SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

EXAMINATIONS: NOVEMBER 2015

COURSE AND CODE: MASS TRANSFER

ENCH3MT

DURATION: 3 HOURS
TOTAL MARKS: 100

INTERNAL EXAMINER(S):

DR K OSMAN
DR C NARASIGADU

INTERNAL MODERATOR(S):

EXTERNAL MODERATOR:

INSTRUCTIONS:
1.

ALL questions should be attempted.

2.

Two Answer Books are provided. Label them Books 1 and 2

respectively. Answer Section A in Book 1 and Section B in Book 2.

Any programmable or non-programmable calculator may be used

provided it has been cleared of any information that would subvert the
purpose of the examination.

4.

Calculations must be shown in sufficient detail to illustrate your

understanding of the procedure.

5.

ENSURE THAT PAGE (5) IS DETACHED AND HANDED IN

WITH BOOK 2

6.

This examination question paper, together with all associated diagrams,

MUST BE HANDED IN TOGETHER WITH YOUR SCRIPT.

UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL, MAIN EXAMINATIONS:

NOVEMBER 2015
COURSE AND CODE: MASS TRANSFER
PAGE: 1 of 10

ENCH3MT

SECTION A [ANSWER IN BOOK 1]

QUESTION 1
Thymol, a main constituent if thyme, is an important ingredient in mens fragrances,
disinfectants and oral hygiene applications. It can be produced industrially in an alkylation
process using m-cresol. The product from the alkylation process contains 75 mol% thymol and
25 mol% unreacted m-cresol. M-Cresol is the more volatile product
The mixture is to be distilled using a packed column to recover m-cresol at 95% purity in the
distillate (by mole). The bottoms may contain 5% m-cresol (by mole). The distillation column
is fitted with a total condenser and a partial reboiler. A reflux ratio of 1 and a boilup ratio of
1.7 are proposed. To simplify the problem, the relative volatility of m-cresol to thymol may be
taken to be 6.
Find Algebraically:
a)

The equation of the rectifying section operating line, the feed stage operating line, and
the stripping section operating line.
(6)

b)

The number of theoretical equilibrium stages (NT) and optimum feed stage location.
(9)

c)

The packed height using the HETP method and the information below:

Rectifying section
Strippint section

HG/ft
HL/ft
1.12
0.5
0.85
0.53

(15)
Data and supporting material is provided on pages 6 10.
TOTAL

/30/

UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL, MAIN EXAMINATIONS:

NOVEMBER 2015
COURSE AND CODE: MASS TRANSFER
PAGE: 2 of 10

ENCH3MT

QUESTION 2
A gaseous reactor effluent consisting of 2 mol% ethylene oxide in an inert gas is scrubbed with
water at 30oC atm. The total gas feed rate is 1500 lbmol/hr and the water rate entering the
scrubber is 2300 lbmol/hr. The column has a diameter of 2.4 ft and is to contain 1.5 inch metal
Pall rings. Under the operating conditions for the scrubber, the K value of ethylene oxide is
0.77 and the estimated values of kya and kxa are 225 lbmol/hr.ft3-y and 180 lbmol/hr.ft3.x
respectively.
Calculate:
a) Kya

(2)

b) HOG

(3)

c) NOG

(5)

d) lT

(2)

TOTAL

/12/

QUESTION 3
a) Explain the term channelling in packed columns and how to avoid it from occurring
(4)
b) Explain packed column operation in the Pre-loading range and why it is advisable to
operate in this range.
(4)

TOTAL

/8/

UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL, MAIN EXAMINATIONS:

NOVEMBER 2015
COURSE AND CODE: MASS TRANSFER
PAGE: 3 of 10

ENCH3MT

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL AND DATA SHEET

McCabe-Thiele Analysis of Binary Distillation:

Equilibrium line:

Reflux Ratio: R

x
1 ( 1) x

L
;
D

Operating Lines:

y
( 1) y

Boil-up Ratio: VB

xD
R
top: y
x
R 1
R 1

V
B

V 1
x
x B
bottom: y B
VB
VB

q-line:

H F,sat.vap. H F,feed T
;
H F,sat.vap. H F,sat.liq

for partially vapourised feed (0<q<1): q

q
x
x F
y
q 1
q 1

L L qF

LF
F

V V (q 1)F

Fenske equation for distillation:

xD

1 xD

xB

1 xB

Minimum Reflux:

Rmin

xD yq

yq xq
where xq and yq refer to the intersection of the q-line with the equilibrium line

Murphree Stage Efficiency:

E MV

y n y n 1
y n* y n 1

Mass Transfer Equations for Packed Distillation Columns:

where m = dy/dx = slope of equilibrium curve
HOG = HG + HL

HETP H OG

ln
1

UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL, MAIN EXAMINATIONS:

NOVEMBER 2015
COURSE AND CODE: MASS TRANSFER
PAGE: 4 of 10

ENCH3MT

Stage-wise and Packed Bed Absorbers

Kremser equation (for stage absorbers with dilute systems, linear equilibrium):
A

Absorption Factor:

L
K V

Fraction of solute i absorbed =

Stripping Factor:

KV
L

AiN 1 Ai
S iN 1 S i
;
Fraction
of
solute
i
stripped
=
AiN 1 1
S iN 1 1

Mass transfer coefficients:

1
1
K

K ya k ya kxa
1
1
1

K x a k x a Kk y a
Packed Absorbers:
Height of packing for non-dilute systems following non-linear equilibrium:

yin

V'
dy
lT
H OG N OG
'

S yout K y a( y y*)(1 y ) 2

Dilute systems with linear equilibrium

lT

V
K y aS

yin

dy
( y y*)
yout

N OG

A 1 yin Kx in
ln

yout Kx in

( A 1) / A

1

A