CE 408: Chemical Engineering Elroy Design

Joyous Exam #3
Tuesday 28 April

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.

[Secret (and very

deep and important)
Elroy-maticTM
thoughts]

Yup, Elroy is
front and center;
that’s just the way it is!
1. (50 points) Consider heat integration for the process streams defined in the following table.

Stream Type Heat capacity Source (inlet) Target (outlet)

number flow rate temperature temperature
CP in kW/°C in °C in °C
1 hot 40 210 100
2 cold 25 50 200
3 cold 30 140 180

The minimum approach temperature (i.e., temperature difference between hot and cold streams)
is 20 °C. Kindly answer the following questions.
(a) What is the pinch temperature (°C), and what are the theoretical minimum hot and cold utility
requirements (kW) needed to produce the indicated temperature changes?
(b) Design a heat exchanger network that achieves the required temperature changes for all
streams using not more than the theoretical minimum hot and cold utility requirements. You
must observe the following arbitrary Elroy-maticTM rule: if you decide to split a stream (may
or may not be necessary), then you must split it into two branches having equal heat capacity
flow rates.*
■ Heat exchanges as well as hot and cold utilities must be clearly marked on your network
diagram and also stated unambiguously in words to receive full credit.
■ If a given stream is involved in two or more heat exchanges, then the stream temperature
between heat exchanges must also be marked to receive full credit.
■ Your network must be presented in such a way that its correctness can readily be assessed.
There will be a significant point penalty for unclear, confusing or messy heat exchanger
networks. Unintelligible networks will receive zero credit.
(c) How much money ($/h) would you save in utility costs by implementing the heat exchanger
network for heat integration? Base your calculation on the following utilities.
■ Steam, 300 psig, saturated vapor on entry, saturated liquid on exit, $15 / 1000 kg.
■ Cooling water, 60 psig, 30 °C supply, 40 °C return, $0.20 / 1000 gal. (Gallon (gal.) means
US liquid gallon, i.e., 3785.411784 cm3.)
Note that you are NOT being asked anything about capital investment.

*This arbitrary rule was established by royal decree handed down by Elroy acting as Earl of the
Niagara Frontier. FYI, another decree is that everyone must wear a blue shirt on Wednesdays
in honor of Elroy’s Blue Jumpsuit. How very interesting!
 2. (50 points) Consider the happy scenario shown below. A centrifugal pump pushes light steep
water (LSW) from a hold tank to an evaporator through a line of schedule 40 commercial steel
pipe with a nominal diameter of 2 in. The pump is model 1½BC 1150 R.P.M., for which
characteristics are supplied below; it is fitted with a 9 in. impeller. The pressure p1 above the
liquid in the hold tank is atmospheric. The pressure p2 in the evaporator is undisclosed. The
flow rate of LSW is observed to be exactly 20,000 kg/h.
(a) What must be the electrical power consumption by the pump in kW?
(b) What must be the pressure p2 in the evaporator in mm Hg?
LSW has density  = 1100 kg/m3 and viscosity  = 1.30 cP = 0.0130 g/(cm s). The Darcy
friction factor is well approximated by the equation

Plug disk globe valve

in half-open position

p2
Elroy-maticTM
hold tank
Elroy-
p1 maticTM
5.0 m 4.7 m evaporator

3.0 m
1.0 m

4.0 m 2.0 m 6.0 m

Elroy-maticTM pump 1.0 m