Chemical Engineering 140 Sept.

27
th
, 2004

Midterm Examination #1
Page 1 of 9

1. (100) Coffee beans contain components that are soluble in water and others that are not.
Instant coffee is produced by dissolving the soluble portion in boiling water (making
coffee) in large percolators, then feeding the coffee to a spray dryer in which the water
is evaporated, leaving the soluble coffee as a dry powder. The insoluble portion of the
coffee beans (the spent grounds) passes through several drying operations, and the dried
grounds are either burned or used as landfill. The solution removed from the grounds in
the first stage of the drying operation is fed to the spray dryer to join the effluent from
the percolators. A flowchart for the process is shown below. The symbols S and I
denote the soluble and insoluble components of the coffee beans, W is water, and C is
coffee, which is a solution that contains 35% S and 65% water by weight. This problem
will lead you through steps to calculate the flow rates (kg/h) of each stream labeled 1-8.



























(25) a. Find the total mass flow rates in streams (7) and (8)

(25) b. Find the total mass flow rates in streams (3) and (5)

(25) c. Find the total mass flow rates in streams (4) and (6)

(25) d. Find the total mass flow rates in streams (1) and (2)

6
4
7
5
3
Percolators
Cyclone
separator
Press
Dryer
Spray dryer
1
2
8
Roasted ground
and coffee beans
I and S
1400 kg/h
70% I
balance S and W
500 kg S/h
(Instant coffee)
C
C
W
C
W
20% I
80% C
50% I
50% C
W
Chemical Engineering 140 Sept. 27
th
, 2004

Midterm Examination #1
Page 2 of 9

(100) 2. An incompressible, nonvolatile liquid is pumped into the bottom of a closed tank of
volume V
o
and diameter D. At the start of filling, the tank contains only an inert, ideal
gas, such as air, that is insoluble in the liquid. The initial pressure in the tank is p
o
, and
the supply liquid volumetric flow rate is proportional to the difference in the inlet line
pressure, p
in
and the pressure in the tank, p (which is constant throughout the tank).
The process is isothermal.

(20) a. Draw a sketch of the filling process and describe in words what happens.

(10) b. What is the final pressure in the tank?

(25) c. Perform a mass balance on the gas phase to establish the transient pressure in the tank
as a function of the liquid volume.

(10) d. What is the liquid height in the tank at the final pressure?

(35) e. Perform a mass balance on the liquid to derive an implicit expression for the liquid
height in the tank as a function of time in terms of the parameters p
o
, p
in
, V
o
, and D.













Chemical Engineering 140 Sept. 27
th
, 2004

Midterm Examination #1
Page 3 of 9
SOLUTIONS

1. (100) Coffee beans contain components that are soluble in water and others that are not.
Instant coffee is produced by dissolving the soluble portion in boiling water (making
coffee) in large percolators, then feeding the coffee to a spray dryer in which the water
is evaporated, leaving the soluble coffee as a dry powder. The insoluble portion of the
coffee beans (the spent grounds) passes through several drying operations, and the dried
grounds are either burned or used as landfill. The solution removed from the grounds in
the first stage of the drying operation is fed to the spray dryer to join the effluent from
the percolators. A flowchart for the process is shown below. The symbols S and I
denote the soluble and insoluble components of the coffee beans, W is water, and C is
coffee, which is a solution that contains 35% S and 65% water by weight. This problem
will lead you through steps to calculate the flow rates (kg/h) of each stream labeled 1-8.



























(25) a. Find the total mass flow rates in streams (7) and (8)

(25) b. Find the total mass flow rates in streams (3) and (5)

(25) c. Find the total mass flow rates in streams (4) and (6)

(25) d. Find the total mass flow rates in streams (1) and (2)
6
4
7
5
3
Percolators
Cyclone
separator
Press
Dryer
Spray dryer
1
2
8
Roasted ground
and coffee beans
I and S
1400 kg/h
70% I
balance S and W
500 kg S/h
(Instant coffee)
C
C
W
C
W
20% I
80% C
50% I
50% C
W
Chemical Engineering 140 Sept. 27
th
, 2004

Midterm Examination #1
Page 4 of 9
Solution:
There are various balances and choices for CV in this steady state problem, but some make your
life easier than others. Look for tie components, easy overall mass balances, and CV that lump
several process units together, e.g. the CV outlined below (dotted line).



























In the following equations, M
i
denotes the total mass flow rate (kg/h) in stream i.

(a) Find the total mass flow rates in streams (7) and (8)
Mass balances around the Dryer:
I species balance: 0.50 M
7
= (0.70)(1400 kg/h) M
7
= 1960 kg/h
Overall balance: M
8
= M
7
1400 kg/h = 560 kg/h

(b) Find the total mass flow rates in streams (3) and (5)
Mass balances around the Press:
I species balance: 0.20 M
3
= 0.50 M
7
M
3
= 4900 kg/h
Overall balance: M
5
= M
3
M
7
= 2940 kg/h

(c) Find the total mass flow rates in streams (4) and (6)
Mass balances around the Spray Dryer:
S species balance: 0.35 M
4
= 500 kg S/h M
4
= 1429 kg/h
Overall balance: M
6
= M
4
500 = 929 kg/h
6
4
7
5
3
Percolators
Cyclone
separator
Press
Dryer
Spray dryer
1
2
8
Roasted ground
and coffee beans
I and S
1400 kg/h
70% I
balance S and W
500 kg S/h
(Instant coffee)
C
C
W
C
W
20% I
80% C
50% I
50% C
W
CV in part (d)
Chemical Engineering 140 Sept. 27
th
, 2004

Midterm Examination #1
Page 5 of 9

(d) Find the total mass flow rates in streams (1) and (2)
Mass balances around the CV drawn on the diagram:
W species balance: M
2
= (0.80)(0.65) M
3
+ (0.65) M
4
M
2
= 3477 kg/h
Overall balance: M
1
+ M
2
= M
3
+ M
4
M
1
= 2852 kg/h



Chemical Engineering 140 Sept. 27
th
, 2004

Midterm Examination #1
Page 6 of 9
(100) 2. An incompressible, nonvolatile liquid is pumped into the bottom of a closed tank of
volume V
o
and diameter D. At the start of filling, the tank contains only an inert, ideal
gas, such as air, that is insoluble in the liquid. The initial pressure in the tank is p
o
, and
the supply liquid volumetric flow rate is proportional to the difference in the inlet line
pressure, p
in
and the pressure in the tank, p (which is constant throughout the tank).
The process is isothermal.

(20) a. Draw a sketch of the filling process and describe in words what happens.

(10) b. What is the final pressure in the tank?

(25) c. Perform a mass balance on the gas phase to establish the transient pressure in the tank
as a function of the liquid volume.

(10) d. What is the liquid height in the tank at the final pressure?

(35) e. Perform a mass balance on the liquid to derive an implicit expression for the liquid
height in the tank as a function of time in terms of the parameters p
o
, p
in
, V
o
, and D.
Chemical Engineering 140 Sept. 27
th
, 2004

Midterm Examination #1
Page 7 of 9
Solution:

(a)

Before t = 0, no fluid is in the tank, but an ideal gas is in the tank at a pressure, P
0
. At
t=0, liquid is pumped into the tank at volumetric flowrate Q and at a pressure P
in
. P
in

does not change with time. As fluid flows into the tank, the volume available to the gas
decreases (it cannot escape). This compresses the gas and results in an increase in tank
pressure, P, with time. Because the flow rate is dependent on this pressure, P, the flow
rate, Q, will decrease as the pressure in the tank increases. Eventually, P will reach P
in
at
which point flow into the tank will stop.

We can assume that the pressure in the tank is uniform in space. The gas is not soluble in
the liquid, so the gas does not enter the liquid phase. The liquid is non-volatile, and
therefore does not enter the gas phase. Also, the liquid is incompressible meaning that
the density of the liquid,
L
, is a constant.


(b) Final pressure in the tank occurs when Q = 0
( )
( )
0
0
in
in
in
Q k P P
P P
P P
= =
=
=


Q = k(P
in
-P)
D
V
tank
=V
0
p(t=0)=p
0
No liquid in tank initially
V
liquid
(t)=V
L
(t)
V
gas
(t)=V
G
(t)
V
0
=V
L
+V
G

h
L

h
0

Chemical Engineering 140 Sept. 27
th
, 2004

Midterm Examination #1
Page 8 of 9
(c) Mass balance on gas phase, CV is volume occupied by gas.
( )
( )
( ) ( )
, ,
0
, ,
but 0 and (i.e. is const in space)
so, or 0 0
G
V
g g in g out
g in g out g g
g g g
d
r dV m m
dt
m m f V
d d
V n
dt dt

=
= = =
= =
}


Since the number of moles of gas, n
g
, is a constant,

0 ,0
,0 0 0
0 0
0
( 0) ( )
( ) ( )
, and ( ) ( )
( )
( )
G
G
G G L
L
n t n t
PV
P t V t
V V V t V V t
RT RT
PV
P t
V V t
= =
= = =
=




(d) Final pressure is P
in
, and height of liquid is contained in V
L
, so the quickest way to solve
for h
final
is to use expression for pressure found in part (c).

0 0
0
0 0
0
2
0 0
0 L
0 0
2
( )
( )
( )
( )
D
( ) , V =
4
4
( ) 1
D
L
in
L
L
L
in
L
in
PV
P t
V V t
PV
P final P
V V final
PV h
V final V
P
V P
h final
P
t
t
=

= =

=
| |
|
|
\ .
=



(e) Mass balance on the liquid, control volume is volume of liquid:
( )
( )
( )
( )
, ,
0
, ,
( ) , 0 and is const in space and time (incompressible)
so, ( )
L
V
L L in L out
L in L in L out L
L L in
L
d
r dV m m
dt
m k P P t m
k P P t
d
V
dt

=
= =
=
}

This differential equation cannot be integrated yet because both V
L
and P vary in time.
So, we need the expression in part (c) for P as a function of V
L
. The differential equation
from above then looks like



Chemical Engineering 140 Sept. 27
th
, 2004

Midterm Examination #1
Page 9 of 9

( )
0 0
0
2
2 0 0
2
0
but
4
so,
4
4
in
L
L L
in
L
L
L
PV
k P
V V
V D h
PV
D k P
V D h
d
V
dt
dh
dt
t
t
t
| |

\ .
=
| |
|

|
|

\ .
=
=

This differential equation is separable resulting in the following integral:

( )
( )
2
0 0
0 0
2
0
2
0
2
2
0 0
0 0
4
4
4
4
4
L
L
h t
in
h t
in in
dh k
dt
PV
D
P
V D h
V D h dh
k
dt
D
V P P D P h
t
t
t
t
t
=

=

} }
} }


The solution of the above integral can be found in integral tables or solved by partial
fraction expansion and is

( )
2
0 0
2 2
0 0
4
ln 1
4
in L
in
in
in
h P h D P h
kt
P
P D
V P P
t
t
(
(
(
(

=