Introduction to Chemical Engineering – Fall 2018

Problems on Multiphase systems

1. Estimate the vapor pressure of ethyl ether at 40C using the Antoine equation based on the
experimental values as follows:
P* (kPa) 2.53 15.0 58.9
T (C) -40 -10.0 20.0
2. Maintenance of a heater was carried out to remove water that had condensed in the bottom of
the heater. By accident hot oil at 150C was released into the heater when the maintenance man
opened the wrong valve. The resulting explosion caused serious damage both to the
maintenance man and to the equipment he was working on. Explain what happened during the
incident when you write up the accident report.
3. Indicate whether the following statements are true or false:
a) A pot full of boiling water is tightly closed by a heavy lid. The water will stop boiling.
b) Steam quality is the same thing as steam purity.
c) Liquid water that is in equilibrium with vapor is saturated.
d) Water can exist in more than three different phases.
e) Superheated stream at 300C means steam at 300 degrees above the boiling point.
f) Water can be made to boil without heating it.

Problem on Ideal and Real Gases

4. A feed for a reactor has to be prepared composed of 50% ethylene and 50% nitrogen. One
source of gas is a cylinder containing a large amount of gas with the composition 20% ethylene
and 80% nitrogen. Another cylinder that contains pure ethylene at 1450 psig and 70F has an
internal volume of 2640 in3 . If all the ethylene in the latter cylinder is used up in making the
mixture, how much reactor feed was prepared and how much of the 20% ethylene was used?

Problems on Multi-unit systems

5. Examine figure 1
a. What is the single-pass conversion of H2 in the reactor?
b. What is the single-pass conversion of CO?
c. What is the overall conversion of H2?
d. What is the overall conversion of CO?

6. Natural gas is (CH4) is burned in a furnace using 15% excess air based on the complete
combustion of CH4. One of the concerns is that the exit concentration of NO (from the
combustion of N2) is about 415 ppm. To lower the NO concentration in the stack gas back
through the furnace. You are asked to calculate the amount of recycle required. Will the
scheme work? Ignore the effect of temperature on the conversion of N2 to NO; that is,
assume the conversion factor is constant.
Introduction to Chemical Engineering – Fall 2018