CE 408: Chemical Engineering Elroy Design

Joyous Exam #1
Tuesday Easyday 28 February

Please read over the entire exam first thing so that you can make a rational decision about how to
budget your time. Please think calmly and logically, so that your answers reflect your true
knowledge untinged by panic-induced irrationality.

Important notice. This exam is designated a real life exam, which means that the standard for
quality of work is higher than in past courses you have taken. Some partial credit will be given
for incorrect answers, but more sparingly than usual, because in real life it is important to take
extra time to work carefully, and to generate an answer that you are sure is correct. It is in your
interest to read carefully, to work slowly and methodically (even if in doing so you give up a
problem or part of a problem), and to make sure that what you do decide to do is correct.

Important notice. A significant point penalty will be deducted for messy, poorly organized or
otherwise unclear solutions.

1. (65 points) This problem concerns a distillation column owned by Elroy. It is fitted with a
total condenser and a partial reboiler (which is the reboiler we always use—no tricks here.) The
rectifying and stripping sections have Nr = 5 and Ns = 2 trays, respectively. (Following standard
convention the feed tray is included in the stripping section.) Stated alternately, the column has
7 trays, and the feed enters on tray 6 counting down from the top. All trays in the column have
Murphree efficiencies equal to 50%.

The distillation column is the property of Elroy. He bought with his own money, it belongs to
him, and no other person is allowed to use it, or even think about it, under any circumstances.
You may think about Elroy’s column only during this exam by special permission from Elroy.
You are forbidden from thinking about it for even one second as soon as the exam ends.

Consider the following scenario. The feed to the column is a mixture comprising 55 mass
percent ethanol and 45 mass percent water, and it enters as saturated liquid at a flow rate of 1000
kg/h. The column is operated with a reflux ratio R = L / D = 1.80, and a boilup (or reboil) ratio
= 2.18.

Given these specifications, what is the flow rate (in kg/h) and ethanol mass fraction of the
distillate stream emerging from the top of the column?

A reasonably accurate answer obtained by the correct procedure will earn full credit for this
problem; it does NOT need to be incredibly accurate. The xy phase diagram is supplied; X1 and
Y1 respectively denote the liquid- and vapor-phase mole fractions of ethanol. In other words, X1
= x and Y1 = y in the notation we usually use. Take as many copies of the diagram as you need.
An extra sheet of notes you may or may not need is also supplied, courtesy of Elroy.
2. (35 points) Elroy is trying out a new alien strain of yeast that produces ethanol and releases
CO2 as it grows, consuming glucose and water in the process. Glucose consumption, yeast
growth and ethanol generation are related by the equations

Here the symbol denotes mass, and the subscript 0 denotes initial values. One mole of CO2 is
formed per mole of ethanol formed. You may assume that there is a negligible amount of CO2
dissolved in the fermentation broth, so that all CO2 formed leaves as gas. The density of the
fermentation broth (comprising water, glucose, yeast and ethanol) may be approximated using
the equation

where denotes the mass fraction of glucose.

Suppose that the final fermentation broth has a volume of exactly 1 L (one liter), that it has an
ethanol mass fraction = 0.09, and that it contains 20 g of unreacted sugar. Elroy wants
to know, exactly what must have been the volume of the initial liquid loaded into the
fermenter (comprising water, glucose and yeast)?

Make sure that known laws of nature are observed in coming up with your answer (such as
“mass cannot be created or destroyed” and “what Elroy wants Elroy gets”). Because neither the
initial nor the final amount of yeast is disclosed, it is not possible to fully resolve what happened
in the fermentation. You do NOT need to do so to answer the question asked. Do NOT do more
work than necessary to answer the question asked. Also note that you are NOT being asked
anything about fermentation kinetics, or how long the fermentation process took.
Performance model/calculation

This is a prediction of what will emerge

from a completely specified distillation
column. It is what is usually done by a
process simulator.

Examples:
Choose R, D/F, Nr and Ns
Choose R, , Nr and Ns
Equivalent because D/F and are directly related:

Guess xD; calculate xB; construct Mc-Cabe-Thiele diagram; step from top to
bottom of column; check whether last step ends at xB; repeat

Let’s do this! Distillation #2, problem 1:

http://wwwcourses.sens.buffalo.edu/ce531/ce408/ce408_notes_distillation_2/ce408_notes_distillation_2_problems.pdf
Important test-taking rools. During the exam you may NOT ride an ostrich. During the exam
you may NOT spoon cheese dip onto the trunk lid of your car. During the exam you may NOT
sing a heavy metal rendition of Puccini’s “O Mio Babbino Caro" aria accompanied by a left-
handed sewer flute. During the exam you may NOT inject pterodactyl gravy into the binding of
your Design book. During the exam you may NOT take out a loan to refinance your TLX-7000
interplanetary star cruiser with built-in vegetable slicer. During the exam you may NOT pour
concentrated sodium hypochlorite onto a piece of headgear (baseball cap, motorcycle helmet,
etc.) made of bologna, pastrami or any other varieties of sliced luncheon meats.