Exercise 1 Extent of reaction

1) Balance the reaction equation below (determine the stoichiometric coefficients a, b and c).
This is the oxidation reaction of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide, both are so-called SOx; the air
pollutants.

a SO2 + b O2 -> c SO3

a) S balance: a = c
O balance: 2 x a + 2 x b = 3 x c
b) a = c, 2a + 2b = 3c = 3a, a =2b, a=c. Substitute b with 1 yields a = c = 2
c) The balanced reaction equation is
2 SO2 + O2 -> 2 SO3

2) Use extent of reaction, ξ , establish the mass balance equation for each component (SO2,
O2 and SO3). use conventional notation of initial number of moles and number of moles present.
Conduct degree of freedom analysis.

࢔ࡿࡻ૛ = ࢔ࡿࡻ૛,૙ − ૛ ∙ ࣈ, ࢔ࡻ૛ = ࢔ࡻ૛,૙ − ࣈ, ࢔ࡿࡻ૜ = ࢔ࡿࡻ૜,૙ + ૛ ∙ ࣈ Mass balance equations

of SO2, O2 and SO3 (one equation each). ݊ௌைଶ,଴ etc is the initial number of moles of component.

Exercise 2 Extent of reaction - Two concurrent reactiosn

Using the extent of reaction, solve the following. Consider the conversion reaction of
nitrogen (N2) to nitrogen mono-oxide (NO). The reaction has two steps, (1) reaction with
nitrogen (N2) and hydrogen (H2) to produce ammonia (NH3), (2) reaction with ammonia with
oxygen to produce nitrogen mono-oxide (NO) and water. All the reactants and products are in
gaseous state.

a N2 + b H2 → c NH3 (1)

d NH3 + e O2 → f NO + g H2O (2)

where, a, b, c, d, e, f and g are stoichiometric coefficients.

(i) Derive the balanced equations for the reactions (1) and (2).
)
N2 + 3H2 -> 2NH3
4NH3 + 5O2 -> 4NO + 6H2O (1.5 x 2 = 3)
(ii) Use the standard notation, establish the mass balances of the reactions after the
reactions have proceeded to reaction extents ξଵ and ξଶ . Write down molar (mass)
balances in the form of n୅ = n୅,଴ ± ⋯ and perform the degree of freedom (DF)
analysis. Give your conclusion on the DF analysis.

nN2 = nN2,0 - ξ1
nH2 = nH2, 0 - 3ξ1
ξ1 − 4 ξ2
nNH3 = nNH3,0 + 2ξ
nO2 = nO2, 0 - 5ξ2
nNO = nNO, 0 + 4ξ2
nH2O = nH2O, 0 + 6ξ2
D.F. = # of unknowns - # of independent relations = (6 + 6 + 2) - (6) = 8 > 0. We don't have
enough relations and/or conditions to solve the balance equations.
 (iii) At the initial stage, only nitrogen (g), hydrogen (g) and oxygen (g) were present in
the reactor at the amounts of 100 moles, 300 moles and 200 moles, respectively. When
the reactions were completed, it was found that the fractional conversion of molecular
nitrogen (N2) was 0.8 and the number of moles of ammonia (NH3) remaining was 20
moles. Solve the equations for the numbers of moles of reactants and products present in
the reactor when the reactions are completed.

From the given conditions, fN2 = (nN2,0 - nN2 )/nN2,0 = 0.8, nNH3 = 20 mol, and the initial
conditions are nN2,0 = 100 mol, nH2, 0 = 300 mol, nO2, 0 = 200 mol, nNH3,0 = 0 mol, nNO, 0 = 0 mol
and nH2O, 0 = 0 mol . These are 8 additional relations/conditions, and D.F. = 0. The balance
equations can be solved.

fN2 = (nN2,0 - nN2 )/nN2,0 = 0.8 and nN2,0 = 100 mol, thus nN2, = 20 mol and ξ1 = 80 mol. Then, nH2 = 300 -
3x80 = 60 mol, nNH3 = 20 = nNH3,0 + 2ξ1 − 4 ξ2 = 0 + 2x80 - 4 ξ2, ξ2 = 35 mol. nO2 = nO2, 0 - 5ξ2 = 200 - 5x35
= 25 mol, nNO = nNO, 0 + 4ξ2 = 0 + 4x35 = 140 mol and nH2O = nH2O, 0 + 6ξ2 = 0 + 6x35 = 210 mol. The
reaction system is fully described.
Exercise 3 Flow-charting, Mass balance

A process has one input stream and two output streams, upper stream and bottom stream.
The process is being operated at steady state under the following conditions.

Input stream:
The input stream is a liquid mixture of only two components, A and B, going into the
process.
Total mass flow rate of output stream,݉ሶ଴ , is 180.0 kg/min
Mass fraction of A, ݂݉஺,଴ , is 0.35
Use subscript 0 to denote input stream

Output streams:
Upper stream :
The upper stream is a vaper mixture of only A and B coming out of the process
Mass flow rate of A , ݉ሶ஺,ଶ , in the upper stream is 60.0 kg/min
Mole fraction of A, ݂݊஺, ଶ in the upper stream is 0.80
Use subscript 2 to denote upper stream
Bottom stream :
The bottom stream is a liquid mixture of only A and B coming out of the process.
Use subscript 1 to denote bottom stream

Molecular weights of A and B are 30 and 40, respectively.

1. Draw a flow chart of the system, identify the parameters with given conditions.

2. Calculate the mass flow rates of A, ݉ሶ஺, ଴ in the input stream. Caculate mole flow rate of A,
݊ሶ ஺, ଴ in the input stream. Then calculate the mole flow rates of A, ݊ሶ ୅,ଵ and ݊ሶ ୅,ଶ , in both
input streams.

3. Calculate the mass flow rate of B, ݉ሶ஻,଴ in the output stream.

3. Calculate mole flow rate of B, ݊ሶ ୆,ଶ , in the upper input stream. Then, calculate the total
volumetric flow rate, ܸሶଶ, of the upper stream at the standard temp. and pressure (STP: 0oC,
1 atm)

4. Calculate the mass flow rates of A and B, ݉ሶ஺, ଵ and ݉ሶ஻,ଵ in the bottom stream. Then
calculate the total mass flow rate, ݉ሶଵ , and the mass fractions of A and B, ݂݉஺, ଵ and ݂݉஻, ଵ,
in the downstream.
 Flow Chart Exercese and Solution
SMJC1202_2017

A distillation column has one input stream and two output streams, upper stream and bottom stream. The
process is being operated at steady state under the following conditions.

Input stream:
The input stream is a liquid mixture of only two components, A and B.
Total mass flow rate of input stream, ݉ሶ଴ , is 180.0 kg/min
Mass fraction of A, ‫ݔ‬஺,଴ , is 0.35
Use subscript 0 to denote input stream
Output streams:
Upper stream:
The upper stream is a vaper mixture of A and B
Mass flow rate of A, , ݉ሶ஺,ଶ , in the upper stream is 60.0 kg/min
Mole fraction of A, ݊஺,ଶ , in the upper stream is 0.80
Use subscript 2 to denote upper stream
Bottom stream:
The bottom stream is a liquid mixture of A and B.
Use subscript 1 to denote bottom stream

Molecular weights of A and B are 30 and 45, respectively.

1. Draw a flow chart of the system, identify the parameters with

given conditions.

2. Calculate the mass flow rates of A and B, ݉ሶ஺,଴ and ݉ሶ஻,଴ in the
input stream.
mdotA,0 = 63 kg/min, mdotB,0 = 117 kg/min

3. Calculate the mole flow rate of A, ݊ሶ ஺,ଶ ,in the upper stream.
Then calculate mole flow rate of B, ݊ሶ ஻,ଶ . Finally , calculate
the total volumetric flow rate, ܸሶଶ , of the upper stream at the
standard temp. and pressure. )

ndotA,2 = 2 kmol/min, ndot2 = 2.5 kmol/min, ndotB,2 = 0.5 kmol/min, Vdot2 = 56.0 m3/min

4. Calculate the mass flow rates of A and B, ݉ሶ஺,ଵ and ݉ሶ஻,ଵ in the bottom stream. Then calculate the total mass
flow rate, ݉ሶଵ, and the mass fractions of A and B, ‫ݔ‬஺,ଵ and ‫ݔ‬஻,ଵ , in the downstream.

mdotA, 1 = 3 kg/min, mdotB,1 = 94.5 kg/min, mdot,1 = 97.5 kg/min,xA,1 = 0.031, xB, 1 = 0.969

5. Calculate the mass recovery efficiency of A in the upper stream.

Mass recovery efficiency = mdotA, 2 / mdotA, 0 = 60.0/63.0 = 0.9524

Page 1