CHEMSOL @ ALCHEMY’11

You can make required set of appropriate assumptions and gather the
required data from standard references. Mention the page number along with
location for references.
1. No clumsy assumptions will be accepted. Every step has to be clear and
solutions must be coherent. Any falsification of information will lead to
unacceptability of solutions.
2. Only complete answers must be submitted.
3. This is the first round; the participants will be selected for final round
based on their performance at online round.
4. You will be judged based on your accuracy, your basics implementation
skills and design abilities collectively.
5. Submit the answers in different sheets (Choose one from first and second
problems, third problem is compulsory)

Email your answers, along with graph sheets and coherent solution at
sumit-kumar@aussiemail.com.au
Problem Statement 1:

Flue gas releasing from of Mathura refinery is composed of carbon di-oxide

(0.5 mole fraction) and sulfur di-oxide (0.215 mole fraction). This gas when
released forms acidic products which cause acid rain. Due to harsh chemical
reaction with the building materials, it makes them look awkward and old. Taj
Mahal has been found being affected because of the reaction of white stone
and water of acid rain. So the Government of Uttar Pradesh instructed IOCL
to treat the flue gases chemically. This flue gas is being released at the rate
of 10, 00,000 kg/day. What are the preferable chemicals to be used for it?
These chemicals are mixed in proper proportion and send in counter-
currently in an absorption tower (Note that there is reaction and mass
transfer simultaneously) and the flue gas being released should have CO2<
0.2 PPM and SO2< 0.04 ppm. The absorbent introduced is recycled and
added with proper amount of make-up absorbent. Give the complete design
details for the absorption tower if
(1) It is being contacted counter-currently in a Tray tower having bubble cap
trays
(2) It is being introduced to packed tower have berl saddle packing with a
packing fraction of 0.45.

Solubility Data with water(If you want to use any other and better absorbent,
then take the corresponding data at 25 C from literature, give reasons for
why it should be preferred. Highlight and compare the cost factors involved
in it):
x(mole fraction CO2): .05 .1 .15 .2 .25 .3 .35 .4 .45 .5 .55 .6
y(mole fraction CO2): .11 .16 .25 .33 .39 .43 .5 .54 .59 .67 .71 .79 .85
x(mole fraction SO2): .005 .01 .015 .02 .025 .03 .035 .04 .045 .05 .055 .06
y(mole fraction SO2): .11 .16 .25 .33 .39 .43 .5 .54 .59 .67 .71 .79 .85
or
use
for CO2: y = 0.2 x
and SO2 y= .045 x
any missing data can be taken from Perry’s handbook(Recycle ratio for
absorbent=2, if you recommend to increase the recycle ratio, use the
recommended value of it with clear explanation. whole operation is being
conducted at isothermal conditions at 25 C, missing data can be taken from
research papers. Your assumptions if found correct and appropriate will add
up your score.)
Problem statement 2:

NTPC has to install equipment setting up a side magnetic field with strength
2, 00,000 times the earth's magnetic field (horizontal component). The
equipment consists of a dynamo and a connected shaft which has to be
rotated. The shaft is pivoted at one conical end and the bearing friction
coefficient is 0.3. Can you guess the speed with which the shaft must rotate?
Can you find out the power requirement for this operation? The power is
being transferred from high pressure steam being generated in a boiler. The
boiler is designed based on the need and to supply steam at 20 atm. The 20
% steam is lost in transmission to turbine. Design the boiler. (Take the
required data from literature and mention references).
a. Can you find out per day coal consumption? (Use anthracite with no
moisture content, get the composition and calorific value from the literature)
b. Design the turbine (the turbine used is the one being used now a days in
all power plants in India as well as British Power Corporations, dimensions
must be as small as possible). Conversion of thermal energy to mechanical
energy is 80%. Other losses could be accounted as 10% of steam
transmission and bearing losses, the heights of equipment should not exceed
4 meters and width should not exceed 3 meters. Take appropriate
dimensions and give the proper grounds for supporting the question “why”.
Problem statement 3:

ExxonMobil’s Houston refinery has a capacity of 14 MMTPA. It utilizes the

crude from Atlantic seashores and Middle East. The crude from Middle East
has 50% aromatics while the one from Atlantic seashore has 67% paraffin.
ExxonMobil decided to use the mixture (40% and 60%) of these as a feed to
its new plant which is the extension of old refinery. This made their products
to beat all other petroleum companies. Competitive environment forced
Shell Global, Saudi Aramaco, Sinopec, British Petroleum and China
Petrochemical to install a bigger plant with 20% shares of each company in
it. This plant with introduce a mixture of the crude having 50% aromatics
(say xylene) and 30% aliphatic (say hexane) and 20% naphthenic (say
cyclohexane) fractions it. The feed rate to distillation column is
5, 00, 00, 000 tons/ month.

a. Design the distillation column (Alpha=3.7), consider constant fluid flow

rates inside the column and the heat capacities do not change with
temperature. The distillation column is being operated at atmospheric
conditions and feed is being introduced with 35% vapour. Give
complete design detail for each part of it. It would be great if you could
find out the cost of installation in USD. How much British Petroleum has
to invest if it wants to have 50% equity?

b. The naphtha cut is at 90-120 F. The Naphtha being produced consists

of 20% of aromatics, 30% aliphatic and 50% naphthenic compounds of
the original feed. This Naphtha is dehexanized and sent to a chemical
reactor having platinum as a catalyst (stacked in a efficient pattern).
The reactor works at 1000 psi at 450 F. If the reactions taking place in
it are a combination of isomerization, dehydrogenation and cyclization.
Design the reactor (Take the needed data from literature). The
objective is to produce Gasoline with a composition of 90% Aromatics,
7 % naphthenic compounds and 3 % aliphatic components.

Contact Sumit @ 08148428421 if any doubt arises.