Assignment No.

Part A (9*2 = 18 Marks)

1. A MSW has the following composition on mass basis: C: 37.5 (%), H: 8.8 %, O: 27.6 %, N: 0.30
%, S: 0.20 %, Moisture: 20.5% and Ash: 5.1%. Determine the molecular formula.

Basis: 100 kg.

C: 37.5 %,
H: 8.8 %,
O: 27.6 %,
N: 0.30 %,
S: 0.20%,
Moisture: 20.5%
Ash: 5.1%
Total = 100

C: 37.5 g = 37.5/12 = 3.125 moles

H: 8.8 g = 8.8/1 = 8.8 moles
O: 27.6 g = 27.6/16 = 1.725 moles
N: 0.30 g = 0.3/14 = 0.02142 moles
S: 0.20 g = 0.20/32 =0.00625 moles
Moisture: 20.5 g = 20.5/18 = 1.139 moles
Ash: 5.1 g = 5.1/56 =0.091 moles
O from moisture (H2 O) = 1.139 moles
H from moisture (H2 O) = 2*1.139 = 2.278 moles

So, Molecular formula C3.125 H8.8 O 1.725 N0.02142 S0.00625 Ash0.091 (H2 O)1.139

1-(a) C3.125H8.8O1.725N0.02142S0.00625 Ash0.091 (H2O) 1.139

2. In the problem no. 1, determine the heating value of the MSW using the following relation (at Dry
and ash free basis) HHV in MJ/Kg = 0.3516*C + 1.16225*H - 0.1109*O + 0.0628*N + 0.10465*S.

C: 37.5* 100/(100-20.5 -5.1) = 50.4 %

H: 8.8 * 100/ (100-20.5 – 5.1) = 11.83 %,
O: 27.6 *100/ (100-20.5 – 5.1) = 37.10 %,
N: 0.30 *100/ (100-20.5- 5.1) = 0.4032 %,
S: 0.20 * 100/(100-20.5 – 5.1) =0.2688 %,
HHV = 0.3516*50.4 +1.16225*11.83 -0.1109*37.10 + 0.0628*0.4032 + 0.10465*0.2688
= 27.41 MJ/Kg (Dry and ash free basis)

2-(b) 27.41 MJ/Kg

3. In the problem no. 1, determine the heating value of the MSW using the following relation (at wet
basis).
HHV in MJ/Kg = 0.3516*C + 1.16225*H - 0.1109*O + 0.0628*N + 0.10465*S.

HHV= 0.3516*37.5 + 1.16225*8.8 - 0.1109*27.6 + 0.0628*0.3 + 0.10465*0.2

= 20.391 MJ/kg (wet basis)

3-(b) 20.391 MJ/kg

4. A car tyre has a mass of 12 kg. Tyres can be disposed of using a process known as pyrolysis. 31% by
mass of a car tyre can be converted into carbon and 26% by mass can be converted into gas, which is
predominantly methane. If 90000 tyres are treated in this way each year in a city. What mass and
volume of methane, at room temperature and pressure, is produced in this process in a year?

Solution: Mass of 90000 tyres = 90000 *12 *1000 g = 1.08 x 109 g

26% of this is 26 * 1.08 x 107 = 2.80*108 g of methane
Molecular mass of methane = 16
Therefore, moles of methane = 26*(1.08/16) x 108 mole = 1.755 x 107
1 mole occupies 22.4 dm3 volume @ NTP
Hence volume = 22.4 * 1.755 x 107 dm3 = 3.93 x 108 dm3 = 3.93 x 105 m3
At temperature = 30 0C, Volume of methane = (303/273)* 3.93 x 105 m3 = 4.36 x 105 m3

4- (d) 2.80 * 108 g and 4.36 * 105 m3 respectively

5. A fast pyrolysis plant handles 1TPD MSW and produces gas, char and liquor. Operating temperature
and pressure of the reactor are 788oC and 1 atm., respectively. The gas composition (vol %) is H2(
37.10), CO(35.50), CH4(11.10),CO2 (16.3). The mass % of production of gas, char and oil are 25, 25 and
50 respectively. Determine the product distribution with individual component of gas on mole basis in
Kmole/day.

Basis: 1000 kg MSW per day

Mass of gas produced =1000*0.25=250 kg per day
Mass of char produced =1000*0.25=250 kg per day
Mass of oil produced = 1000*0.5=500 kg per day
Avg. mol. Wt. of gas produced = 0.3710*2+ 0.355*28 + 0.111*16 + 0.163*44 = 19.63 kg per kmole
Gas produced in kmole per day = 250*1/19.63 = 12.7356 kmole per day
On mole basis
Hydrogen produced = 12.74 *37.10/100 = 4.73 kmole per day
CO produced = 12.74 *35.5/100 = 4.52 kmole per day
Methane produced = 12.74 *11.10/100 = 1.41 kmole per day
CO2 produced = 12.74 *16.3/100 = 2.08 kmole per day

5- (a) H2 = 4.73, CO = 4.52, CH4 = 1.41, CO2 = 2.08

6. In the problem 5, determine the product distribution with individual component of gas on mass
basis in Kg/day
On mass basis: from the above solution

Hydrogen produced = 2*4.73 = 9.46 kg per day

CO produced = 28* 4.52 = 126.56 kg per day
Methane produced = 16*1.41 = 22.56 kg per day
CO2 produced = 44*2.08 = 91.52 kg per day

6- (b) H2 = 9.46, CO = 126.56, CH4 = 22.56, CO2 = 91.52

7. In the problem 5, determine the product distribution with individual component of gas on volume
basis in m3/hour.

Volume basis @ 788 0C and 1 atm: from the above solution

Hydrogen produced = 4.73 *1000*(22.4/1000)*(1061/273)*(1/24) = 5.68*3.627 = 17.16 m3 per hour
CO produced = 4.52 *1000*(22.4/1000)*(1061/273)*(1/24) = 16.40 m3 per hour
Methane produced =1.41*1000*(22.4/1000)*(1061/273)*(1/24) = 5.12 m3 per hour
CO2 produced = 2.08 *1000*(22.4/1000)*(1061/273)*(1/24) = 7.55 m3 per hour

7- (c) H2 = 17.16, CO = 16.40, CH4 = 5.12, CO2 = 7.55

8. In the problem 5, determine the actual rate of hydrogen production assuming 90 % separation
efficiency for hydrogen.

From the above solution

Since the hydrogen separation efficiency is 90 %
Actual Hydrogen produced = 17.16*0.90= 15.44 m3 per hour.

8- (b) 15.44 m3/hour

9. Pine needle is used to produce bio oil in a slow pyrolysis unit. The % of bio oil, char and gas are 35
%, 40 % and 25 % respectively. The average molecular formula of the bio char is determined as
CH0.56 O0.28 N0.013 and for the bio oil it is CH1.47O0.36N0.005 . The composition of gas is as follows: H2 20 %,
CO2 36 %, CO 25 % and CH4 19 %. Calculate the percentage of carbon converted to bio-oil.

Basis: 100 g pine needle

Bio oil produced = 35 g
Char produced = 40 g
Gas produced = 25 g
Molecular weight of bio oil (CH1.47 O0.36 N0.005 ) = 12 + 1*1.47 + 16*0.36 + 14*0.005 = 19.3 g
Thus, 35 g bio oil = 35/19.3 moles = 1.813 moles
Molecular weight of Char (CH0.56 O0.28 N0.013) = 12 + 1*0.56 + 16*0.28 + 14*0.013 = 17.222 g
Thus, 40 g char = 40/17.222 moles = 2.323 moles
Average molecular weight of the gas =
0.2 *2 + 0.36*44 + 0.25 *28 + 0.19*16 = 26.28
Thus 25 g gas = 25/26.28 mole = 0.9512 mole gas
Vol % / mole % of gas components
H2 20 %, CO2 36 %, CO 25 %, CH4 19 %.
Thus, one mole of gas contains: 0.2 mole H2, 0.36 mole CO2, 0.25 mole CO and 0.19 mole CH4
Now C present in bio oil = 1.813 moles
C present in char = 2.323 moles
C present in gas = (0.9512*(0.36 + 0.25 + 0.19)) = 0.9512*0.8 = 0.76096 moles
Total carbon = 1.813 + 2.323 + 0.76096 moles = 4.89396 moles
% of C converted to bio oil = 1.813*100/4.89396 = 37.04 %

9- (d) 37.04

Part B (12*1 = 12 Marks)

10- (a) Density

11- (c) Both a and b of the above
12- (d) None of these
13- (C) High cost of transportation due to increased energy density.
14- (b) 30 mm
15- (c) 1200 – 1400
16- (a) Friability
17- (C) Immersion tests
18- (a) 0
19- (c) Percentage fixed carbon and percentage volatile matter
20- (b) Bomb calorimeter
21- (d) All the above processes