CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
COURSE: ENCH3FS SESSION 11
SI LEADER: MOULINE PHUMUSA DATE: 29 MAY 2025
TOPIC: COMPRESSIBLE FLOWS, NON-NEWTONIAN FLUIDS, FILTRATION,
FLUIDISATION
QUESTION 1
Particles with a size of 0.10 mm, a shape factor of 0.86, and a density of 1200 kg/m³ are to be
fluidized using air at 25°C and absolute pressure of 202.65 kPa (2.374 kg/m³; 1.845 × 10-5 Pa · s).
The void fraction at minimum fluidizing conditions is 0.43. The bed, containing 350 kg of solids,
is a cylinder with a diameter of D = 0.60 m and a total height of L = 3 m.
(a) Calculate the minimum height of the fluidized bed.
(b) Calculate the pressure drop at minimum fluidizing conditions.
(c) Calculate the minimum velocity for fluidization.
(d) What is the height of expansion (L e) if the porosity is to be ℇ=0.605
QUESTION 2
A constant pressure filtration test gave data that can fit an expression dt/dV = 9.3 V + 8.5; (t in seconds,
V in liters). If the resistance of the filter medium is assumed unaffected by pressure drop and the
compressibility coefficient of the cake is 0.3, what will be the time taken for the collection of 3.5 liters
of filtrate at a filtration pressure twice that used in the test?
QUESTION 3
A pressure filter is operated in the constant rate mode to yield 10 m3 in the first ten minutes, as the
pressure increases from zero. In the next 20 minutes, the filtration was continued at constant pressure,
after which it was stopped. Assume filter medium resistance is negligible and the cake is incompressible.
a) Estimate the total volume of filtration obtained.
b) Determine washing time if the volume of wash liquid equals the volume of filtrate obtained.
QUESTION 4
A vacuum system is required to handle 10 g/s of vapor (molecular weight 56 kg/kmol) so as to maintain
a pressure of 1.5 kN/m2 in a vessel situated 30 m from the vacuum pump. If the pump is able to maintain
a pressure of 0.15kN/m2 at its suction point, what diameter of pipe is required? The temperature is 290
K, and isothermal conditions may be assumed in the pipe, whose surface can be taken as smooth. The
ideal gas law is followed. Gas viscosity µ= 0.01mN s/m2.
QUESTION 5
A power-law liquid of density 961 kg/m3 flows in steady-state with an average velocity of 1.523 m/s
through a tube 2.67 m long with an inside diameter of 0.0762 m. For a pipe consistency coefficient of 4
46 Pa.sn (or 4.46 (kg/m. s2) s0.3), calculate the values of the apparent viscosity for pipe flow µap in Pa. s,
the Reynolds number Re, and the pressure drop across the tube for power law indices n = 0.3, 0.7, 1.0,
and 1.5 respectively.
QUESTION 6
A pseudoplastic fluid that follows the power-law, having a density of 961 kg/m3, is flowing in a steady
state through a smooth circular tube having an inside diameter of 0.0508 m at an average velocity of 6.1
m/s. the flow properties of the fluid are n′ = 0.3, Kp = 2.744 Pa.sn . Calculate the frictional pressure drop
across the tubing of 30.5 m long.
QUESTION 7
√𝑔𝐷 𝐻
Prove that the discharge (Q) over a spillway is given by the relation Q = uD2f ( 𝑢
, 𝐷 ) where (u) velocity
of flow (D) depth at the throat, (H), head of water, and (g) gravitational acceleration.
