1.

Below is is a schematic of a process for the production of biomass (denoted as Bio) that is to be
used in the production of drugs.

The fresh feed F to the process is 10,000 lb/hr of a 40 wt % aqueous biomass in suspension. The
fresh feed is combined with the recycled filtrate from the filter and fed to the evaporator, where
water is removed to produce a 50 wt % Bio solution, which is fed to the filter. The filter
produces a filter cake that is composed of 95 wt % dry biomass wet by a 5 wt % solution that in
the lab proves to be composed of 55 wt % water with the rest dry biomass. The filtrate contains
45 wt % biomass.
a. Determine the flow rate of water removed by the evaporator and the recycle rate for
this process.

Basis: 10,000 lb/hr of F

Bio Balance @ whole system

0.4(10,000) = 0.95 P + 0.45(0.05P)

P = 4113 lb/hr

OMB @ whole system

10,000 = W + 4113

W = 5887 lb/hr

OMB @ pt A and Evaporator

 10,000 + R = 5887 + G

Bio Balance @ pt A and Evaporator

0.4(10,000) + 0.45 R = 0.5 G

R = 38870 lb/hr

2. Fresh orange juice contains 12.0 wt % solids and the balance water, and a concentrated orange juice
contains 42.0 wt % solids. Initially a single evaporation process was used for the concentration, but
volatile constituents of the juice escaped with the water, leaving the concentrate with a flat taste. The
present process overcomes this problem by bypassing the evaporator with a fraction of the fresh juice; the
juice that enters the evaporator is concentrated to 58.0 wt % solids, and the product is mixed with the
bypassed fresh juice to achieve the desired final concentration of solids. Calculate the amount of
concentrated juice produced per 100-kg fresh juice fed to the process, and the fraction of the feed that
bypassed the evaporator.

F
Fresh Orange Juice C P, concentrated
Evaporator Orange juice

12 % wt solid 58 % solid 42 % solid

B, Bypass

Required: P/ 100 kg fresh orange juice

B/F

Basis: 100 kg of F

Solid balance @ whole system

0.12 (100) = 0.42(P)

P = 28.57 kg

OMB @ pt of mixing

B + C = 28.57

Solid balance @ pt of mixing

0.12(B) + 0.58(C) = 0.42(28.57)

B = 9.94 kg

駠 䇐
B/F = = 0.1
ऀऀ
3. Coffee beans contain components that are soluble in water and others that are not. Instant coffee
is produced by dissolving the soluble portion in boiling water (i.e. by making coffee) in large
percolator, then feeding the coffee to a spray dryer in which the water is evaporated leaving the
soluble coffee as a dry powder. The insoluble portion of the coffee beans (the spent grounds)
passes through several drying operations, and the dried grounds are either burned or used as
landfill. The solution removed from the grounds in the first stage of drying operation is fed to
the spray dryer to join the effluent from the percolator. The flowchart of the process is shown
bellow. The symbols S and I denote the soluble and insoluble components of the coffee beans,
W are water, and C is the solution containing 35 % S and 65 % W by mass. Calculate the flow
rates of each stream 1 to 8.

Roasted ground
1 Coffee beans
I and S

W C
Percolator

2
C
Cyclone Separator

3 20 % I
80 % C

C 4
Press
6
5 Spray Dryer
50% I
50 % C
7
W 500 kg S/h
Press (Instant Coffee)
8
1400 kg/h
70 % I
Balance S and W

Basis: 1 hr operation

I balance @ second press

0.5 M7 = 0.7(1400)

M7 = 1960

OMB @ second press

M8 = 1960 - 1400 = 560

I balance @ first press

0.2 M3 = 0.5(1960)

M3 = 4900

OMB @ second press

M5 = 4900 - 1960 = 2040

S balance @ Spray dryer

0.35 M4 = 500

M4 = 1429

OMB @ Spray Dryer

M6 = 1429 – 500 = 929

Water Balance @ Percolator/ Cyclone Separator

M2 = 0.65 [ 0.8(4900) ] + 0.65 (1429)

M2 = 3477

OMB @ Percolator/ Cyclone Separator

M1 = 4900 + 1429 - 3477

M1 = 2852