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17.07 - Temperature Dependence of Ka Click here. 100 2

You can customize Kcalc.xlsx (uakron.edu, 17min) to facilitate whatever calculations you may need to perform. This presentation shows how to implement VLOOKUP to automatically load the relevant Hf, Gf, and Cp values. It also shows how to automatically use the Cp/R value when a,b,c,d values for Cp are not available. Finally, it shows how a fairly general table of inlet flows, temperatures, and pressures can be used to set up the equilibrium conversion calculation. The initial set up is demonstrated for the dimethyl ether process, then revised to initiate solution of Example 17.9 for ammonia synthesis.

Comprehension Questions:

1. The video shows how the shortcut Van't Hof equation can be written as lnKa=A+B/T. What are the values of A and B for the dimethyl ether process when a reference temperature of 633K is used?
2. The video shows how the shortcut Van't Hof equation can be written as lnKa=A+B/T. What are the values of A and B for the ammonia synthesis process when a reference temperature of 600K is used?

11.09 - Fitting Activity Coefficients to Multiple Data Click here. 100 1

Fitting Pxy data using Excel (9:00) (msu.edu)

An illustration of using Excel for fitting Pxy data of the IPA+water system using the M2 model and some suggestions for working with the GammaFit.xls file, showing that the sum of squared deviations is 14 mmHg^2. Dividing by the number of points (18 including x1=0 and x1=1), and taking the square root gives a root mean square deviation (rmsd) of 0.89 mmHg. Noting that the pressure ranges from roughly 30-60 mmHg, this corresponds to roughly 2%rmsd. This effectively corresponds to sample validation of the M2 model for the IPA+water system since the deviation of 2% is quite small. We could argue that a model is valid as long as the rmsd is less than 10%, but you need to report the %rmsd and show the plot in order to be clear. For example, if the plot shows that there is systematic deviation from the experimental data, then a better model probably exists and should be sought. If there is no systematic deviation and the data are simply very scattered, then the model is probably as good as can be expected.

Comprehension Questions:

1. If experimental data for vapor pressures are included for a particular data set, should you use the values from the data set or the values calculated from Antoine's equation?
2. What is the objective function applied by the GammaFit spreadsheet?
3. Apply the procedure illustrated here optimize the M2 model for the ethanol+benzene data given in HW 10.2. What values do you obtain for A12 and A21 in that case? What is the value of the rmsd that you obtain?
4. Explain how you would modify this spreadsheet to apply to the M1 model.
5. Explain how you would modify this spreadsheet to apply to data obtained at constant pressure instead of constant temperature.

14.09 - Numerical procedures for binary, ternary LLE Click here. 100 1

LLE flash using Matlab/Chap14/LLEflash.m (5:54) (msu.edu)

An overview of the LLE flash routine in Matlab, including an overview of the program logic and then an example of how to run the program.

See also - Supplement on Iteration of LLE with Excel and Matlab.

08.07 - Implementation of Departure Functions Click here. 100 2

Derive the internal energy departure function (uakron.edu, 20min) for the following EOS:
P = (RT(1+V1.5)/V1.5)*(1+sqrt(V)) - a/(V^2T^1.3)/(1+sqrt(V)) This sample derivation is more complicated than average, but the usual procedure still works. We begin by rearranging to obtain an expression for Z and finding the Helmholtz departure, then differentiating to get the internal energy.

Comprehension: Given (A-Aig)TV/RT = -2ln(1-ηP) - 16.49ηPβε/[1-βε(1-2ηP)/(1+2ηP)^2 ]

1. Derive the internal energy departure function.

2. Derive the expression for the compressibility factor.

3. Solve the EOS for Zc.

10.02 - Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium (VLE) Calculations Click here. 100 2

VLE Routines - General Strategies (4:49) (msu.edu)

Deciding which routine to use is more challenging than it appears. Also understanding the strategy used to solve the problems is extremely helpful in being able to develop the equations to solve instead of trying to memorize them.

07.06 Solving The Cubic EOS for Z Click here. 100 2

6. Solving for density (uakron.edu, 9min) An alternative to solving directly for Z is to solve for density then compute Z=P/(ρRT). This requires iterative solution and it is not very expedient for repetitive calculations, but it requires no rearrangement of the EOS and it is easy to visualize. This sample calculation is illustrated here for the vdW EOS, solving for the density of propane as: (a) liquid 25C,11bars (b) liquid 62C,35bars (c) vapor at 80C and 30bars.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Solve for the liquid density (mol/cm3) of n-pentane at 62C and 2.5 bars using the vdW EOS.
2. Solve for the Z-factor of liquid n-pentane at 62C and 2.5 bars using the vdW EOS.
3. What's the value of the Z-factor at 80C and 30 bars according to this presentation?

05.2 - The Rankine cycle Click here. 100 1

Thermal Efficiency with a 1-Stage Rankine Cycle. (uakron.edu, 12min) Steam from a boiler enters a turbine at 350C and 1.2MPa and exits at 0.01MPa and saturated vapor; compute the thermal efficiency (ηθ) of the Rankine cycle based on this turbine. (Note that this is something quite different from the turbine's "expander" efficiency, ηE.) This kind of calculation is one of the elementary skills that should come out of any thermodynamics course. Try to pause the video often and work out the answer on your own whenever you think you can. You will learn much more about the kinds of mistakes you might make if you take your best shot, then use the video to check yourself. Then practice some more by picking out other boiler and condenser conditions and turbine efficiencies. FYI: the conditions of this problem should look familiar because they are the same as the turbine efficiency example in Chapter 4. That should make it easy for you to take your best shot.

Comprehension Questions:

1. The entropy balance is cited in this video, but never comes into play. Why not?

2. Steam from a boiler enters a turbine at 400C and 2.5 MPa and exits a 100% efficient turbine at 0.025MPa; compute the Rankine efficiency. Comment on the practicality of this process. (Hint: review Chapter 4 if you need help with turbine efficiency.)

08.08 - Reference States Click here. 100 1

Peng-Robinson Properties - Excel (6:56) (msu.edu)

Provides an overview of using the Peng-Robinson spreadsheet Preos.xlsx for calculation of H, U, S and use of solver.

Comprehension Questions:

1. For liquid propane at 298K and 1 MPa, and a reference state of 298K and 1bar propane vapor, what is the ideal gas contribution to "H-HR" (J/mol)?
2. For liquid propane at 298K and 1 MPa, and a reference state of 298K and 1bar propane vapor, what is the ideal gas departure contribution: "H-Hig" (J/mol)?
3. For liquid propane at 298K and 1 MPa, and a reference state of 298K and 1bar propane vapor, what is the tabulated value of "H" (J/mol)?
4. Explain the similarity and difference between the numerical values of "H" and "H-Hig".
5. Ethane at 350K and 5 bars is expanded through an adiabatic, reversible turbine to 1 bar. What is the temperature (K) at the turbine outlet?

10.08 - Concepts for Generalized Phase Equilibria Click here. 100 1

When expressing the derivative of the total Gibbs energy by chain rule, there is one particular partial derivative that relates to each component in the mixture: the "chemical potential." By adapting the derivation from Chapter 9 of the equilibrium constraint for pure fluids, we can show that the equilibrium constraint for mixtures is that the chemical potential of each component in each phase must be equal. That is fine mathematically but it is not very intuitive. By translating the chemical potential into a rigorous definition of fugacity of a component in a mixture, we recognize that an equivalent equilibrium constraint is that the fugacity of each component in each phase must be equal. (8min, Live, uakron.edu) This offers the intuitive perspective of, say, molecules from the liquid escaping to the vapor and molecules from the vapor escaping to the liquid; when the "escaping tendencies" are equal, the phases experience no net change and we call that equilibrium. 

17.05 - Effect of Pressure, Inerts, Feed Ratios Click here. 100 1

Partial pressures and reactor sizing are among the keys to chemical engineering calculations (uakron.edu, 7 min, review from Section 1.6). Partial pressures (uakron.edu, 7 min) also play an essential role in reaction equilibrium calculations. Partial pressure calculations basically involve straightforward mass balances, but specific vocabulary and a need for systematic precision can cause difficulty. The calculations involve six elements that must be carefully computed:

(1) Stoichiometry - the reaction equation must be stoichiometrically balanced such that the number of atoms of each element are the same on both sides of the equation. This balance is achieved by adjusting the stoichiometric coefficients. The change in the number of moles of each component must be in correct stoichiometric proportions relative to the "key component." Inert compounds (see below) are NOT included in the stoichiometric equation. For the example in this presentation, the objective of the reactor is to oxidize carbon monoxide (CO) in a catalytic converter by reacting it with oxygen (O2). So, CO + 0.5 O2 = CO2.
(2) Limiting reactant (aka. "key component") - It is common to feed an excess of one of the components in order to promote complete conversion of the other components. The limiting reactant is the component that is NOT in excess. For this example, O2 is fed in excess so that CO conversion can be promoted. CO becomes the limiting reactant in that case and conversion must be computed relative to CO, NOT O2. If you think about it, expressing the conversion with respect to the excess component would mean that 100% conversion could result in a negative mole number for the limiting reactant. Such an implication is obviously physically impossible (and potentially embarrassing if you appear not to know that).
(3) %Excess - The number of moles of an excess component in the feed is (1+Xs) times the stoichiometric amount relative to the key component, where the stoichiometric amount is the number of moles necessary to perfectly balance the key component, and Xs is the fractional form of the %excess. For this example,  the stoichiometric ratio of CO:O2 would be 1:0.5 and for 50% excess, Xs = 0.50, and the actual ratio would be 1:0.75.
(4) %Conversion - the %conversion is the fraction of the entering amount of the limiting reactant that is transformed into product(s). Note that this might be different from the "extent of reaction," ξ. For example, if 50 moles/h of CO enter the reactor and the conversion is 90%, then 5 moles of CO exit the reactor. If you express the number of moles of CO as 50-ξ, you might conclude that the moles of CO exiting the reactor is 49.1. Take a minute to think about what the words mean before you start to calculate, then make a mental estimate of what the results should be, then get out your calculator. Another common mistake is to apply the % conversion to all the components, wrongly including the excess component. For example, if 45 moles of CO react, then 22.5 moles of O2 react. With 50% excess O2 in the feed, the O2 exiting should be 37.5-22.5=15, NOT 3.75. This is what it means to be careful and systematic. You must compute the conversion of limiting reactant first, then compute the conversion of other components relative to the limiting reactant.
(5) Inerts - These are components that may enter the reactor by coincidence or convenience but do not participate in the reaction. Therefore, their number of moles exiting the reactor is simply equal to their number of moles entering the reactor. A common mistake is to apply the %conversion to all components entering the reactor, including the inerts. In this example, the source of O2 is air, with roughly 4:1 ratio of nitrogen (N2) to O2. The N2 is inert.
(6) Total Pressure - Once the mole numbers and mole fractions have been computed, don't forget to multiply the mole fractions by the total pressure to get the partial pressure. The partial pressure is equal to the mole fraction only in the case that the reactor operates at 1.00 bar.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the value of the total pressure (bar) applied in the presentation of this example?
2. What equation is used to compute the mole number of O2? What is the final overall equation used to compute PO2?
3. Suppose 100 moles/h of ammonia (NH3) at 100bars is to be produced from N2 and hydrogen (H2) with 10% excess N2. Methane (CH4) is included with the N2+H2 as a result of the synthesis process with a ratio of 1:10 CH4:H2. (a) Write a stoichiometrically balanced equation (b) Identify the limiting reactant (c) Calculate the number of moles and partial pressures of each component entering the reactor. (d) Calculate the number of moles and partial pressures of each component exiting the reactor assuming 25% conversion.

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