SEMESTER 2, 2014

Examination for the Degree of B.E. (Chem)

105523

SIMULATION & CONCEPT DESIGN

CHEM ENG 3030
SIMULATION & CONCEPT DESIGN
CHEM ENG 7054

105998
Official Reading Time:
Writing Time:
Total Duration:
Parts
A
B

10 mins
150 mins
160 mins

Questions
Answer all questions
Answer all questions

Time
60 mins
90 mins

Marks
as shown
as shown

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:
1. PART A is CLOSED BOOK books, lecture notes and other materials are not to be used or
consulted. PART A BOOKLETS will be COLLECTED at END of the FIRST HOUR or must
be HANDED IN BEFORE PART B is COMMENCED.
2. PART B is COMPUTOR-based OPEN BOOK. It may be commenced at any time after Part A
Booklets are handed in.
3. Maximum Mark = 120. Marks for each question are shown. Attempt ALL questions.
Write your name and student number on all loose diagrams.

PERMITTED MATERIALS:
1. English language dictionary is permitted.
2. Calculator without alphanumeric memory or remote communications capability is permitted.

Part A Closed Book

Answer all questions

Question 1
[30 Marks]
<The following information is for examination purpose only, and this may not
represent the real industrial operation>
Ethylene oxide with a molecular weight of 44.05 is the simplest cyclic ether. Ethylene
oxide is very reactive because its highly strained ring can be opened easily, and is thus
one of the most versatile chemical intermediates. However, because of its reactivity,
danger of explosion, and toxicity, it is quite often manufactured and consumed inside the
manufacturing facility.
Currently ethylene oxide is produced mainly by the oxygen-based process. The reactions
are as follows.

C2 H 4 + 0.5O2 C2 H 4O
C2 H 4 + 3O2 2CO2 + 2H 2O
C2 H 4O + 2.5O2 2CO2 + 2H 2O

(1)
(2)
(3)

The kinetic expressions are, respectively,

r1 =

1.96 exp(2400 / RT )pethylene

1+ 0.00098exp(11, 200 / RT )pethy lene

r2 =

0.0936 exp(6400 / RT )pethylene

1+ 0.00098exp(11, 200 / RT )pethy lene

r3 =

2
0.4276 exp(6200 / RT )p ethylene
_ oxide
2
1+ 0.000033exp(21, 200 / RT )p ethy lene _ oxide

The units for the reaction rates are moles/m3.s. The pressure unit is bar. The activation
energy numerator is in cal/mol. The catalyst used for the reaction is silver on an inert
support. The support consists of 7.5mm diameter spheres that have a bulk density of
1250 kg/m3 and a void fraction of 0.4.
For the silver-catalyzed oxidation process, dry air at 25 oC and 1 bar and ethylene (vapor
phase) at 25 oC and 50 bar is used. The reaction is exothermic and temperature has to be
carefully controlled. Conversion in the reactor is often kept low to enhance selectivity for
the desired product. The initial estimate of temperature and pressure for the reaction is
240 oC and 26 bar and the conversion in this reactor is less than 40% based on the
ethylene reactant. A secondary reactor at the same reaction condition is required to
improve the conversion. Please note that temperature of the catalyst tubes are restricted
by the maximum design pressure, which usually does not allow temperatures higher than
300 oC.
After the reaction, ethylene oxide is scrubbed by water at 30 oC and 30 bar. Liquid
ethylene oxide and water are completely miscible in all proportions. The ethylene oxide
aqueous solution is distilled at a distillation column at 45 oC and 10 bar. The final product
purity 99.5wt% is required after distillation column.
Based on the information above, use the Means-End Analysis method to develop your
process flow diagram to produce 100,000 tones of ethylene oxide. The boiling points of
ethylene and ethylene oxide at different pressures are attached for your reference.

Table 1 Boiling Points of Ethylene and Ethylene Oxide at different pressures

Pressure
(Bar)
1
10
26
30

Boiling points of ethylene

(oC)
-104.3
-51.81
-19.02
-13.2

Boiling points of ethylene oxide

(oC)
10.8
86.2
132.4
140.4

Question 2

[20 Marks]

The figure below is a simple process flowsheet. Find a suitable set of tear streams, and
appropriate computation order for sequential modular solution of material and energy
balances in the flowsheet.

Product A
Feed

6
Product B

Question 3

[10 Marks]

Consider the multiproduct batch plant described in the following table.

Table 1 Equipment processing times for processes A, B and C
Process
A
B
C

Mixer
2.0 h
3.0 h
1.0 h

Reactor
5.0 h
4.0 h
3.0 h

Separator
4.0 h
3.5 h
4.5 h

(1) For a multiproduct campaign using the sequence CBACBACBA., work out the
cycle time for three batches. Assuming the clean time and transfer time are
negligible, and zero-wait transfer policy is applied.
(2) Determine the number of batches for the sequence of CBACBACBAthat can be
produced in one year (assume 300 days).

Part B Computer-based Open Book

Answer all questions

Question 4

[20 Marks]

In Question 1, for the oxidation process, the reaction kinetics are given for the three
reactions.

C2 H 4 + 0.5O2 C2 H 4O
C2 H 4 + 3O2 2CO2 + 2H 2O
C2 H 4O + 2.5O2 2CO2 + 2H 2O

(1)
(2)
(3)

The kinetic expressions are, respectively,

r1 =

1.96 exp(2400 / RT )pethylene

1+ 0.00098exp(11, 200 / RT )pethy lene

r2 =

0.0936 exp(6400 / RT )pethylene

1+ 0.00098exp(11, 200 / RT )pethy lene

r3 =

2
0.4276 exp(6200 / RT )p ethylene
_ oxide
2
1+ 0.000033exp(21, 200 / RT )p ethy lene _ oxide

The units for the reaction rates are moles/m3.s. The pressure unit is bar. The activation
energy numerator is in cal/mol. The catalyst used for the reaction is silver on an inert
support. The support consists of 7.5mm diameter spheres that have a bulk density of
1250 kg/m3 and a void fraction of 0.4.
Using Hysys to simulate the above reactions in a reactor. The feed materials are 1000
kmol/h for C2H4 and 1000 kmol/h for O2 at 240 oC and 26 bar.
(1) Providing the reactor volume of 80 m3 with a length of 1.0 m and 1000 tubes, if the
temperature is to be controlled at 240 oC, find out the overall conversion of
ethylene and selectivity for producing ethylene oxide.
(2) Establish a case study to find out the reaction conversion rate of reaction (1) by
adjusting the product stream temperature from 100 to 300 oC with a step size of 10
o
C. Plot your result.
(3) Upload your file into the designated file folder in MyUni.

Question 5

[30 Marks]

A distillation tower with sieve trays is to separate benzene from monochlorobenzene. The
feed is 1000 kmol/hr containing equal molar ratio of benzene and monochlorobenzene at
20 psia. The specifications are the top product containing 0.5 mol % impurity and the
bottom product containing 0.5 mol% impurity.
(1) Determine the appropriate operating pressure at the top of the tower (the critical
temperature for monochlorobenzene can be found in the pure compound
properties)
(2) Use the short-cut method to determine the number of stages using the external
flux ratio of 1.5.
(3) To achieve the specifications for the top and bottom products, work out the tower
diameter using the Hysys sizing utility. Please comment whether the sieve tray is
suitable to achieve the desired specifications. If not, what is the best format for the
distillation column.
(4) Upload your file into the designated file folder in MyUni.

Question 6

[10 Marks]

You will use SuperPro Designer to complete the following task.

A in solvent chloroform will change into B at a temperature of 50 oC in a stirred reactor
with a reaction constant of 0.0015 s-1. To complete the reaction, two reactors are used.
100 kg of chloroform and 50 kg of A are charged into the first reactor, stirring for 15 min
and then heated to 50 oC. After the reaction in the first reactor for 20 min, all contents are
transferred into the second reactor. The same reaction occurs in the second reactor with
the same reaction constant at 50 oC for 20 min. After the reaction, the contents are sent to
a batch distiller. In batch distillation, the relative volativity of A and chloroform is 1.2 and 5
when the reference component B is ued. The distillation lasts 3 hr and the reflux ratio is
1.5 and molar percentage distilled is set as 50%. To complete the mass balance for the
above process and work out the operation Gantt chart for 3 batches. Upload your file into
the designated file folder in MyUni.