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4903 Experiments 2004 (1)

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  • 8/6/2019 4903 Experiments 2004 (1)

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of Utah

    Vacuum Drying Oven I

    New technologies being investigated to protect a damaged space shuttle during reentry is

    to first fill the damaged area with a porous polymeric material and then soak it withwater. At the temperatures of space the water will freeze in the pores. The worst-case

    scenario is for a 4 inch2 area, 1-inch deep hole in the shuttles skin. Your question is to

    determine if during reentry the shuttles skin will be protected by this ice filled repair. Tohelp facilitate your investigations the laboratory has a vacuum drying oven that is steam

    heated. Professor Ring will supply several examples of the open cell porous polymer

    material to be tested. This material should be well characterized before it is to be used in

    your experiments.

    Develop a series of experimental tests to determine the time required to remove water and

    ice from the porous structure at different drying conditions. Compare these measurementsto predictions using simultaneous heat and mass transfer. Extrapolate these conditions to

    those of reentry of the space shuttle and predict if the ice filled repair material is adequate

    for this application. To do this effectively, you will need to simulate the temperature andpressure conditions that the shuttle will experience during reentry and then predict the

    rates of sublimation and drying that will take place in this patch material during these

    reentry conditions. Use some sort of risk analysis to determine what are the mostimportant parameters that will lead to a successful patch of this type and determine what

    is the chance of failure of the patch during reentry.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of Utah

    CSTR-PFR Combination Reactor

    Our client has a CSTR saponification reactor operating in their plant. The saponification

    reaction used by our client is the saponification of ethyl acetate, (ET-Ac);

    Et-Ac + NaOHNaAc + Et-OH

    followed by a separation process for sodium acetate, NaAc, from the mixture of the

    solvent water and the reaction byproduct ethanol (ET-OH). They are having trouble

    with the reactor and want to increase the reactors yield. They have available a PFR thatcould be used in series or parallel to increase the reaction yield. First of all, they would

    like to know if their stirred tank reactor is operating as an ideal reactor. They think that

    the impeller operating at 30 rpm may be too slow for ideal mixing. You will be required

    to develop a method of experimentally determining if the reactor is operating ideally andspecifically determine just how far from ideal this behavior is. Second of all, they would

    like to know how to configure the CSTR and PFR combination for and increase in yieldfor the saponification of ethyl acetate. You are to make the prediction of what is the best

    configuration before the oral exam using data from the literature1 that may take some

    further analysis and the geometry of the 1.3 Liter CSTR and the 63 cm long 2.5 cm indiameter packed bed PFR filled with 3 mm diameter glass bead packing located in Lab F

    which will be available to you for experimentation. Your laboratory work should make

    measurements on this reactor configuration and compare the experimental results with

    your predictions.

    A key factor in these experiments is the method used to measure the concentration ofeither reactants or products from the reactor. Develop an accurate method of chemicalanalysis. What size sample do you need to take from the reactor to give accurate

    analysis?

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

    1 Hovarka, R.B. and Kendall, ;H.B. "Tubular reactor at low flow rates" CEP56(8),58-62(1960).

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of Utah

    Heat Conduction 1

    A long cylindrical antenna on an airplanes exterior cools its cylindrical aluminum

    electronics compartment to which it is attached. If the electronics are cooled to less than0C then they will not work properly due to a surface acoustic wave transducer. The flight

    conditions are up to 8 hrs at 10,000 m altitude where the ambient temperature is 60C

    and with airspeed of 1,000 km/hr. You are to develop a model for the temperaturedistribution in the antenna and the cooling of the electronics compartment. The

    dimensions and materials of construction for the antenna and the electronics compartment

    are to be taken from the Heat Conduction experimental apparatus with its cylindrical

    steam chamber and its cylindrical metal rods in aluminum and stainless steel of variousdiameters. As part of your oral exam you will be required to predict the temperature

    transient profile for an aluminum rod as a function of time and location from one end

    where the temperature is held constant. You are to compare this model withmeasurements done on the Heat Conduction experimental apparatus in which you will

    monitor the transient heat conduction in the rods given an inlet of hot fluid at one end of

    the rods. In your final report compare the experimental transient temperature profile tothe predicted transient temperature profile for all rods on the apparatus. Explain any

    differences you see between experiment and prediction in the discussion part of your

    report. Finally using this data and other materials and models, make suggestions for thematerials of construction of the antenna for the airplane, its diameter (assuming it has to

    be of a given length to work as an antenna) and the heating requirements for a heater to

    be placed in the electronics compartment to provide the needed heat to keep the

    compartment at or above 0C during the flight.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in thebody of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of Utah

    Extruder-2

    A client has produced a new high-density form of a polyethylene. We have been asked to

    characterize the extrusion properties of this new polymer and make predictions of its rate

    of extrusion in industrial equipment. The client also wants to know what is the

    maximum extrusion rate for the high-density polyethylene polymer in the manufacture of

    a new type of 1 pipe to replace that, which is sold for sprinkler systems here in the USA.

    The industrial equipment used today extrudes PVC at 10 C above its melting point at 0.5

    m/s through the 1 pipe die. You have PVC, the blue beads in the laboratory, which you

    can try for comparison purposes to characterize the rheology of PVC for comparison

    purposes.

    Your boss believes the best way to do this is to measure the Non-Newtonian rheology of

    the polymer at various temperatures and then to extrude it under various conditions to

    verify that it can be extruded well. So at various temperatures, perform extrusion

    experiments at various temperatures and flow rates. Measure the pressure and the flow

    rate for these conditions. Using appropriate Newtonian models for the flow in both an

    extruder and a rectangular die2 calculate the viscosity of the fluid. Plot the viscosity as a

    function of shear rate. Is the viscosity Newtonian? Please identify any Non-Newtonian

    data taken. What rheological equation should be used to fit the Non-Newtonian data?

    How is the PVC different from the high-density polyethylene?

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

    2 Ring, T.A. Fundamentals of Ceramic Processing and Synthesis Academic Press, New York 1996, p.

    644-649.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of UtahCatalytic Decomposition of Cumene

    Due to a design error a 3-5% impurity, cumene, is present in a customers isooctane

    stream. Since the cost of revamping the production unit is prohibitive, it is proposed to

    remove the cumene by a vapor-phase catalytic decomposition, viz,

    CC + C=CC

    A catalyst is needed that will not cause any reaction with isooctane. The propylene is tobe stripped out down stream and the benzene added to the isooctane feed. Set up a small,

    fixed bed reactor and investigate a SiO2-Al2O3 catalyst for the decomposition of cumene

    over a range of temperatures from 300 C to 500 C. Since isooctane is inert of this

    catalyst in this temperature range, helium can be substituted as an inert carrier gas.

    Your task is to:

    1.) Determine the reaction order with respect to cumene and kinetic rate constant as afunction of temperature for the above reaction

    2.) Determine the catalyst deactivitation kinetics. Coking is responsible for

    deactiviation.3.) Determine how long it takes to achieve catalyst line out, that is when catalyst

    deactivation becomes constant

    4.) Determine the reaction order with respect to cumene and kinetic rate constant as a

    function of temperature at line out conditions.

    In your oral be prepared to discuss:1.) Equipment2.) Sample analysis using a gas chromatograph

    3.) Kinetic analysis for nth order reaction in cumene and for both pore diffusion and

    surface reaction as rate-limiting steps.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of UtahHeat Control -2

    The heat control is an apparatus with a long residence time which makes developing a

    controller for it a time consuming operation. As a result, you should plan a limited

    experimental program to be used for process modeling purposes. Using control station fitthe experimental data to a process model. Use the process model to develop two

    controllers be they P, PI, PD or PID and determine the appropriate coefficients for the

    two best controllers. After you have developed the controllers using control stationimplement the controllers on the heat control apparatus and test your two controllers.

    Compare the accuracy of the two best controllers on the apparatus to those same

    controllers on the process model. Develop a method to quantitatively compare the

    various controller types you have performed experiments upon. Be prepared to discussthe quantitative comparison method in the oral exam.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of UtahLiquid Level Control-1

    The liquid level control experiment measures the pressure head in a tank and controls

    either the inlet flow rate or the outlet flow rate from the tank. The object of this

    experiment is to test both system configurations with a controller (either P,PI or PID)with an optimized set of tuning parameters. Determine which configuration is the best, to

    control level in the tank. You are also to specify the controller type(e.g. P,PI,PID) and

    optimum tuning parameters for the system, which best controls level by manipulations ofthe flow rate in or out of the tank. Develop a method to quantitatively compare the

    various configurations (both valve location and various controller types) you have

    performed experiments upon. Be prepared to discuss the quantitative comparison method

    in the oral exam.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of Utah

    Bubble-cap Distillation Column 3

    The client wants to optimize the performance of his distillation column separating an iso-

    propanol (IPA)-water mixture. Our objective is to determine operating conditions andconfiguration for the distillation column that will give optimized performance for the

    separation of IPA-water mixture. Based upon the results from the previous groups

    report, your objective is to optimize the distillation column to produce the maximumamount of high concentration product for the least amount of steam. There are several

    strategies that might be used to increase the capacity of the distillation column including:

    feed point, recycle ratio, condenser control temperature, height in the reboiler, or other

    that your engineering judgment deems appropriate. Please use a software package,Aspen, HiSyS or ChemCad, to test various optimization strategies. Select 4 different

    operating conditions and run the distillation column at finite reflux for those conditions

    and determine the yield of the unit operation. Compare your experimentally measuredyields to those predicted by the software package. In your report identify the conditions

    to maximize the yield for the column using the IPA-water mixture in the feed tank.

    Please determine the capital cost of the modification, if any, to the column and theoperating cost for these 4 different operating conditions. Compare these cost to that of

    the current operating configuration. How much would you save with your optimized

    column?

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of Utah

    Liquid flow bench-1

    We have a very tight budget and want to do experiments very cost effectively for our

    client. He needs to evaluate the use of Salt Lake Brine from the north arm of the lake.

    The north arm is the most concentrated. The brine will be pumped to a plant near toWillard bay where the brine and river water from the Weber river will be pumped

    through separate filtration systems, e.g. a sand bed filter then a membrane filter at 10

    microns. You need to determine the pressure drop and pump energy needed for thepipeline and for a water treatment plants. We need to do this both on paper an using

    experiments. At the plant we need to determine the pressure drop and pump energy

    needed for the filtration system for both the brine and the river water needed for the plant.

    This clean brine and clean river water will then be used to generate power (130megawatts) by pressure-retarded osmosis and a hydro turbine. Please see Sidney Loebs

    paper attached.

    Use the liquid flow bench to determine the friction factor for water flow in pipes. Of

    particular interest is the turbulent regime where the pipe roughness plays a role.

    Carefully plan your experiments to obtain the most accurate measurements of the frictionfactor and the Reynolds number. For your oral exam please give the range of flow rates,

    pipe sizes, pressure drops and other parameters you intend to use. In addition please

    predict the range of Reynolds number to be investigated as well as the accuracy of thefriction factor to be measured. Compare your results with those in the literature and

    discuss any differences.

    Also use the liquid flow bench to determine the pressure drop for a sand be filter. Ofparticular interest is the turbulent flow regime. Carefully plan your experiments to obtain

    the most accurate measurements of the pressure drop and the Reynolds number.

    Compare your results with those in the literature and discuss any differences.

    Finally, determine the cost of the pipeline and the cost of the filtration plants for both the

    river water and the brine. These costs should reflect both capital and operating costs.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of Utah

    Bubble-cap Distillation Column 1

    Please operate the laboratory distillation column in two modes: 1) at total reflux

    and 2) when top and bottom products are being taken with a recycle ratio of

    approximately twice the minimum recycle ratio. Determine the stage-by-stage efficiencyof the laboratory distillation column under these two modes of operation. Please assure

    that the distillation column is operating at steady state before samples are taken for your

    analysis of stage-by-stage efficiency.For your oral exam please predict the overall stage efficiency from a correlation

    available in the literature. For this calculation, assume that the column capacity is limited

    by flooding considerations and make your estimate of overall efficiency at 80% of

    flooding. Also be prepared to discuss errors in your experimentally measured quantitiesand error propagation into the stage-by-stage efficiency determined. Which mode of

    analysis and operation will give the lowest errors?

    An estimate is needed of the capacity (GPM of Feed) of the laboratory distillationcolumn to process a 15% ethanol in water stream and to produce a 50% ethanol product.

    The approximate reflux ratio, the steam rate required, the optimum feed plate location

    and the expected percent ethanol recovery are to be specified. Proposed columnoperation should conform to accepted industrial practice.

    You are to make this estimate based upon the results of operation of this same

    column on the water-isopropanol solution available. Necessary corrections to theselaboratory data are to be made based upon standard correlations, to permit the evaluation

    for the ethanol-water system.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of Utah

    Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger-1

    A client is interested to know the reason for the transient in his shell and tube heat

    exchanger. So you are to measure it and determine why it is so long. In addition, he

    wants to use this heat exchanger for two new uses, which require you to make designcalculations for him.

    Using the shell and tube heat exchanger determining the overall heat transfer coefficientfor the transfer of heat from the jacket to the liquid inside the shell. For your oral exam

    you will have to establish a protocol for these measurements and a dimensionless number

    correlation for the shell side heat transfer coefficient that is reasonable for this type of

    equipment. Compare your experimental correlation with any that are available in theliterature.

    In addition, you need to pay particular attention to data taken at startup of the equipmentand develop a method of determining the effective thermal mass of the shell and tube

    heat exchanger experimentally. Compare that with an estimate of the mass using its

    geometry and the density of its various materials of construction.

    In your final report you are to use the experimental data and analysis performed to

    develop a design of the operating conditions necessary to use this same shell and tubeheat exchanger to cool both a mixture of 0.33 mole fraction dodecane in heptane from

    300C to 50C and liquid sodium from 300C to 150C using cooling water in both cases.

    How much mixture can be fed to the heat exchanger per unit time and what flow rate of

    cooling water is needed. Assume that the cooling water is the same temperature asavailable in the tap in the Laboratory.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of UtahCSTR

    A client appears to be running his CSTR without sufficient mixing as low conversions are

    being reported. Uniform mixing of reactants is critical to the conversion in a CSTR. You

    are to develop a series of data to show the effect of inadequate mixing on CSTRconversion for presentation to the client. We believe that they will mimic the clients

    results.

    Please run a CSTR at less than optimum stirring rates to establish the degree of macro-

    segregation that is observed as a function of stirring rate using the residence time

    distribution and the conversion. Start at zero stirring rate in a baffled tank and proceed

    upwards to stirring rates where uniform mixing is theoretically expected (see Perry's).Please take data at steady state for each stirring rate. Use the saponification of ethyl

    acetate

    Et-Ac + NaOHs( ,

    , ) NaAc + Et-OH

    as a test reaction. The kinetics of this reaction is reported in Hovarka, R.B. and

    Kendall, ;H.B. "Tubular reactor at low flow rates" CEP56(8),58-62(1960). In equimolar

    experiments they found this reaction to be second order overall. As a result of thisfinding the location of the reactant feed port is critical. In the oral quiz give good reasons

    for your selection of feed port locations. A key factor in these experiments is the method

    used to measure the concentration of either reactants or products from the reactor.Develop an accurate method of chemical analysis. What size sample do you need to take

    from the reactor to give accurate analysis?

    Use reactor mixing models to fit the results you have obtained from measurements of the

    residence time distribution and the conversion. Compare your mixing models forconversion to those measured. So that we can show that client we can predict the effects

    of poor mixing in his CSTR.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of Utah

    Glass Lined Reactor

    The client needs a Heat transfer correlation for a glass-lined reactor of odd geometry.

    Using the glass lined reactor determine the heat transfer coefficient for the transfer ofheat from the steam jacket to the liquid inside the reactor. Please make these

    measurements with the baffle in place at various liquid levels and stirring rates. For your

    oral exam you will have to establish a protocol for these measurements (including

    accuracy assessment) and a correlation (of the type Nusselt Number versus Reynolds

    number) that is reasonable for this type of equipment.

    Based upon a reaction the saponification of ethyl acetate

    Et-Ac + NaOHs( ,

    , ) NaAc + Et-OH

    determine a design for this glass-lined reaction using this reactor. The kinetics of this

    reaction is reported in Hovarka, R.B. and Kendall, ;H.B. "Tubular reactor at low flow

    rates" CEP56(8),58-62(1960). In equimolar experiments they found this reaction to be

    second order overall. This reaction conversion may be limited by either kinetics or heat

    transfer. Determine the capacity of this glass-lined reactor assuming 0.1 M feed of both

    reactants when the conversion of the product is to be 0.85.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in thebody of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of Utah

    Extruder-1

    Perform extrusion experiments at various temperatures and flow rates. Measure the

    pressure and the flow rate for these conditions. Using appropriate Newtonian models forthe flow in both an extruder and a rectangular die3 calculate the viscosity of the fluid.

    Plot the viscosity as a function of shear rate. Is the viscosity Newtonian? Please identify

    any Non-Newtonian data taken. What rheological equation should be used to fit the Non-

    Newtonian data?

    Use the data gathered for polyethylene and validation of the various governing equations

    used, predict this equipments maximum extrusion rate for a ceramic paste consisting of

    55% by volume solids mono-disperse 0.1 micron diameter particles of amorphous SiO2 in

    water assuming that the Silica dispersion follows a Crossian or shear thinning rheology4

    similar to polyethylene. Does the Braybender motor have sufficient torque to push the

    ceramic paste through the die (only) at this maximum flow rate?

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

    3 Ring, T.A. Fundamentals of Ceramic Processing and Synthesis Academic Press, New York 1996, p.

    644-649.4 Ibid, p. 562-573.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of UtahDistillation

    With the new gas sample ports run the distillation column and take gas samples. Analyze

    the gas samples with our Index of Refraction apparatus and compare these results, the

    liquid samples also taken and theoretical calculations for the column. From the liquidsamples determine the stage efficiency and from the gas samples determine the stage

    efficiency and compare with that determined from the gas samples. Also compare these

    experimental results to literature correlations of stage efficiency.

    An estimate is needed of the capacity (GPM of Feed) of the laboratory distillation column

    to process a 2.5% ethanol in water stream and to produce a 40% ethanol product. The

    approximate reflux ratio, the steam rate required, the optimum feed plate location and theexpected percent ethanol recovery are to be specified. Proposed column operation should

    conform to accepted industrial practice. You are to make this estimate based upon the

    results of operation of this same column at on the water-isopropanol solution available.Necessary corrections to these laboratory data are to be made based upon standard

    correlations, to permit the capacity evaluation for the ethanol-water system.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of Utah

    CSTR

    A client appears to be running his CSTR without the baffles in his mixing tank and

    therefore insufficient mixing as low conversions are being reported. Uniform mixing of

    reactants is critical to the conversion in a CSTR. You are to develop a series of data toshow the effect of inadequate mixing on CSTR conversion for presentation to the client.

    We believe that they will mimic the clients results.

    Please run a CSTR with and without baffles to establish the degree of macro-segregation

    that is observed as a function of stirring rate using the residence time distribution and the

    conversion. Start with a baffled tank and proceed to add baffles until four are added.

    Please take data at steady state for each condition. Use the saponification of ethyl acetateEt-Ac + NaOH NaAc + Et-OH

    as a test reaction. The kinetics of this reaction is reported in Hovarka, R.B. andKendall, ;H.B. "Tubular reactor at low flow rates" CEP56(8),58-62(1960). In equimolar

    experiments they found this reaction to be second order overall. As a result of this

    finding the location of the reactant feed port is critical. In the oral quiz give good reasonsfor your selection of feed port locations. A key factor in these experiments is the method

    used to measure the concentration of either reactants or products from the reactor.

    Develop an accurate method of chemical analysis. What size sample do you need to takefrom the reactor to give accurate analysis of the rate constant?

    Use reactor-mixing models to fit the results you have obtained from measurements of the

    residence time distribution and the conversion. Compare your mixing models forconversion to those measured. So that we can show that client we can predict the effects

    of poor mixing in his CSTR.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of UtahDistillation III

    With the terrorist hysteria, there has been a need to develop chemical agent

    decontamination methods. Chemical agents are phosphor organic molecules that behave

    like vaporizable light oils. To decontaminate a surface either a solvent for chemicalagent is used or strong oxidizing solutions are used, i.e. bleach solutions. Strong

    oxidizing solutions can degrade some surfaces of the materials to be decontaminated. If a

    solvent is used for decontamination it must be regenerated. A good solvent is iso-propylalcohol. A good method for regeneration is distillation.

    Go along to the grocery store and get a bottle of essential oil of the mint, which will act

    as a simulant for a chemical agent like Sarin. Develop a method to measure theconcentration of mint in iso-propanol. Maybe spectrometry would work. Add the mint

    to a batch of iso-propanol and run it through the batch still. From your operation of the

    batch still determine if contaminated iso-propanol can be cleaned up for reuse as adecontamination solvent. Determine the relative volatility for mint in iso-propanol. Then

    use the CHEMCAD or Aspen program, with the BATCH module, to develop a schedule

    of sequential batch distillations including slop cuts that would be recycled with theobjective to maximize the separation of mint from iso-propanol with operation at our

    atmospheric pressure, with a total condenser and a reboiler powered at 800watts. In your

    experiments you are to test this sequential batch distillation schedule and compare yourresults with that of your CHEMCAD or Aspen predictions.

    Thank you for freshening the laboratory air.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of Utah

    pH Control 3

    A new client requires that a controller be designed for a waste acid neutralization step.

    The acid stream is pH 3, HCl to be neutralized by a base, NaOH. Since the product of the

    neutralizer enters a biological waste treatment facility for phenol in which the digestionenzyme being used is very pH sensitive, the pH must be controlled to within 0.3 pH units.

    There are several enzymes under development for the phenol digestion with different

    ideal pH operating conditions. As a result we need to develop a generalized pHcontroller that will work with different and changing flow rates of the waste stream and

    control the pH between 5 and 9 with accuracy at the set point of 0.3 pH units. Deviation

    in pH beyond that will denature the enzyme protein and render it useless for the phenol

    digestion reaction.

    It is well established that pH control is difficult mixing process to control. The reason is

    that this mixing process is highly non-linear in its pH response. Using a burette and a pHmeter, show this non-linear response by mixing acid into a base solution. Then operate

    the pH control experiment on these same solutions and develop a control strategy for this

    system. Should you use a P, PI or PID controller to best control the pH in this system,which performs best? Develop and test an advance control strategy for this process over

    a pH range of 4 pH units. Quantitatively compare the results for the various controllers

    you have tried in an attempt to determine the best controller for this process.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of UtahPacked Beds-I

    Flow through packed beds are essential for many unit operations including trickle bed

    reactors used for biological clean-up of phenol from process waters in a refinery. Phenol

    at concentrations above 100 ppm is toxic to bacteria in waste water treatment facilitiesand must be removed before refinery waste water is discharged to the sewer. As a result,

    waste water is flowed through a packed be bioreactor made of porous sand impregnated

    and bound with an enzyme from unique strain of bacteria that considers phenol as food.The enzyme in the acid form catalyzes the oxidation of phenol rendering it non-toxic.

    The kinetics of this oxidation reaction follows the Michaelis Menton kinetic relation

    -Rate = Vmax S/(Km+S)

    where S is the concentration of the substrate, phenol and Vmax =1 mole/(cm2 hr) and Km=

    10 ppm measured for the enzyme impregnated sand particles. Your job is to determinefrom the properties of the flow of water in the sand bed (i.e. friction factor vs Reynolds

    number) what is an appropriate waste water flow rate to match the kinetics of the reaction

    so that water loaded with 500ppm phenol can be rendered safe to send to the Salt LakeCity sewer. You will also need to size the pump required to pump the water through the

    2 meter tall, 0.5 meter diameter sand trickle bed reactor.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of UtahHeat Control -1

    The heat control is an apparatus with a long residence time which makes developing a

    controller for it a time consuming operation. As a result, you should plan a limited

    experimental program to be use for process modeling purposes. Using control station fitthe experimental data to a process model. Use the process model to develop two

    controllers be they P, PI, PD or PID and determine the appropriate coefficients for the

    two best controllers. After you have developed the controllers using control stationimplement the controllers on the heat control apparatus and test your two controllers.

    Compare the accuracy of the two best controllers on the apparatus to those same

    controllers on the process model.

    Finally, use a Smith predictor controller for controlling the apparatus. Ask Ben Meibos

    for help in implementing this controller. Compare the accuracy of the Smith predictor

    Controller to that of the others tested.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of UtahHeat Control -3

    The heat control is an apparatus with a long residence time which makes developing a

    controller for it a time consuming operation. As a result, you should plan a limited

    experimental program to be used for process modeling purposes. Using control station fitthe experimental data to a process model. Use the process model to develop two

    controllers be they P, PI, PD or PID and determine the appropriate coefficients for the

    two best controllers. After you have developed the controllers using control stationimplement the controllers on the heat control apparatus and test your two controllers.

    Compare the accuracy of the two best controllers on the apparatus to those same

    controllers on the process model.

    Finally, design and test a more advanced controller of your choice. Compare the accuracy

    of this multivariable controller to that of the others tested.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in thebody of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of UtahLiquid Level Control-1

    The liquid level control experiment measures the pressure head in a tank and controls

    either the inlet flow rate or the outlet flow rate from the tank. The object of this

    experiment is to test both system configurations with a controller (either P,PI or PID)with an optimized set of tuning parameters. Determine which configuration is the best, to

    control level in the tank. You are also to specify the controller type(e.g. P,PI,PID) and

    optimum tuning parameters for the system, which best controls level by manipulations ofthe flow rate in or out of the tank. Develop a method to quantitatively compare the

    various configurations (both valve location and various controller types) you have

    performed experiments upon. Be prepared to discuss the quantitative comparison method

    in the oral exam.Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.

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    Beehive State Engineerseehive State EngineersDepartment of Chemical Engineering

    University of UtahMultivariable control system-1

    A water heating system consists of a constant level tank with an electrical heater. The

    water flows from the heated tank into a hypothetical delivery system. The objective of

    this water heating system is to deliver water at constant temperature and flow rate withtemperature takes priority at all times. In the system, the water flow is controlled going

    into and out of the tank. The inlet flow is controlled according to the height of the liquid

    in the tank. On the basis of your best analytical efforts, determine the times to steadystate that would be needed for each controller at 1.25 and 2.5 gpm flow rates and the tank

    height at 25 inches and 35 inches. You are required to tune the two most important

    controllers on this apparatus at different tank heights and flow rates. You should decide

    which type of controllers (i.e. P, PI, PID) are to be used in each case.

    For your laboratory experiments operate the system : 1) manually to get a feel for the

    system, and 2) tune all the controllers and determine the tuning parameters for theprocesses and control valves for two tank heights and two flow rates. Are these tuning

    parameters likely to be the same? How good is this tuning? How would you determine

    the control performance? Based on the above work, is there a simple advanced controlstrategy that might significantly improve performance? After discussions with TAR

    implement and test this advanced control strategy and report on its performance.

    Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the

    body of your report.