Tutorial 2.

TUTORIAL 2.
Lecture 2. Mul ple reac ons. Mul ple units.
T2.1. Propane is dehydrogenated in an industrial process, with a target produc on of 180 kmol/hr
of propylene. Part of the unreacted propane that leaves the reactor is recycled back and mixed
with the fresh feed, in a recycle ra o of 4 (mole rate recycled/mole rate of fresh feed). Both the
fresh feed and recycle stream have no products nor inerts.

C3 H8(g) → C3 H6(g) + H2(g)

For an overall conversion of αC3 H8,  ov = 0.90 :
(a). Plot the complete ow diagram of the process
(b). De ne the amounts of each component in all the streams

(c). Calculate the single step conversion for propane, αC3 H8,  st.

Sol.
k m ol k m ol k m ol k m ol k m ol k m ol k m ol
(b) ṅB,5 = 180 ;  ṅC,5 = 180 ;  ṅA,1 = 200 ;  ṅA,5 = 20 ;  ṅA,4 = 800 ;  ṅA,3 = 820 ;  ṅB,3 = ṅC,3 = 180 ;  ṅA,2 = 1000 k m ol /hr
hr hr hr hr hr hr hr

(c) αC3 H8,  st = 18%

T2.2 Dehydrogena on of an ethane stream of 80% concentra on, with the balance inerts, takes
place con nuously in a reactor opera ng at steady state, following:

C2 H6(g) → C2 H4(g) + H2(g) R1

A side and undesired reac on occurs simultaneously at the reactor, giving methane as a sub-
product:

C2 H6(g) + H2(g) → CH4(g) R2

At opera onal condi ons, a frac onal conversion of ethane αC2 H6 = 0.60 is measured, with a
frac onal yield of ethylene YC2 H4 = 45 %.
For a fresh feed of 200 kmol/hr:
(a). Draw the ow diagram of the process and balance the two equa ons

(b). Calculate the extent of reac ons,  ζ̇1,  ζ̇2

(c). Calculate the composi on of the output stream, yi, out

(d). Calculate the selec vity of ethylene produc on respect to methane, SC2 H4 /CH4.

Sol.

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 Tutorial 2.

k m ol k m ol
(b)  ζ̇1 = 72 ;  ζ̇2 = 24
hr hr
(c) yC2 H6,out = 0.235 ; yC2 H4,out = 0.265 ; yH2,out = yCH4,out = 0.176; yI,out = 0.147
(d ) SC2 H4 /CH4 = 1.5
\

T2.3. Nitrogen and hydrogen gases are fed to a reactor in stoichiometric amounts to form
ammonia, with a single pass conversion of ammonia of 25%. Since it is too low, the stream leaving
the reactor is passed through a dis lla on column, and (only) the remaining reactant gases are
recycled to the reactor. For a target produc on of 245 kmol/h of ammonia:
(a) Draw the ow chart, indica ng the known variables.
(b) How much nitrogen is required?
(c) What is the ow rate of the recycle stream?
Sol.
kmol
(b)  ṅN2,1(fresh feed) = 122.5
hr
kmol
(c) ṅ 4(recycle) = ṅNH3,4 + ṅH2,4 + ṅN2,4 = 0 + 1102.5 + 376.5 = 1470
hr

T2.4. A pure stream of propane, C3 H8(g), is dehydrogenated in a con nuous reactor. The
industrial process includes recycling 25% of the of the propene leaving the reactor, C3 H6(g), and
certain amount of C3 H8(g), whilst all hydrogen is taken as the product stream, together with
some propane and propene. The fresh feed corresponds to 100 kmol·h-1, and the process is set for
a produc on of 75 kmol·h-1 in H2(g).

C3 H8(g) → C3 H6(g) + H2(g)

(a) Draw the process ow diagram, labelling all streams.

(b) Calculate the extent of reac on. ζ̇.

(c) Calculate the overall frac onal conversion of propane, αC3 H8,  ov.

(d) Determine the mole ow of propene and hydrogen leaving the reactor.

overall m oles in the rec ycled stream

For a recycle rate of R = = 5,
f resh feed

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 Tutorial 2.
(e) Determine the composi on of the recycle stream.

(f) Calculate the single step pass conversion of propane, αC3 H8,  step.

Sol.

= 75 k m ol · hr−1
(b)  ζ̇
(c) αC3 H8,  ov = 0.75
(d) ṅC3 H6,3 = 100 k m ol · hr−1; ṅH2, 3 = 75 k m ol · hr−1
(e) yC3 H8,5 = 0.95; yC3 H6,5 = 0.05; yH2,5 = 0

(f) αC3 H8,  step = 0.13

T2.5. Ethane oxida on takes place via the following reac on for the produc on of CO2(g), R1,
obtaining CO(g) as the side-product, R2:

C2 H6(g) + O2(g) → CO2(g) + H2O(v) R1

C2 H6(g) + O2(g) → CO(g) + H2O(v) R2

Considering a feed base of ṅC2 H6,F = 100 k m ol · hr−1 of ethane, with excess air (and oxygen),
a 60% frac onal conversion inC2 H6(g) is achieved, and ṅCO2 = 60 k m ol · hr−1 are detected
in the product stream.
Calculate:
(a) Frac onal yield of carbon dioxide.
(b) Selec vity of carbon dioxide respect to carbon monoxide.
(c) Tones of water produced a er one day opera on.

(d) Minimum volumetric ow of air required at T = 150 ℃ and P = 1  atm.

Sol.
(a) YCO2 = 0.3
(b)  SCO2 /CO =1
(c) ṁH2O,out_day = 77.76 ton
(d) vAir,in = 29742 m 3 · hr−1
(f) αC3 H8,  step = 0.13

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 Tutorial 2.

Lecture 1. Mass balances: fundamentals and de ni ons.

T2.6 A single unit tubular tank is used to dehydrogenate a stream of pure ethane containing
100 k m ol C2 H6 /min, obtaining 40 k m ol H2 /min at the exit. Calculate the composi on of
the outlet stream, using element mass balances.

Sol.
 yC2 H6,out ≅ 0.42 k m ol;  yC2 H4,out ≅ 0.29 k m ol;  yH2,out ≅ 0.29 k m ol

T2.7 5 mol/h of ethylene are mixed in a tubular reactor with 20 mol·hr-1 of air and 2 mol·hr-1 of
ethylene oxide, to yield ethylene oxida on:

C2 H4(g)+ O2(g) → C2 H4O(g)

a) Determine limi ng and excess reagents, and frac onal excess.

b) For a frac onal conversion of 60% in terms of the limi ng reactant, calculate the outlet stream
composi on.

c) If 20 mol of C2 H4O(g) are obtained at the product stream a er 5 hours opera on, what is the
frac onal conversion of the limi ng reactant?

Sol.
(a) Limit ing:  C2 H4(g); Excess:  O2(g),  with F . E . = 68%
(b) yC2 H4,out = 4/51 ; yC2 H4O,out = 10/51 ; yO2,out = 9/85; yN2,out = 0.62
(c) αC2 H4 = 0.4

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