CHEMICAL PROCESS CALCULATIONS

CH21103
 A stream of humid air enters a condenser in which 95% of the water vapor in the air i
The flow rate of the condensate (the liquid leaving the condenser) is measured and
225 L/h. Dry air may be taken to contain 21 mole% oxygen, with the balance nitroge
nt
a the flow rate of the gas stream leaving the condenser and the mole fractions of oxyg
er and water in this stream.

Basis: 225 L/h Condensate

•
n1(mol dry air/h) •
n4(mol O2/h)
0.21 mol O2/mol •
n5(mol N2/h)
0.79 mol N2/mol •
n6(mol H2O (v)/h)
•
n2(mol H2O/h)

225 liters H2O (l)/h

.
We first do the degree-of-freedom analysis. There are six unknowns on the chart— n
We are allowed up to three material balances—one for each species. We must therefo
additional relations to solve for all unknowns. One is the relationship between the vo
.
molar flow rates of the condensate: we can determine n3 from the given volumetric flow
known specific gravity and molecular weight of liquid water. A second is the given fact
Material Balances on a Distillation Column
A liquid mixture containing 45.0% benzene (B) and 55.0% toluene (T) by mass is fed to a distillation
column. A product stream leaving the top of the column (the overhead product) contains 95.0 mole%
B, and a bottom product stream contains 8.0% of the benzene fed to the column (meaning that 92%
of the benzene leaves with the overhead product). The volumetric flow rate of the feed stream is
2000 L/h and the specific gravity of the feed mixture is 0.872. Determine the mass flow rate of the
overhead product stream and the mass flow rate and composition (mass fractions) of the bottom
product stream.

We will explicitly illustrate the implementation of the steps of the procedure just outlined.
1. Choose a basis
1. Choose a basis. Having no reason to do otherwise, we choose the given feed stream flow rate
(20002.L/h)
Draw and
as the label
basis of the flowchart
calculation.
2. Draw and label the flowchart.
3. Write expressions for the quantities requested in the problem statement
4. Convert mixed units in overhead product
Overhead stream
Product
•
m2(kg/h)
5. Perform degree-of-freedom analysis
Feed 0.95 mol B/mol y B2(kg B/kg)
2000 L/h 0.05 mol T/mol (1 – y B2)(kg T/kg)
6. Write system
m1(kg/h) equations
•
and outline a solution procedure
0.45 kg B/kg
7. Calculate the unknowns
0.55 kg T/kg
8. Calculate additional quantities Bottom
requested
Productin the problem statement
•
mB3(kg B/h) (8% of B in feed)
•
mT3(kg T/h)
 product stream will have to be converted to mass fractions. The mass fractions are accord-
erhead product
ingly labeled stream and the mass flow rate and composition (mass fractions) of the bottom
as unknowns.
oduct
! Westream.
could have labeled the mass flow rate and mass fractions of the bottom stream as we did
the overhead. However, since we have no information about either the flow rate or compo-
e will explicitly illustrate
sition of this stream,the we implementation of the
have instead labeled thesteps of the procedure
component just outlined.
flow rates (following the rule
of thumb
1. Choose givenHaving
a basis. in Step 2noofreason
the general
to doprocedure).
otherwise, we choose the given feed stream flow rat
! Every component mass flow rate in every process stream can be expressed in terms of labeled
(2000 L/h) as the basis of calculation.
quantities and variables. (Verify this statement.) For example, the flow rates of toluene (kg
2. Draw and label the flowchart. . .
T/h) in the feed, overhead, and bottom streams are, respectively, 0.55m1 , m2 (1 ! yB2 ), and
.
mT3 . The flowchart is therefore labeled completely.
Overhead Product
! The 8%–92% benzene split between the product • streams is not a stream flow rate or composi-
m2(kg/h)
tion variable; nevertheless, we write it on the chart to remind ourselves that it is an additional
Feed 0.95 mol B/mol y B2(kg B/kg)
relation among the stream variables and so should be included in the degree-of-freedom
(1 – y B2)(kg T/kg)
2000 L/h 0.05 mol T/mol
analysis. •
m1(kg/h)
3. Write expressions for the quantities requested in the problem statement. In terms of the quan-
.
tities labeled on0.45 thekg B/kg
flowchart, the quantities to be determined are m2 (the overhead product
. kg T/kg
0.55 . . . .
mass flow rate), m3 " mB3 # mT3 (the bottom product mass flow rate), xB " mB3 ! m3 (the ben-
Bottom Product
zene mass fraction in the bottom product), and •xT " 1 ! xB (the toluene mass fraction). Once
. . . B3(kg B/h) (8% of B in feed)
we determine m2 , mB3 , and mT3 , the problem is messentially
• solved.
m (kg T/h)
4. Convert mixed units in overhead product streamT3 (see procedure preceding Example 3.3-3).
Basis: 100 kmol overhead 95.0 kmol B, 5.00 kmol T
(95.0 kmol B) " (78.11 kg B/kmol B) " 7420 kg B, (5.00 " 92.13) " 461 kg T
(7420 kg B) # (461 kg T) " 7881 kg mixture
yB2 " (7420 kg B)! (7881 kg mixture) " 0.942 kg B/kg (write on chart)
The molecular weights of benzene (78.11) and toluene (92.13) were looked up in Table B.1.
5. Perform degree-of-freedom analysis.
. . . .
4 unknowns (m1 , m2 , mB3 , mT3 )
!2 material balances (since there are two molecular species in this
nonreactive process)
!1 density relationship (relating the mass flow rate to the given
volumetric flow rate of the feed)
!1 specified benzene split (8% in bottom–92% in overhead)
0 degrees of freedom
The problem is therefore solvable.
6. Write system equations and outline a solution procedure. The variables for which each equa-
tion will be solved are circled.
! Volumetric flow rate conversion. From the given specific gravity, the density of the feed

stream is 0.872 kg/L. (Verify.) Therefore,

" #" #
. L kg
m1 " 2000 0.872
h L
! Benzene split fraction. The benzene in the bottom product stream is 8% of the benzene in
the feed stream. This statement translates directly into the equation
. .
mB3 " 0.08(0.45m1 )
. .
There are two unknowns remaining on the flowchart (m2 and mT3 ), and we are allowed to
write two balances. Balances on total mass and on toluene each involve both unknowns, but a
. .
benzene balance only involves m2 (convince yourself, remembering that mB3 is now known),
so we begin with that one.
 Calculate additional quantities requested in the problem statement.
. . .
m3 " mB3 # mT3 " 62.8 kg/h # 915 kg/h " 978 kg/h
.
mB3 62.8 kg B
yB3 " . " " 0.064 kg B/kg
m3 978 kg/h

yT3 " 1 ! yB3 " 0.936 kg T/kg

e had chosen a basis of calculation other than an actual stream amount or flow rate, we would
scale the process from the calculated basis value to the actual value of this variable. Since in
case our basis was the actual feed stream flow rate, the solution is now complete.

e: This would be a good point to work through Interactive Tutorial !2.

MULTIPLE-UNIT PROCESSES
he preceding sections, we referred rather loosely to “the system,” as in the statement “At
dy state the rate at which benzene enters the system equals the rate at which it leaves.”
much was said about what “the system” was. Up to now, however, not much needed to be
, since we have considered only processes involving a single unit—a mixer, or a distillation
mn, or a reactor—and that unit necessarily constituted the system.
Industrial chemical processes rarely involve just one process unit. One or more chemical
tors are often present, as are units for mixing reactants, blending products, heating and