TITLE PAGE

NAME: EBOKA IFEOMA CHRISTY

DEPARTMENT: CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

MATRICULATION NUMBE

SERIAL NO: 042 GROUP NO: A4

EXPERIMENT TITLE: RECYCLE LOOP

EXPERIMENT AIM: TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF RECYCLE ON

THE TOTAL MASS FLOW RATE OF A SYSTEM

EXPERIMENT NUMBER: 002

DATE OF EXPERIMENT: 15-02-2021

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 19-02-2021

CHECKED BY: MRS OKHONMINA

1
 TABLE OF CONTENT
CONTENT PAGE
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES 3
ABSTRACT 4
INTRODUCTION 5
THEORY 8
DESCRIPTION OF APPARATUS 17
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES 21
RESULTS 22
DISCUSSION 30
CONCLUSION 32
RECOMMENDATION 33
REFERENCES 34
APPENDIX 35

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES FIGURES

LIST OF FIGURES

Name figur Page

e
Steps for recycling 1 5
Diagram showing clarifier example 2 11
Cooling towers are a good example of a recycle system 3 12

2
Steady state equation diagram 4 13
Arrangement of recycle loop 5 15
Steady state process recycle loop with recycle loop 6 15
Steady state mass balance 7 17
Schematic diagram of Armfield recycle loop 8 18

LIST OF TABLES
Name Table Pages
Results from the experiment. 1 22
Data for recycle loop fluid density 2 26
Showing flowrates, volumetric and 3 29
mass flowrate for all streams.

ABSTRACT
This aim of this experiment was to determine the effect of the recycle loop on
the total mass flow rate of a steady state system.

This experiment was carried out using a Armfield recycle loop apparatus.
Using this apparatus, three variables were required to be gotten from the
experiment. Which are; the inlet flowrate (F1 ), recycle loop flowrate (F2 ) and
the outlet flowrate (F3 ). Which were gotten and recorded (see table 1, page
15).

Going further, the effect of change in recycle rate on the inlet and outlet
massflow rate was discussed also.

Table 2(page ) shows the results obtained. From this table, it is observed that the
inlet end the outlet volumetric flow rates remained constant as the recycle loop
flow rate increased. As expected, there was no accumulation resulting from the
introduction of the recycle loop, With this, we can come to a conclusion that the

3
conservation of mass law of observed, as the system is a Steady State Mass
Balance. The values gotten for mass flowrate of the Inlet and Outlet are equal,
which therefore achieves our purpose of the experiment.

INTRODUCTION
Recycling is a process change waste materials into new products to prevent waste
of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials,
reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution
by reducing the need for “conventional” waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas
emissions as compared to plastic production. Recycling is a key component of
modern waste reduction and is the third component of the “Reduce, Reuse and
Recycle” waste hierarchy.

Recycling is a dynamic process that restores the life cycle of a material. The iconic
recycling symbol has 3 chasing arrows. Each arrow represents one step in the
three-step process that completes the recycling loop.

4
Figure 1: Steps for recycling

The first step is collection. Materials are taken from the curbside or drop-off
center.

The second step is processing and marketing of recycled materials. Materials are
sorted and then sold.

The third step is manufacturing. The recyclables are converted into new products
and take on a new life as consumer goods.

The fourth step is consumer purchase of products made from recycled material

Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third

component of the reduce phase, and Recycle. Thus, recycling aims at
environmental sustainability by substituting raw material inputs into and recycling
of PET bottles is an imperative process both from an economic as well as an
environmental point of view. Like any other polymers, the recycling of PET can
also be divided into four categories. These include primary recycling, mechanical
recycling or secondary recycling, chemical recycling or tertiary recycling, and
finally, energy recovery or quaternary recycling. More details about the various
recycling techniques can be found elsewhere.

The recycle loop is equipment used in carrying out a recycle process. The recycle
loop connects the product stream to the feed stream. The entire recycling process,
increases the efficiency of the process, reduces the amount of waste, increases the
quality of the product stream and reduces impurity in the process. The recycle loop
takes back some quality of the product back to the feed, but does not affect the
product components that are formed (i.e. the product formed after recycle is not
different from that formed without recycling, the substances/ components remains

5
the same). There are two main types of recycling processes —open-loop recycling
and closed-loop recycling—that differ in the overall sustainability of the supply
chain of the raw materials processed so it is important to be aware of both.

Open-loop recycling is a recycling process that postpones disposal through

converting manufactured goods into both new raw materials (which can be used as
production inputs) and waste products. Closed-loop recycling, on the other hand,
is a recycling process through which a manufactured good is recycled back into
itself or a similar product without significant degradation or waste.

Open-loop recycling is any recycling process where the recycled materials are
converted into both new raw materials and waste product. Typically, materials
recycled through open-loop recycling go on to be used for purposes different from
their former, pre-recycled purpose. This means that the input into the recycling
process is converted to a new raw material, which can be used as an input into
another manufacturing process.

Open-loop recycling processes usually involve processing various types of

products of similar material makeup and change the properties of the material itself
(through heat, chemical reactions, or physical crushing). Open-loop recycling is
often associated with a degradation of the material being recycled, and a loss of
attached materials that are not being recycled (such as bottle labels and adhesives).
Open-loop recycling is also referred to as downcycling or reprocessing.

Closed-loop recycling is focused on supply chain sustainability. Closed-loop

systems are developed so that all of the materials in manufactured goods can be
recycled, usually for use in the same type of product. For closed-loop recycling,
the manufacturing process is usually designed with recycling in mind. Aluminum
can recycling is an example of a closed-loop recycling process because aluminum
can be recycled to form new cans with little material degradation or waste creation.

Closed-loop recycling is common in specialized industries, such as the computer

and battery industries, which use expensive or complex goods that cannot easily be
broken down post-consumption into constituent materials. Closed-loop recycling
focuses on bringing the products back to the company or industry of manufacture
so that they can be reused or refurbished without a loss of material.

6
 THEORY
This experiment is appropriate to heat transfer and thermodynamics courses and
the training of technicians and engineers in those disciplines.

Recycle is a simple phenomenon, which occurs in many aspects of everyday life,

but is also a concept that can lead to confusion in engineering applications when
combined with other principles such as mass / energy balances and the use of the
steady flow energy equation.

The Armfield Recycle Loops apparatus has been designed to demonstrate clearly,
both visually and experimentally, what a recycle loop is and to enable mass and
energy balances to be performed under steady state and unsteady state conditions.
The application modelled is typical of a heating arrangement in the chemical, food
or pharmaceutical industries whereby the temperature of a product is raised or
lowered offline by recirculating some of the product through a heat exchanger.A

7
bench top unit designed to introduce students to the characteristics of a recycle
loop and the typical responses under steady state and unsteady state conditions.

The apparatus consists of a through pipe conveying water from a cold water supply
to a suitable drain with a loop of pipework connected between the supply and drain
connections. This recycle loop incorporates a circulating pump and a heater to raise
the temperature of the water in the loop. The heater can be switched on or off to
generate step changes when investigating the transient responses of the recycle
loop.A pair of self-sealing fittings enables a short length of pipe or a reservoir to be
connected in series with the recyle loop to change the volume of the loop and
demonstrate the effect of residence time. The arrangement also permits different
lengths of flexible tubing to be connected in series with the loop if it is required to
create further changes in residence time.Water temperatures at the inlet, outlet and
within the recycle loop are measured using K-type thermocouples. Water flow
rates at the corresponding locations are measured using miniature turbine type flow
sensors. Flow sensors are included at the outlet as well as the inlet to show that
these two flow rates are always equal (a simple principle that is often confusing
when water is flowing through the recycle loop).
The Armfield recycle loop apparatus is modeled as a generic system with an inflow
and outflow. In the course of studying the recycle loop, some important terms are
considered which includes:

 Steady State Mass Balance.

 Steady State Heat Balance.
 Unsteady State Heat Balance.
 Steady State Energy Equation.
In the case of this report, more emphasis will be lead on the Steady State Mass
Balance Operation.

Mass balance
A mass balance (also called a material balance) is an application of conservation
of mass to the analysis of physical systems. By accounting for material entering
and leaving a system, mass flows can be identified which might have been
unknown, or difficult to measure without this technique. The exact Conservation

8
law used in the analysis of the system depends on the context of the problem but
all revolve around mass conservation, i.e. that matter cannot disappear or be
created spontaneously.

Mass balances are used widely in engineering and environmental analyses. For
example mass balance theory is used to design chemical reactors, analyse
alternative processes to produce chemicals as well as in pollution dispersion
models and other models of physical systems. Closely related and complementary
analysis techniques include the population balance, energy balance and the
somewhat more complex entropy balance. These techniques are required for
thorough design and analysis of systems such as the refrigeration cycle.

The general form quoted for a mass balance is The mass that enters a system must,
by conservation of mass, either leave the system or accumulate within the system .

Mathematically the mass balance for a system without a chemical reaction is as

follows:

Input = Output + Accumulation

In the absence of a chemical reaction the amount of any chemical species flowing
in and out will be the same; This gives rise to an equation for each species in the
system. However if this is not the case then the mass balance equation must be
amended to allow for the generation or depletion of each chemical species. Note
that the one term (depletion or generation) is used in the equation, which will be
negative for depletion and positive for generation. This modified equation can be
used not only for reactive systems, but for population balances such as occur in
particle mechanics problems. The amended equation is given below; Note that it
simplifies to the earlier equation in the case that the generation term is zero.

Input + Generation = Output + Accumulation

 In the absence of a nuclear reaction the number of atoms flowing in and out
are the same, even in the presence of a chemical reaction
 To perform a balance the boundaries of the system must be well defined
 Mass balances can be taken over physical systems at multiple scales.
 Mass balances can be simplified with the assumption of steady state, where
the accumulation term is zero

Where;

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 Input = Material entering the stream

Output = Materials leaving the stream

Consumption = Material used up in the system

Generation = Material formed within the system

Accumulation = Material accumulated in the system

Illustrative example

Figure 2; Diagram showing clarifier example

At this point a simple example shall be given for illustrative purposes. Consider the
situation whereby a slurry is flowing into a settling tank to remove the solids in the
tank, solids are collected at the bottom by means of a conveyor belt partially
submerged in the tank, water exits via an overflow outlet.

In this example we shall consider there to be two species, solids and water. The
species are concentrated in each of the output streams, that is to say that the water
to solid ratio at the water overflow outlet is higher than at the slurry inlet and the
solids concentration at the exit of the conveyor belt is higher than that at the slurry
inlet.

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Assumptions

 Steady state
 Non-reactive system

Analysis

The slurry inlet composition has been measured by sampling the inlet and has a
composition (by mass) of 50% solid and 50% water, with a mass flow of 100 kg
per minute, the tank is assumed to be operating at steady state, and as such
accumulation is zero, so input and output must be equal for both the solids and
water. If we know that the removal efficiency for the slurry tank is 60%, then the
water outlet will contain 20Kg/min of solids (40% times 100Kg/min times 50%
solids). If we measure the flow rate of combined solids and water the water outlet
to be 60Kg per minute then the amount of water exiting via the conveyor belt is
10Kg/min. This allows us to completely determine how the mass has been
distributed in the system with only limited information and using the mass balance
relations across the system boundaries

Mass Feedback (Recycle)

Figure 3: Cooling towers are a good example of a recycle system

Mass balances can be performed across systems which have cyclic flows. In these
systems output streams are fed back into the input of a unit for often for further
reprocessing.

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Such systems are common in grinding circuits, where materials are crushed then
sieved to only allow a particular size of particle out of the circuit and the larger
particles are returned to the grinder. However recycle flows are by no means
restricted to solid mechanics operations, they are used in liquid and gas flows as
well. One such example is in cooling towers, where water is pumped through the
cooling tower many times, with only a small quantity of water drawn off at each
pass (to prevent solids build up) until it has either evaporated or exited with the
drawn off water.

The use of the recycle aids in increasing overall conversion of input products,
which is useful for low per-pass conversion processes, for example the Haber
process.

STEADY STATE OPERATION

The definition of a steady state is an unchanging condition, system or physical

process that remains the same even after transformation or change. Under steady
state operations, the variables which define the behavior of the system or the
process are unchanging with time. If a system is in a steady state, it is observed
that the behavior of the system will continue into the future. The general equation
is given as:

Input = output ………….. (3)

This equation means that what is entering the system is equal to what is leaving
the system. There is no generation, consumption or accumulation. A steady state
is reached when the rate of entry of a fluid equals its rate of exit.

SYSTEM
INPUT OUTPUT

Figure 4 : steady state equation diagram

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Under Steady State conditions, since the variables (called state variable) which
defines the behavior of the system or the process do not change with time, this
implies that for those properties (P) of the system, the partial derivatives with
respect to time is zero and remains so;
dp
=0 for all t …………. (4)
dt

Pt – Pt-1 = 0 for all t ……….. (5)

The concept of steady state has relevance in many fields, in particular

thermodynamics, economic, and engineering. In chemical engineering, to
demonstrate the effect of recycle on the total mass flow rate of a system, the
recycle loop apparatus can be used with an inflow (from the water supply) and an
outflow (to the drain). Under the steady state conditions, for equilibrium, the rate
of mass flow entering a system must equal the rate of mass flow leaving a system.
The mass flow rate Qm is the mass of fluid passing a point in a given time. It may
be calculated as;
ρv
Qm = …………. (6)
t

Where: 7

ρ = density of fluid (1000kg/m3 for water)

v = volume of fluid, in m3

t = time in seconds for volume v to pass a given point.

v/t is the volumetric flow rate, Qv it can be measured using the flow meters
included in the apparatus.

13
 L
3 recorded flowrate , F ( )
mins ………… (7)
volume flowrate ,Q v ( ms )= 60,000

The mass flow rate may then be calculated as;

Qm = ρQv ………… (8)

Closely related and complementary analysis techniques include the population

balance, energy balance and the somewhat more complex entropy balance. These
techniques are required for thorough design and analysis of systems such as the
refrigeration

RECYCLE LOOP

The recycle loop is equipment used in carrying out a recycle process. The recycle
loop connects the product stream to the feed stream. The entire recycling process,
increases the efficiency of the process, reduces the amount of waste, increases the
quality of the product stream and reduces impurity in the process. The recycle loop
takes back some quality of the product back to the feed, but does not affect the
product components that are formed (i.e. the product formed after recycle is not
different from that formed without recycling, the substances/ components remains
the same).

RECYCLE

EQUIPMENT
FEED PRODUCT

Figure 5: Arrangement of recycle loop

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The recycle loop apparatus includes element inside a simple system model.
However, the mass balance for the overall system should theoretically remain
unchanged.

INLET OUTLET
SYSTEM

Figure 6: steady state process recycle loop with recycle loop

The diagram below shows how the recycle stream is used to return materials from
the downstream back to the process units. If the conversion of a valuable reagent in
a reaction process is appreciably less than 100 percent, the unreacted material is
9 loop experiment, it is of great
usually separated and recycled. In the recycle
interest of to talk on conversation of mass. The law of conversation of mass or
principle of mass conversation states that for any system closed to all transfers of
matter and energy, the mass of the system must remain constant overtime, as
systems mass cannot change, so quantity can neither be added nor be removed.
Hence, the quantity of mass is conserved over time. The law implies that mass can
neither be created nor destroyed, although it may be rearranged in space, or the
entities associated with may be changed in form. The law of conservation of mass
also conforms to the General balance equation.

15
Figure 7: steady state mass balance

DESCRIPTION OF APPARATUS

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Figure 8: schematic diagram of Armfield recycle loop

KEY WORDS

 A - Inlet valve
 B - Recycle valve
 C - Drain
 D - Power switch
 E - Thermocouple connector
 F - Heater indicator
 G - Heater switch
 H - Pump switch
 I - Electrical console
 J - Rotary selector
 K - Display
 L - Heater
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  M - Pump
 N - Inlet flow meter (F1)
 O - Recycle flow meter (F2)
 P - Outlet flow meter (F3)
 Q - Recycle loop
 R - Flow meter connector

The recycle loops apparatus is a bench top unit which introduces the students to the
characteristics of a recycle loop and the typical responses under steady state and
unsteady state conditions. It consists of a through pipe conveying water from a cold
main supply to a suitable drain; with a loop of pipe work in parallel with the inlet
and outlet connections. The recycle loop has a circulating pump, which transfers the
water from the through pipe just before the drain connection and returns the water
back to the through pipe downstream of the supply connection. A heater in the
recycle loop raises the temperature of the water in the loop, which then mixes with
the fresh cold water entering the system.

The water heater consists of 2KW cylindrical cartridge heater mounted

concentrically within an insulated tube. A switch on the console allows the heater to
be switched on or off, to generate step changes when investigating the transient
responses of the recycle loop. The heater cannot operate unless the circulating
pump is switched on and there are flows in the through pipe and recycle loops.

A pair of self-sealing fittings allows a short length of pipe or a reservoir to be

connected in series with the loop. This arrangement permits the volume of the loop
to be changed and the effect of residence time to be demonstrated. The clear acrylic
reservoir incorporates an air bleed screw on top to aid priming and draining.

The type K thermocouples, installed in tapping in the pipe work measure the
temperatures as the inlet, outlet, and within the recycle loop after the heater. The
flow rate are measured at the inlet, outlet and in the recycle loop using miniature
turbine-type flow sensors.

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Cold fluid for the equipment is provided by an external cold water supply. A
pressure regulation after the cold water inlet minimizes fluctuation in the supply
pressure to maintain the flow at steady state. A strainer in the pressure regulator
traps particles in the water which could damage the regulator or flow sensors. A
manual control value allows the through flow of cold water to be varied as required.
Drain valves located at the rear left hand and front right hand side of the pipe work
allow the fringe and rear sections of the flow loop to be drained after use. A drain
valve, located at the left hand end of the ABS supports, allows the channel in the top
of the molded support plinth to be drained when necessary.

Electrical devices are located on an electrical panel at the rear of the plinth. The
mains power output socket is an extra mains power source for the Armfield IFD3
interface device. The IFD3 is supplied with Teaching Software and Data logging
accessory which allows data to be logged using a PC.

The three thermocouples (T1, T2, T3) installed in the equipment are numbered to
allow connection in the appropriate sockets on the front of the electrical console.
The three turbine type flow sensors installed on the equipment are also numbered
to allow connection to the appropriate sockets on the front of the electrical console.
Readings are displayed directly on the meter in the units of litres per minute when
the flow reading is selected through a switch.

A 50 way IDC Socket on the right hand side of the console (electrical Data I/O Port)
allows all the temperature and flow measurements to be connected simultaneously
to a Personal Computer via an Armfield IFD3 Interface Device which is supplied
with the data logging accessory.

Some Notable Features:

Display unit: A device with a screen that displays characters or graphics

representing data in a computer memory. It shows the flowrate and Temperature.

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Rotary selector: A rotary switch is a switch operated by rotation. These are often
chosen when more than 2 positions are needed, such as a three-speed fan or a CB
radio with multiple frequencies of reception or "channels".

Thermocouple: A thermocouple is an electrical device consisting of two

dissimilar electrical conductors forming an electrical junction.
A thermocouple produces a temperature-dependent voltage as a result of the
thermoelectric effect, and this voltage can be interpreted to measure Temperature.

Flow sensors: A flow sensor (more commonly referred to as a "flow meter") is an

electronic device that measures or regulates the flow rate of liquids and gasses
within pipes and tubes. ... Flow sensors are able to detect leaks, blockages, pipe
bursts, and changes in liquid concentration due to contamination or pollution.

Heater switch: The heater control switch runs your vehicle's heating system and
it also controls the speed of the blower motor.

Power button: The power button is a round or square button that powers an

electronic device on and off.

Valve: A device for controlling the passage of fluid or air through a pipe, duct,
etc., especially an automatic device allowing movement in one direction only.

Air bleed screw: A bleed screw is a device used to create a temporary opening in
an otherwise closed hydraulic system, which facilitates the removal of air or
another substance from the system by way of pressure and density differences.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES
The following procedures were carried out to perform the experiment;

20
● The Armfield Recycle loop apparatus was plugged to the voltage source and
switched on.

● The inlet valve was adjusted to give a flowrate of about 1L/min. This was
done by the help of a rotary selector.

● The rotary selector was then switched between the flow rate sensors to get
values for F1 and F3 and the Inlet flow temperature.

● The display was then changed to obtain the recycle loop flow rate F2.

● The pump was then turned on and the manual control valve was opened to
give a recycle flowrate of about 1L/min

● The system was then allowed to stabilize to ensure that there are no bubbles

● After the stabilization, the values for the flowrates at the Inlet and outlet
were checked using the rotary selector. The values were recorded.

● The recycle loop valve was then opened for 1.5L/min, 2.0L/min,2.50L/min
and 3.0L/min for which the values of the inlet and outlet flowrates gotten
were recorded.

RESULTS

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 Table 1: Results from the experiment.
The Initial Temperature was found to be 303.55K (30.4oC) and it constant
throughout the experiment.

S/N INLET FLOW RECYCLE OUTLET FLOW

LOOP FLOW RATE F3
RATE F1
RATE F2
(L/MIN)
(L/MIN)
(L/MIN)
1 1.00 1.00 0.88

2 1.00 1.50 0.98

3 1.00 2.00 0.98

4 1.00 2.50 0.98

5 1.00 3.00 0.98

The initial temperature of the water is 30.4oC. Temperature is measured in kelvin

(K), therefore:
Temperature = 30.4oC + 273.15 = 303.55K
Also,
Qv = Volumetric flowrate (m3/s)
F1 = Inlet flowrate (L/min)
F2 = recycle loop flowrate (L/min)

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 F3 = outlet flow rate(L/min)

Qv1 = Inlet volumetric flowrate

Qv2 = Recycle loop volumetric flowrate

Qv3 = Outlet volumetric flowrate

Qm1 = Inlet mass flowrate

Qm2 = Recycle loop mass flowrate

Qm3 = Outlet mass flowrate

Calculation for Inlet volumetric flowrate (Qv1):

Flowrate readings were taken in Litre per min (L/min). Converting to cubic metre
per second(m3/s):

1 Litre = 0.001m3
1 Min = 60 seconds
Converting 1L/min of inlet flowrate into m3/s

1L m3 1 min m3 1
× × = ×
min 1000 L 60 s s 60000

= 1.667 × 10-5m3/s

Therefore, 1 L/min equals 1.667 × 10-5m3/s which is same for all Inlet flowrate.

CALCULATION OF QV FLOWRATE (m³/s) FROM F(L/MIN)

QV= flow rate in m³/s

F= flow rate in L/min

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QV= F ÷ 60000 = Recorded flow rate ( L/min)

60,000

CALCULATION OF QV1

QV1₀₋₅ = 1 (L/min) = 0.00001667m³/s

60,000

This value for QV1 is constant for all intervals as the value of F1 for all intervals
does not change.

CALCULATION OF QV2

QV2₁= 1 (L/min) = 0.0000167m³/s

60,000

QV2₂ = 1.50 (L/min) = 0.000025m³/s

60,000

QV2₃= 2.0 (L/min) = 0.000033m³/s

60,000

QV2₄= 2.5 (L/min) = 0.0000416m³/s

60,000

QV2₅ = 3.00 (L/min) = 0.00005m³/s

60,000

24
CALCULATION OF QV3

QV3₁ = 0.88 (L/min) = 0.0000147m³/s

60,000

QV3₂ = 0.98(L/min) = 0.0000163m³/s

60,000

QV3₃ = 0.98(L/min) = 0.0000163m³/s

60,000

QV3₄ = 0.98 (L/min) = 0.0000163m³/s

60,000

QV3₅ = 0.98(L/min) = 0.0000163m³/s

60,000

CALCULATION OF MASS FLOW RATE QM

25
Mass flowrate (QM) = density (kg/m³) × volumetric flowrate(m³/s)

QM = ρ ×V

The density of water needs to be determined at 30.4℃ .

Converting to Kelvin (K)

1℃ = 273.15K

30.4℃ = 303.55K

Table 2: Data for recycle loop fluid density

Temperature Density
303.15 995.6502
303.55 X
304.15 995.3440

Interpolating:

303.15K 995.6502 kg/m³

303.55K X kg/m³

304.15K 995.3440 kg/m³

303.55K- 303.15K = X kg/m³ - 995.6502 kg/m³

304.15K- 303.15K 995.3440 kg/m³ - 995.6502 kg/m³

26
0.4 = X - 995.6502

1 -0.302

Cross multiplying

0.4 x (-0.302) = 1(X – 995.6502)

-0.1208 = X – 995.6502

Make X the subject of formula

X = -0.1208 + 995.6502

X=995.5294 kg/m³

Therefore, the density of water at 303.55K is 995.5294 kg/m3

Recall,

Mass flowrate (QM) = density (kg/m³) × volumetric flowrate(m³/s)

CALCULATION OF QM1 (for all value of QM1)

QM1 = 995.5294 kg/m³ × 0.0000167m³/s =0.0166kg/s

This value for QM1 is constant for all intervals as the value of QV1 for all
intervals does not change

CALCULATION FOR QM2

QM2₁ = 995.5294 kg/m³× 0.0000167m³/s = 0.0166kg/s

QM2₂ = 995.5294 kg/m³× 0.000025m³/s = 0.024888kg/s

27
 QM2₃ = 995.5294 kg/m³× 0.000033m³/s = 0.03285kg/s

QM2₄ = 995.5294 kg/m³× 0.0000416m³/s = 0.04141kg/s

QM2₅ = 995.5294 kg/m³× 0.00005m³/s = 0.04977kg/s

CALCULATION OF QM3

QM3₁ = 995.5294 kg/m³× 0.0000147m³/s = 0.014634kg/s

QM3₂ = 995.5294 kg/m³× 0.000025m³/s = 0.016227kg/s

QM3₃ = 995.5294 kg/m³× 0.000033m³/s = 0.016227kg/s

QM3₄ = 995.5294 kg/m³× 0.0000416m³/s = 0.016227kg/s

QM3₅ = 995.5294 kg/m³× 0.00005m³/s = 0.016227kg/s

Table 3: Table showing flowrates, volumetric and mass flowrate for all streams.

Inlet Recycle Outlet Inlet Recycle Outlet Inlet Recycle Outlet

flow loop flow volumetric Loop volumetric mass loop mass
rate flow rate flow rate volumetri flow flowrate mass flowrate
rate c rate flowrate

28
 flow rate
F1 F2 F3 Qv1 Qv2 Qv3 Qm1 Qm2 Qm3
(L/m (L/min) (L/min) (m3/s) (m3/s) (m3/s) (Kg/s) (Kg/s) (Kg/s)
in)
1.00 1.00 0.88 1.667X10-5 1.67x10-5 1.470x10-5 0.0166 0.0166 0.0146
1.00 1.50 0.98 1.667x10-5 2.50x10-5 1.630x10-5 0.0166 0.0250 0.0162
-5 -5 -5
1.00 2.00 0.98 1.667X10 3.33x10 1.630x10 0.0166 0.0330 0.0162
1.00 2.50 0.98 1.667X10-5 4.167x10-5 1.630x10-5 0.0166 0.0414 0.0162
1.00 3.00 0.98 1.667X10-5 5.00x10-5 1.630x10-5 0.0166 0.0500 0.0162

DISCUSSION

The aim of the experiment conducted was to determine the effect of recycle on the
total mass flow rate of a system in a steady state system.

It was earlier stated that a steady state is an unchanging condition, system or

physical process that remain the same even after transformation or change. When
you have a chemical mix that has certain properties, and the mix retains those
properties even after you add a change –agent, this is an example of a steady state.

From experimental table (Table 1), the recycle flow rate of 1.00L/min,
1.5L/min,2.0L/min,2.5L/min, and 3.0Lmin keeping the inlet flowrate constant at

29
1L/min, the respective values of the outlet flowrate gotten were; 0.88L/min,
0.98L/min, 0.98L/min, 0.98L/min and 0.98L/min. it is observed that the inlet and
the outlet volumetric flow rates is almost constant as the recycle loop flow rate
increased thereby obeying the law of conservation of mass. As expected, there was
no accumulation resulting from the introduction of the recycle loop thus, the outlet
flow rate was equivalent to the inlet flow rate.

Table 3, shows the calculated values for the volumetric flowrates of the inlet
volumetric flowrate, outlet volumetric flowrate and the recycle loop volumetric
flowrate, which was calculated using this formulae;
Qm = ρQv

From the values of volumetric flowrate (m³/s) calculated, the mass flow rate was
obtained by multiplying the volumetric flow rate calculated by the density of water
at 30.4℃ .

It was further converted to mass flowrate, using this expression:

Qv(m3/s) = Recorded flow rate F(litre/min)

60000

From the results obtained after carrying out the processes above, it was seen in
table 2 that the volumetric flowrate for the Inlet F1 remained constant, but the
volumetric flowrate for outlet F3 varied.

The mass flow rate remains constant at QM1 but varied in QM3; as the volumetric
flow rate increases for the recycle loop F2 the mass flowrate also increases for the
recycle loop section.

The value of the mass flow rate for the inlet stream was discovered to be 0.0166
Kg/s for all readings, while the mass flowrate for the outlet was 0.0146Kg/s for the
1st reading, 0.0162 for the 2nd, 3rd,4th and 5th readings regardless of the varied mass
flow rate of the recycle loop stream. From this result, it's safe to say that this
experiment did not comply with the experimental objective of Steady-State Mass

30
balance, meaning that our system operated at an unsteady state. This could be
because of some errors encountered during the experiment. Which are:
 Non linearties of system components such as static friction and backlash.
These are generally aggravated by amplifiers drifts, aging or deterioration.
 Leakage: A slight leakage in the experimental setup is likely to affect
experimental results as some of the fluid will be lost, making it impossible
for the inlet flowrate to be equal to the outlet flow rate
 Error as a result of Bubble Present in the Fluid: If the performer of the
experiment is not vigilant enough to ensure that the system is stabilized (free
from the bubble) before taking readings from the displayer, the experiment
result might be affected.

CONCLUSION

The aim of this experiment was achieved, It was concluded from the achieved
results that the mass flow rate of the inlet, Qm1 was 0.0166kg/s and the outlet mass
flow rate Qm3was 0.0162kg/s obeying the principles of thermodynamics and the
law of conservation of mass at steady state balance which states that for any
system closed to all transfers of matter and energy, the mass of the system must
remain constant over time, as the system's mass cannot change, so quantity can
neither be added nor be removed. Therefore, the quantity of mass is conserved over
time.
31
 Although our result points to the fact that some errors may have been encountered,
which led to the values of the Inlet flow to remain constant while the outlet flow
varied, thereby proving that our experiment was not in steady state.

RECOMMENDATIONS

To perform the experiment effectively, some of these recommendations below

should be taken into consideration:

1. The experimental setup sold to be free from leakages so as to prevent errors

from occurring in the results.
2. It is recommended that after the recycle loop is switched on, the process
should be given few seconds to stabilize, because at the beginning of the
process the outlet flow rate does not equal the inlet flow rate due to some of
the outlet stream flowing into the recycle loop stream.

32
3. The source of bubbles in the experimental setup should all be removed and
prevented to allow accurate readings.
4. The apparatus should be fixed and maintained, so it continues to work
properly.

REFERENCES

1. Bench, ML woodward, R; Harder,m .k; waste recycling pilots in shanghai,

china. J. clean prod. 2014,45,67,107-116
2. Allcott, H ; Mullainathan, s. behavior and energy policy. Science 2101, 372,
1204-1205, recycling. Bandura, A. social learning theory; prentice-hall:
oxford, UK,1997
3. Three laws of thermodynamics
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/introchem/chapter/the-three-laws-of-
thermodynamics/#:~:text=The%20first%20law%2C%20also%20known,any
%20isolated%20system%20always%20increases.
33
4. Entropy
https://www.britannica.com/science/entropy-physics
5. Enthalpy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enthalpy#:~:text=Enthalpy%20%2F%CB
%88%C9%9Bn%CE%B8,systems%20at%20a%20constant%20pressure.
6. Irreversibility
https://www.engineersedge.com/thermodynamics/irreversible_process.htm
7. Armfield TH4 Recycle loop apparatus
https://armfield.co.uk/product/th4-recycle-loops/
8. Steady State Energy Equation
http://www.sharetechnote.com/html/Handbook_MechanicalEngineering_Flu
idMechanics_SFEE.html

APPENDIX

34
Table 4: Density of water at different temperatures

35