Now to balances:steady-state, no generation,

consumption or accumulation.

Example:
An aqueous potassium nitrate (KNO3)
solution containing 60wt% KNO3 at 80oC
is fed to a crystalliser where the
t
temperature
t
is
i reduced
d d to
t 40oC.
C Wh
Whatt % off
the KNO3 in the feed forms crystals ?
Data: solubility of KNO3 in H2O at 40oC =
63 kg KNO3 /100kg H2O.

IN

= OUT

KNO3 : 0.60 100 = Cr + P

(kg)

H 2O : 0.40 100 = W

(kg)
3 equations and
3 unknowns

other relations :
solubility

Draw a diagram:

63 P
=
100 W

Solving equations:
W = 40 kg
Feed
BASIS:

Crystalliser

Satd
solution

100 kg feed

From 3: P = 63x40/100 = 25.2 kg

From 1: Cr = 60-25.2 = 34.8 kg
% of entering KNO3 in the crystals =

crystals

KNO3 in crystals/KNO3 entering x 100%

(34.8 60) x 100

Example:
Strawberries contain about 15 wt% solids and 85
wt% water. To make jam, strawberries and sugar
are mixed in the ratio 45:55 by mass, and the
mixture is heated to evaporate water until the
residue (jam) contains 1/3 of water by mass.
What amount of strawberries produces 1 kg of
jam?

= 58%

Solution:
i)

Define our components - we have 3

materials:
Strawberry solids

(St)

Water

( )
(W)

Sugar

(Su)

ii) Draw a flowchart:

Draw a diagram:

Sugar

Water

4
3

Strawberries
2
Crusher

Jam
5
Evaporator

Define a BASIS:

 Input = output (steady-state)

Now, equations about system:
JAM PROCESS

TOTAL : Su + St = W + 1
1
H 2O : 0.85 St = W + 1
3
Solids : 0.15 St = xsolids 1
iv) Write your equations with simplifying
assumptions:
Assumptions: No components are generated,
consumed or accumulate in any unit operation:

Steady-state non-reactive process

(kg)
(kg)
(kg)

other relations :
strawberries 45 St
=
=
sugar
55 Su

Generation = accumulation
= consumption = 0

4 equations and 4 unknowns: solvable!!!

Mass Balance: IN = OUT

Solve the equations:

From 4: Su = 55St/45
Sub into 1: St + 55St/45 = W +1
Rearrange: W = 2.222St 1
Sub into 2: 0.85St = 2.222St 1 + 1/3
Solve for St = 0.4859 kg

There is no need to solve for the other

amounts as we have answered the question!!

Another Example
Wet air containing 4.0 mole % water vapor is
passed through a column of calcium chloride
pellets. The pellets absorb 97.0% of the water
and none of the other constituents of air. The
column packing was initially dry and had a
mass of 3.40 kg. Following 5.0 hours of
operation, the pellets are reweighed and found
to have a mass of 3.54 kg.

Calculate the molar flow rate of the feed gas

and the mole fraction of water vapor in the
product gas.

I.e. Efficient solving for only what is

required !!

Solution:
i)

Our components in this case are water (w)

and bone dry air (BDA).

ii) Draw a diagram:

Wet Air:
stream 1

Dried Air:
stream 2

Dryer

Note: in this problem we will take a

BASIS: 5 hours of operation.

iii) Mole balances over the system:

For the bone dry air: IN = OUT

Dry Air: nBDA, 1 = nBDA, 2

Water
accumulates
i hi this
hi
within
system

Labeling stream variables:

(mole) . Eq.1

For the water, there is accumulation

over time in the dryer (call this nacc) :
ACCUMULATION = IN - OUT

nBDA,i = no of moles of bone dry air in stream i

nw,i = number of moles of water in stream i

H2O: nacc = nw, 1- nw,2

(mole). Eq.2

So far 5 unknowns and only 2 equations:

need 3 more

From equation 2

Other relations:

nw,1
nw,1 + nBDA,1

8.02 = 7.78 + nw,2

= 0.04

nacc = 0.97 nw,1

nacc = (3.54 - 3.40 )

....Eq. 3
(mole)
1000
18

....Eq. 4
(mole) ....Eq.5

= 7.78 mol
From a basis of 5 hours
Now to the solution
(5 equations and 5 unknowns)

subbing into 4 :

7.78
0.97
= 8.02 mol

nw,1 =

nw,2 = 0.24 mol

From equation 3
8.02
= 0.04
8.02 + nBDA,1
0.04 n BDA,1 = (1 - 0.04) 8.02
n BDA,1 = 192.5 mol
n BDA,2 = 192.5 mol
Molar feed rate of ggas pper hour is
192.5 + 8.02
= 40.1 mol/hr
5
Water composition of outlet stream
0.24
=
100 = 0.12%
0.24 + 192.5

DEGREES OF FREEDOM

In all these problems we had to have

the same number of independent
equations as unknowns

To date -

Degrees of Freedom (DOF)

Simple maths

Material balances performed

on one or two unit operations
with only a few components.
Enough information is
provided to solve problems.

I reall industries
In
i d t i andd the
th environment
i
t
-

How is it possible to know whether all the

information is there to solve our material
balances?

Tens, hundreds, even thousands

of unit operations and different
components.

2x + y = 5

______ 1

x - y =1

______ 2

Two unknown variables (x,y) with two

independent equations ( 1 , 2 ). Solving
gives:
x = 2, y = 1. This is the only solution to the
equations.
We say DOF = 0
[same number of equations as unknowns]

Another example:

Another example:

z + 3x + y = 9

________ 1

z +3x+y= 9

________ 1

2z + 4x - y = 11
z
= 2

________ 2

2z + 4x y = 11

________ 2

3z + 7x

________ 3

3 variables (x, y, z)
2 independent equations ( 1 , 2 )

= 20

Three variables
Th
i bl (x,
( y, z)) only
l two
independent equations
(equation 3 = 2 + 1 )

1 specified variable (z).

Must have independent equations
Solving gives: z = 2, x = 2, y = 1
DOF = 0;; x,, y, z are unique
q

We cannot obtain an explicit unique

solution for x, y, z. However, if 1 extra
independent equation were available, or if
one of x, y, z were specified, then we
could solve:
DOF = 1

In summary:

Another Example:

2x + y = 5

______ 1

x - y =1

______ 2

DOF = Nv Ne
Nv = Number of unknown variables

x=1

Ne = Number of independent equations

From 1 , x = 1 y = 3
2 ,x=1 y=0
Not possible this problem is over specified.
Need either:

If DOF > 0
We need to find either:
extra equations or

x not specified

extra variables

or
One less equation
DOF = -1

Look at last example: Absorption of water

in a dryer
i)

Components: Water (w) and bone dry air

(BDA).

ii) Flow chart

iii) Mole balance equations:

nBDA, 1 = nBDA, 2

_____ 1

nw, 1 = nacc + nw,2 _____ 2

iv) Other equations:

Water
accumulates

Wet Air

Dryer Air
Dryer

iii) Variables:

n BDA, i

= moles of bone dry in stream ' i'

n w, i

= moles of water in stream ' i'

n acc,w

= moles of water that accumulate in bed

Total number of variables = 5

nw,1
= 0.04 ____ 3
nw,1 + nBDA,1
n acc = 0.97 n w,1
n acc = 0.14

____ 4
(kg)

____ 5

Total number of independent equations = 5

Therefore: DOF = 5 - 5 = 0

(nBDA,1, nBDA,2, nw,1, nw,2, nacc)

Another Example:

A mixture of propane in air containing

4.03% C3H8 (fuel gas) is in the feed to a
combustion furnace. If there is a problem
in the furnace, a stream of pure
air(dilution air) is added to the fuel
mixture to make sure that ignition is not
possible. If propane flows at a rate of 150
mol C3H8/s in the fuel gas, what is the
minimum molar flow rate of the dilution
air?

If the percentage of fuel in a fuel/air

mixture falls below the lower
flammability limit (LFL) then the mixture
cannot ignite.
For example,
example the LFL for propane (C3H8)
is 2.05 mole % C3H8

If the % of propane in the propane/air mix

is greater than 2.05% then the mixture can
be ignited. If the % is less than 2.05%
propane than the mixture cannot be
ignited.
g ted.

Flow Diagram

Will perform material balances using

equations 1 and 3.
Diluted gas

Fuel Gas
1
4.03% C3H8

Mixer

2.05% C3H8
2

Other relations:

nC3H8 , 1 = 0.0403 nTot, 1

____ 4

nC3H8 , 3 = 0.0205 nTot, 3

____ 5

nC3H8 , 1 = 150 mol / s

____ 6

Dilution Air
Material Balance Equations (mole):

nC3H8 , 1 = nC3H8 , 3
nair, 1

____ 1

+ nair, 2 = nair, 3

nTot, 1 + nair, 2 = nTot, 3

Note :

Number of variables is
2(stream 1) + 1(stream 2) + 2(stream 3) = 5 = Nv
Number of independent
p
equations
q

____ 2

Ne = Eqns 1 , 3 , 4 , 5, 6 = 5

____ 3

Only 2 are independent equations

DoF = 5-5 = 0

Problem can be solved !!!

No. components = no. independent equations

Degrees of Freedom Another example

Solution
from

A liquid mixture containing 30.0 mole %

benzene (B), 25.0 mole % toluene (T) and
the balance xylene (X) is fed to a distillation
column.

150 + 0 = n C3H8 , 3

The bottoms
Th
b tt
product
d t contains
t i 98.0
98 0 mole%
l %
X and no B.

n C3H8 , 3 = 150 mol/s

from

96.0% of the X in the feed is recovered in

this the bottoms product.

150
= 3720 mol/s
n Tot, 1 =
0.0403
from 5

The overhead product is fed to a second

column. The overhead product from the
second column contains 94% B and the
balance T
T.

150
= 7320 mol/s
0.0205
from 3
n Tot, 2 = 7317 - 3722
n Tot,
T 3 =

97% of B entering the second column is

recovered in the overhead of the second
column.

= 3600 mol/s dilution air

Flow Diagram

What are the variables:

4
0.94 B
0.06 T
B, T, X

Tower
2

3
0.30 B
0.25 T
0.45 X
1

Perform the DOF analysis to see whether

this problem can be solved ??

Tower
1

B, T, X
2
0.98 X
0.02 T

Stream 1 Stream 2 Stream 3 Stream 4 Stream 5

Total
flow1
xB,1

Total
flow2
xB,2

Total
flow3
xB,3

Total
flow4
xB,4

Total
flow5
xB,5

xT,1

xT,2

xT,3

xT,4

xT,5

xx,1

xx,2

xx,3

xx,4

xx,5

20 variables in the table

But we know some of these already: 9 are known

Unknown variables = 20 - 9 = 11

What are the equations ?? :

Unit

Mass balance Equations

A few more relations we havent used yet:

Tower 1

3 equations

[96.0% of the X in the feed is recovered in this the

bottoms product].

Tower 2

3 equations

0.96 x Total flow1 x Xx,1 = Total flow2 x Xx,2

Sum of the mole fractions in the

unknown streams= 1
3

xi ,3 = 1
i =1

xi ,5 = 1

[97% of B entering the second column is recovered

in the overhead of the second column]
0.97 x Total flow3 x XB,3 = Total flow4 x XB,4

i =1

2 more equations

2 more equations
Total no.
no Equations = 6+2+2 = 10
Total no. unknown Variables = 11
DoF = 1 we must specify one more variable

BASIS = 100 mole feed [now solvable!!]