Problem 3.

1: Material balances on distillation column

A liquid mixture with 45% benzene (B) and 55 Toluene (T) by mass is fed to a distillation column. The overhead
product contains 97 mole % of B, and the bottom product contains 7% of Benzene fed to the column. The
volumetric flow rate of the feed stream is 1000 L/h with a density of 0.87 Kg/L. Determine the mass flow rate of
the overhead product stream and the mass flow rate and composition of the bottom product stream.

Solution
1. Prepare the flow chart for the column
Refer to Figure 3.1

Figure 3.2: Flow chart for colimn

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2. Convert mixed units in overhead product stream

Basis: 100 kmol in overhead 97 kmol of B 3 kmol of T (97 kmol B) (78.11 kg B/kmol B) = 7,576.7 kg B (3 kmol T)
(92.13 kg T/kmol T) = 276.4 kg T Kg of mixture = 7,576.7 +276.4 = 7853.1 kg

3. Perform degree-of-freedom analysis

4 unknowns (m1, m2, mB3,mT3)
- 2 material balances (B and T)
- 1 density relationship
- 1 benzene split (7% in bottom and 93% in overhead)
0 degrees of freedom

4. Write system equations

 Volumetric flow rate of feed

Density of feed = 0.87 kg/L
m1 = (1000 L/h) (0.87 kg/L) = 870 kg/h
  Benzene split fraction
mB3 = 0.07(0.45 m1)

 Benzene balance
0.45m1 = m2yB2 + mB3

 Toluene balance
0.55m1 = (1 – yB2) m2 + mT3

5. Solve set of equations

m1 = (1000 L/h)(0.87 kg/L) = 870 kg/h

mB3 = (0.07) (0.45) (870) kg/h = 27.4 kgB/h

m2 = (0.45m1- mB3)/yB2 = [(0.45) (870) – (27.4)]/0.97 = 375.4 kg/h

mT3 = 0.55m1 – (1 – yB2)m2 = (0.55) (870) – (1 – 0.97)375.4

= 467.2 kgT/h

6. Verify total mass balance

m1 = m2 + mB3 + mT3
870 = 375.4 + 27.4 + 467.2 = 870 kg/h

7. Calculate m3, yB3 and yT3

m3 = mB3 + mT3= 494.6 kg/h

yB3 = mB3/m3 = 27.4/494.6 = 0.055 kgB/kg

yT3 = 1 – yB3 = 1 – 0.055 = 0.945 kgT/kg

Problem 3.2: Process with recycling

The flow chart of a process to recover crystalline potassium chromate (K2CrO4) from an aqueous solution is
shown in Figure 3.2 below.
 Figure 3.2: Recycling process
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4000 kg/h of a solution that is 0.3 K2CrO4 by mass is mixed with a recycle stream containing 37 % K2CrO4. The
combined stream is fed into an evaporator. The concentrated stream leaving the evaporator contains 50%
K2CrO4. This stream is fed into a crystalliser and then filtered. The filter cake contains K2CrO4 crystals and a
solution with 37% K2CrO4 by mass (this is the recycle stream). The crystals represent 95% of the total mass of
the filter cake.

Questions
Calculate the following:

 Rate of evaporation.
 Rate of production of crystalline K2CrO4.
 Feed rates for evaporator and crystalliser.
 Recycle ratio (mass of recycle/mass of fresh feed).

Solution
1. Sketch the flow chart for the process
Basis: 4000 kg/h of fresh feed
K = K2CrO4
W = water
Flow chart here

2. Degree-of-freedom analysis
Overall system
3 unknown variables (m2, m4, m5)
- 2 balances (two species involved)
-1 additional relation (m4 = 95% of total filter cake mass)
0 degrees of freedom
  Recycle-fresh feed mixing point
3 unknown variables (m1, m6, x1)
- 2 balances
1 degree of freedom
We don’t have sufficient equations to solve this subsystem. The next subsystem is the
evaporator

 Evaporator
3 unknown variables (m1, m3, x1)
-2 balances
1 degree of freedom
Let’s move to the final subsystem

 Crystalliser/filter
2 unknown variables (m3, m6)
-2 balances
0 degrees of freedom
Therefore, m3 and m6 can be determined by solving balances on the crystalliser/filter. Then, the
mixing point or the evaporator can be analysed to determine the two remaining unknowns (m1
and x1).

3. Define the equation that relates m5 and m4

m4 = 0.95 (m4 + m5)
m5 = 0.05263m4 (1)

4. Overall K2CrO4 balance

(0.3) (4000)kg/h = m4 + 0.37m5 (2)
Equations (1) and (2) are solved simultaneously
1200 = m4 + 0.37(0.05263m4)

m4 = 1177 K2CrO4 kg of crystals/h (rate of productions of crystals)

m5 = 61.9 kg of entrained solution/h

5. Overall total mass balances

4000 kg/h = m2 + m4 =m5
m2 = 4000 – 1177 – 61.9
m2 = 2761.1 kg of water evaporated/h (rate of evaporation)

6. Mass balance around the crystalliser

m3 = m4 + m5 + m6
m3 = 1177 + 61.9 + m6
m3 = 1238.9 + m6 (3)

7. Water balance around the crystalliser

0.5m3 = 0.63m5 +0.63m6
m5 = 61.9 kg/h
m3 = 78 + 1.26m6 (4)
Solving Eqs. (3) and (4) simultaneously we have:
78 + 1.26m6 = 1238.9 + m6
0.26m6 = 1160.9
m6 = 4465 kg/h
m3 = 78 + (1.26) (4465)
m3 = 5704 kg/h (feed rate to crystalliser)

m6 (kg recycle/h)/4000 (kg fresh feed/h) = 4465/4000

= 1.11 (recycle ratio)

8. Mass balance around mixing point

 4000 kg/h + m6 = m1
m6 = 4465 kg/h
m1 = 4000 + 4465
m1 = 8465 kg/h (feed to evaporator)

9. Check mass balance on the evaporator

m1 = m2 + m3
8465 entering the evaporator = 2761 + 5704 = 8465 leaving the evaporator

Problem 3.3: Heat transfer

A liquid stream with 40 wt% ethane and 60 wt% n-butane is heated from 150 K to 200 K at a pressure of 5 bar
(Figure 3.3) . Calculate the heat input per kilogram of mixture using enthalpy data for C2H6 and C4H10. Assume
the mixture component enthalpies are those of the pure species at the same temperature

Figure 3.3: Heating system

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Solution
Use Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook for enthalpy data
Basis: 1 kg/s mixture
General equation: Q = ΔH
Problem 3.4: Steam to a heat exchanger
Saturated steam at 1 atm is discharged from a turbine at 1200 kg/h. Superheated steam at 300 C and 1 atm is
needed as a feed to a heat exchanger. To produce it, the turbine discharge stream is mixed with superheated
steam at 400 C and 1 atm (see Figure 3.4). The mixing unit is considered adiabatic. Calculate the amount of
superheated steam at 300 C produced and the volumetric flow rate of the 400 C steam.

Figure 3.4: Steam mixing

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Solution
1. Mass balance of water
1200 + m1 = m2

(1)

2. Energy balance
 (1200 kg/h)(2676 kJ/kg) + m1(3278 kJ/kg)
= m2(3074 kJ/kg)

(2)

Eqs. (1) and (2) are solved simultaneously

3211200 + 3278m1 = (1200 + m1)3074
m1 = 2341.2 kg/h
m2 = 1200 + 2341.2 = 3541.2 kg/h
(superheated steam produced)

3. Volumetric flow rate of 400 C steam

From tables, the specific volume of steam at 400 C and 1 atm is 3.11 m3/kg. The volumetric flow rate is
calculated as follows:
(2341.2 kg/h)(3.11 m3/kg)
= 7281.1 m3/h

Problem 3.5: Heat transfer in evaporator

Figure 3.5: Heat transfer in evaporator

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Refer to Figure 3.5. A 5 wt% H2SO4 solution at 60 F is to be concentrated to 40 wt% by evaporation of water.
The concentrated solution and water vapour leave the evaporator at 180 F and 1 atm. Calculate the rate of heat
transfer to the evaporator to process 600 lbm/h of the feed solution.

Solution
1. Sulphuric acid balance
(0.05)(600) = 0.4 m2
m2 = 75 lbm/h
2. Total mass balance
600 = m1 +m2
m1 = 600 – 75 = 525 lbm/h

3. Reference states for energy balance

Calculate from Figure 8.5-1, Felder and Roosseau, pg. 399
HF = 10 BTU/lbm (5% H2SO4 at 60F)
HL = -17 BTU/lbm (40% H2SO4 at 180 F)
The enthalpy of water vapour at 180 F is obtained from Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook as:
HV = 1138 BTU/lbm

4. Energy balance
Q = ΔH = m1 HV + m2 HL - 600 HF
Q = [(525)(1138)+(75)(-17) – (600)(10)]BTU/h
Q = 590, 175 BTU/h (rate of heat transfer)