage efficiencies and design of plate columns. Selection of reflux ratio.

Use of triangular diagrams for ternary systems. Phase boundaries and tie-lines. Solvent extraction.

Overall mass balance and sum point.

Stage-to-stage mass balance and difference point. Stagewise graphical solution. Minimum solvent:feed
ratio.

Solvent extraction equipment.

Email: J.Skilling@ed.ac.uk

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students should be able to:

Perform graphical design calculations for binary distillation

Design an absorber for a soluble gaseous component from an insoluble diluent into a nonvolatile solvent

Design a stripper removing a soluble component from a nonvolatile solvent by contact with an insoluble
gas stream

Design a solvent extraction cascade for type II systems.

Be able to select feasible solvent/stripping agent rates and reflux ratios

Understand the principles by which economic reflux ratios, etc., are selected.

RECOMMENDED TEXT BOOKS

1. Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering
McCabe and Smith (McGraw-Hill International Student Edition)

Recommended

2. "Principles of Unit Operations Foust ,

Wenzel,Clump, Maus and Andersen

(out of print but in the library)

3. Coulson & Richardsons Chemical Engineering Vol. 2 Particle Technology and Separation Processes,
Richardson & Harker with Backhurst.
Recommended

Email: J.Skilling@ed.ac.uk

SEPARATION PROCESSES & PROCESS

CALCULATIONS2: SEPARATION PROCESS
LABORATORY COMPONENT
SEMESTER 2

LECTURER
D.H. Glass

NO. OF LECTURES
(9)

AIMS
The aims of this course are:

Familiarise students with laboratory distillation and solvent extraction equipment

Support the Separation Processes lecture course by practical experience

Continue familiarisation with Engineering report-writing.

SYNOPSIS
The laboratory takes place on three consecutive afternoons. Students perform three experiments on either
solvent extraction or distillation. These are chosen from the following:

Vapour-liquid equilibrium by Othmer-type still

Distillation tray hydrodynamics

Distillation at total reflux: effect of boil-up rate on plate efficiency

Binodal curve and triangular equilibrium diagram

Dropwise solvent extrraction

3-stage stirred tank solvent extraction cascade.

Students write up two of their three experiments as an extended report. It is marked and returned with full
feedback, contributing to the coursework mark for CEP2.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students should be able to:
1. Operate separation equipment and the associated analytical equipment
2. Present their results in terms of operating and equilibrium lines, theoretical stages and mass transfer
coefficients.
3. Write up the work in an extended report and discuss the results in the light of Separation Processes theory
learned in the lecture course.

RECOMMENDED TEXT BOOKS

1. Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering (Latest edition)
McCabe and Smith (McGraw-Hill International Student Edition)
importance of purchase Essential

Email: Don.Glass@ed.ac.uk
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SEPARATION PROCESSES & PROCESS CALCULATIONS 2:

PROCESS CALCULATIONS COMPONENT
SEMESTER 2

LECTURER

NO. OF LECTURES

Professor J Ponton

27 Lectures
9 Tutorials

AIMS
The aims of this course are:
1. To introduce students to the major types of calculation which need to be performed in the design or
analysis of chemical processing operations.
2. To provide practice in carrying out these calculations by hand or using the computer, in each case to an
appropriate degree of accuracy.
3. To develop an understanding of the place of both hand and computer based calculations.
4. To indroduce students to the use of data sources for physical and chemical properties and to estimation of
such data.
5. To develop skills in group and collaborative working, especially in the communication of technical
information
It is not intended that this course should introduce any new concepts in the theory of chemical engineering, but
it should augment he students'understanding of those introduced in other parts of the course. It provides the
opportunity to apply these ideas in a ider context. It may thus be seen as an introduction to the design courses
in 3rd and 4th year.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the course, students will be able to:

Find or estimate key physical properties of typical chemicals.

Perform phase equilibrium calculations graphically, numerically by hand or using a computer package,
and to cross check different calculation methods and data.

Carry out design calculations for processes involving separation operations using hand or computer
methods.

Carry out material and energy balance calculations for reaction and separation processes by hand or using
a computer package as appropriate.

Analyse the behaviour of recycle processes, performing approximate material balances by hand, and
setting up calculations for rigorous solution by computer.

Carry out hand calculations to check computer package calculations.

Email: J.Ponton@ed.ac.uk
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