Packed bed absorber

 Gas absorption of CO2

 Column 4” and 30” tall, (smaller than competitors, maybe makes it more benchtop)
 The infrared sensor may add expense, potentially may require updating
 Computer required for data acquisition and flow control, Conductivity sensor with meter on
unit
 4 experiments, potentially get rid of the PID control experiment which could simplify the rig
 Overall this rig is okay for a benchtopish version of gas absorption, however I think a massive
redesign in terms of instrumentation maybe required. Perhaps we would make it so a
computer is only required for data acquisition.

Catalytic hydrolysis

 Catalytic reactor is essentially a packed bed reactor

 Similar to the reaction we are carrying out, so could fit in with the range
 For analysis of the reaction performance an addition titration is required
 Heating control by a controller (potentially some sort of boiler unit)
 This could supplement our reactors range nicely, but again will need some modernisation

Power consumption and mixing efficiency in agitation

 Mixing experiment, with multiple tanks, turbines and propellers

 Load cell measurement of torque
 Conductivity probe with meter
 A optical sensor and light measuring small suspended particles
 4 experiments that allow extensive investigation of mixing, computer required for data
acquisition
 Based on this experiment I think the professor was interested in mixing, the design and
experiments allow more analysis of mixing than competitor products. The instrumentation
may also allow research to be carried out. I think we could develop something to match
competitors level

Membrane air separation

 Membrane separation of air using off the shelf, separation of nitrogen and oxygen
 Simple, quick experiments with inline oxygen analyser
 No computer required all measurements shown on unit
 This experiment could fit in within separation/filtration lab. We could add VDAS for data
acquisition. Out of all this one looks the neatest and likely to have the least work needed to
be done to it

Copper liquid-liquid extraction

 Liquid/liquid extraction using a mixer settler technique

 Copper extracted, using a mixture of LIX and kerosene
 Solutions are fed into a mixer continuously, then allowed to settle in another tank
 The two phases are then analysed by a spectrophotometer
 Can perform a few experiments changing the variables
 Good introduction to liquid/liquid extraction and a bench top version. I think the analysis
method could be expensive.
Flash vaporizer dynamics and control

 Flash evaporation, heated liquid enters the evaporator and some instantly vaporises
 Think it’s more of a control lab
 Maybe something used to study evaporation principles/ precursor to distillation
 Don’t think it’s worth pursuing this experiment

Dye mixer dynamics and control

 An experiment related to PID control and it’s response, can manipulate P, I and D control
parameters to see the effects of each on the system
 The response of injected a dye (high concentration ) into a system and how it reacts so
models can be formed
 How the control can effect just one vessel and multiple vessels within a process
 Computer required for control
 I think we already have rigs that can demonstrate PID controls in a different way, not worth
pursuing

Packed bed

 Ammonia is used in this instance (toxic, combustible)

 3 experiments:
o Pressure drop across the column dependant on flowrates
o Response to impulse injection to see water holdup
o Determining the height of column, based on absorption of ammonia
o Using the experiment data for the design of a full scale column
 Column is approximately 0.9m
 Water outlet ½”
 Water enters top of the column and a flow distributor is used to keep the flow even
 Infrared ammonia analyser
 Syringe used to inject a potassium chloride, then concentration measured by conductivity
probe. This allows residence time to be calculated
 Pressure regulators fitted inline to negate any effects of pressure variations
 Initially develop a relationship between pressure drop and flowrate
 Microsoft Quickbasic or Labview can be used to acquire the conductivity data
 Infrared analyser takes 30 minutes to ‘warm up’
 5 minutes to reach steady state, then the flowrate can be changed

Liquid Liquid copper extraction

 Extraction of copper, from copper sulphate using LIX ( copper complexing agent) in kerosene
 Experiments run at different feed flow rates and stirrer speeds, also concentrations
 Samples analysed by spectrophotometer, samples taken manually
 The experiment in this case is to determine parameters which can then be used for scale up
 Kerosine flammable,toxic

Mixing

 Determining the torque and power consumptions of:

 o Different stirrer speeds
o Different vessel sizes
o Baffles and different impeller designs
o Of water and corn syrup
 Finding flow patterns in tanks using conductivity measurements
 There is a heated aluminium cylinder in the tank to find the effects of mixing on the heat
transfer coefficient
 Photo sensor on tank to measure effects of solids being mixed
 3 tanks of different sizes, only one has a conductivity probe. Each tank has 4 removable
baffles, drainline provided for largest tank
 3 shafts supplied, 2 fiberglass-epoxy/ 1 stainless steel
 Load cell to measure torque
 Photosensor mounted with a lamp illuminated the vessel, program measures the output
from the photosensor, to show how deadtime effects the vessel
 Temperature measurements on the heater for heat transfer coefficient determination
 Compare Power numbers to literature
 The conductivity measurements also are used to determine a flow model pattern inside the
vessel, and intensity of the agitator
 Program used for convergence of this model