10.

490 Fall 2017

ICE I Continuous Process Design

Assignment 1: Background Material
Due: Sept 08 2017

(1) 25 points
Purpose: Review sizing of chemical reactors
Statement: Gas-phase decomposition of phosphine to tetraphosphorus

4PH3 P4 + 6 H2

may be carried out in a plug flow reactor at 650C and 4.5 bar (absolute). Under these
conditions, the rate of reaction is

#$% = #$%

where k = 10 h-1.

Required: The residence time for 80% conversion of 2 kmol h-1 of pure phosphine.
Background: Make things easy; presume the temperature and pressure do not vary.

(2) 25 Points
Purpose: Recall how to read gauges and perform unit conversions
Statement: This is a compound pressure gauge.

A B
10.490 Fall 2017

If the gauge reading is at condition A, what is the absolute pressure in torr?

If the gauge reading is at condition B, what is the absolute pressure in bar?

Required: The numbers in the specified units, supported by clear calculations.

Background: The figure illustrates a Bourdon tube pressure gauge; it has a threaded
fitting for attachment to a pipe or vessel. The compound gauge is used when the
pressure might vary below and above atmospheric pressure.

(3) 50 points
Purpose: Calculate a material balance for a process flowsheet.
Statement: One route to methanol is the gas-phase reaction of hydrogen and carbon
dioxide:

CO2 + 3H2 CH3OH + H2O

The reactor section of the flowsheet is shown here:

7 6
Non-
condensables
5
Separator

Reactor
1 2 3
Product to
further
4 purification

Process data:
The mole fraction of inert gas in the fresh feed 1 is 0.0040.
The reactor is designed for 60% conversion of hydrogen with a feed stream 2
comprising mole fractions of 0.28 for CO2, 0.70 for H2, and 0.02 inert.
The production rate of MeOH is 155 kmol h-1.
The separator does a very good job of separating condensable and non-
condensable components.
10.490 Fall 2017

Required: Assumptions and calculations leading to a material balance (a table of all

component molar flow rates) for the process.

Background: The term material balance is used to refer to both a table of materials
for a process and the conservation-of-mass tool by which we obtain that table.