Chemical Engineering Department

CDB 3044 Process Plant Design

Tutorial - 2
22nd Jun 2017
(Submission Deadline: 29th Jun 2017)

1. In the production of ethanol by the hydrolysis of ethylene, diethyl ether is produced as a by-product. A
typical feed stream composition is having 55% ethylene, 5% inerts, 40% water and product stream is
having 52.26% ethylene, 5.49% ethanol, 0.16% ether, 36.81% water, 5.28% inerts. Calculate the yield of
ethanol and ether based on ethylene.

Reactions

2. A desired liquid-phase reaction:

is accompanied by a parallel reaction:

Evaluate the different possible reactor configurations such as ideal batch, semi-batch, plug-flow, semi-
plug-flow and mixed flow for the reaction system. In the case of the semi-batch and semi-plug flow
reactors, the order of addition of A and B can be changed. Order the reactor configurations from the
most desirable to the least desirable to maximize production of the desired product.