Harmattan 2021/2022 PROCESS DYNAMICS

PROBLEM SET 10

Assigned out: 12/12/2022 Due date: 2 weeks

Goals: The main goals of this problem set are to equip students with
the following skills sets:

1) ability to derive dynamic models of chemical process systems from

the principles,

2) ability to analyze chemical process systems transient response

analytically.

Time: This problem set will require you to put in an average of 12

hours. Don’t be intimidated by this. It doesn’t have to be all at once. You
can take break in between. Please have fun while solving the problem.
Best wishes!

𝑘1
[1] A liquid-phase reaction 2𝐴 → 𝐵 takes place in a well-stirred constant-
volume liquid-phase reactor under isothermal conditions. It is accompanied
𝑘2
by the side –reaction 𝐴 → 𝐶.
The reactant 𝐴 is supplied to the reactor in the form of a dilute
aqueous solution.
(a) Derive a dynamic model describing the time variation of the
concentration of the three species 𝐴, 𝐵, 𝐶 in the reactor.
(b) Using the data given below, calculate the steady-state conditions
for this system.
(c) Derive the transfer function relating changes in the
concentration of component 𝐵 in the product stream to changes
in the concentration of 𝐴 in the feed.
(d) Assuming that the system is initially at steady-state, sketch the
change in the concentration of component 𝐵 following a 10%
increase in the concentration of 𝐴 in the feed
 Data for Problem 1:
Reactor volume = 10m3
Volumetric flowrate = 0.1 m3s-1
Nominal concentration of 𝐴 in feed = 10kmolm-3
𝑘1
Rate constant for reaction 2𝐴 → 𝐵: 𝑘1 = 0.1m3(kmol.s)-1
𝑘2
Rate constant for reaction 𝐴 → 𝐶: 𝑘2 = 0.01 s-1
[2] A well-stirred constant-volume steam-jacketed vessel is used to heat up a
highly viscous liquid stream. The rate of heat transfer is primarily determined
by the vessel-side heat transfer coefficient 𝑈 which depends on the liquid
viscosity and consequently on the temperature 𝑇. This dependence is expressed
by the empirical relationship

𝑈 = 2 × 105 × 𝑒 −4600/𝑇
where 𝑈 is in kW/m2K and 𝑇 in 𝐾

(a) Derive a dynamic model describing the time variation of the

temperature 𝑇 of the process liquid in the tank. State clearly any
assumptions made.
(b) Using the data given below, calculate the jacket heat
transfer area required to achieve a desired exit
temperature of 373K
(c) Derive the transfer function relating the change in 𝑇 to
changes in the feed temperature 𝑇𝑖𝑛
(d) Starting from steady-state, the system is subjected to a 1 K
increase in the feed temperature. Sketch the response of 𝑇 to this
disturbance. Provide a physical explanation of why the steady-state
change in 𝑇 exceeds 1 K.

Data for Problem 2:

Feed flowrate F = 5kgs-1
Nominal feed temperature Tin = 350K
Vessel volume, V = 2 m3
Process liquid density 𝜌 = 1 2 6 0 kgm-3
Process liquid specific beat capacity, Cp = 2.42kJ(kg.K)-1
Temperature of condensing steam in jacket, Tj = 450 K

[3.] Figure 1 shows a liquid storage system comprising two interconnected

tanks. The bottom product flows out of the two tanks are both turbulent, and
the corresponding volumetric flowrates are given by relations of the form
 𝐹𝑖 = 𝐾𝑖 √ℎ𝑖 𝑖 = 1,2

where ℎ𝑖 is the level of liquid in tank 𝑖. On the other hand, the flow
between the two tanks is laminar and is determined by a linear pressure-
drop/flow relationship: 𝐹3 = 𝐾3 (ℎ1 − ℎ2 )
(a) Derive a dynamic model describing the time variation of the levels of
liquid, ℎ1 and ℎ2 in the two tanks.
(b) Calculate the volumetric feed flowrates F4 and F5 required to achieve a
steady-State liquid level of 5m in each of the two tanks.
(c) Show that the variations of ℎ1 and ℎ2 are related to changes in
volumetric flowrates of the feed streams 𝐹4 and 𝐹5 through the
transfer function

29.6(25.9𝑠+1) 25.5
δℎ (𝑠) (15.7𝑠+1)(194.5𝑠+1) (15.7𝑠+1)(194.5𝑠+1) δ𝐹 (𝑠)
[ 1 ] =[ ][ 4 ]
δℎ2 (𝑠) 25.5 30.6(33.3𝑠+1) δ𝐹5 (𝑠)
(15.7𝑠+1)(194.5𝑠+1) (15.7𝑠+1)(194.5𝑠+1)

(d) Calculate the time domain responses of the changes in the levels in the
tanks due to change of 1m3s-1 in F4. You are required to sketch these
responses indicating the way they take off and their eventual steady
state values.

Data for problem 3:

Cross- section of tank 1, 𝐴1 = 4m2
Cross-section of tank 2, 𝐴2 = 3m2
Flow coefficient, 𝐾1 = 0.09m5/2s-1
Flow coefficient, 𝐾2 = 0.07 m5/2s-1
Flow coefficient, 𝐾3 = 0.1 m2s-1
 𝐹4
𝐹5

ℎ1 𝐹3

ℎ2

𝐹2
𝐹1

Figure 1. Flow in interacting tanks in series

𝑘
[4.] A catalytic isomerization reaction 𝐴 → 𝐵 is carried out in the system
shown in Figure 2 below. Pure 𝐴 is fed into a preheater which raises its
temperature from a nominal 300𝐾 to 400𝐾 using external power 𝑄. The
preheater stream is then fed into a well-stirred adiabatic reactor which
contains a small amount of solid catalyst in suspension. The reactor outlet
is covered with a fine mesh which prevents any catalyst particles from
leaving the reactor.
The rate of reaction 𝑟 (in kg/s.m3) is given by the following relationship
determined from experimental data:
𝑟 = 0.5𝑒 −(𝑇⁄200) 𝑥
where 𝑇 is the temperature in 𝐾 and 𝑥 is the mass fraction of 𝐴 in the
reactor.

(a) Derive a dynamic model describing the evolution of the mass

fraction of unreacted 𝐴 in the reactor exit stream with time. State
any assumptions made.
(b) Derive a transfer function relating changes in the mass fraction of unreacted
A in the reactor exit steam to changes in the inlet temperature Tin and the
preheater power input Q.
 Reactor
Preheated

Pure A 𝑋 𝑃 (𝑘𝑔/𝐾𝑔)

𝐹 (𝐾𝑔/𝑠) 𝑄
𝑇𝑃 (𝐾) 𝑇𝑥
𝑇𝑖𝑛 (𝐾) 𝑥 (𝐾𝑔/𝐾𝑔

Figure 2

Data for problem 4:

Process stream
Flowrate, F = 4kg/s
Specific heat capacity, cp = 2.0kJ/Kg.K
Density, 𝜌 = 800Kg/m3
Nominal feed temperature, Tin = 300k

Preheater
Nominal temperature of preheated feed, Tpr = 400k
Volume, Vp = 1m3

Reactor
Volume, Vr = 2m3
Heat of reaction, ΔH = 0.0 (approximately)

[5.] A certain reaction takes place in a continuous stirred tank reactor of fixed
volume, 𝑉(m3). Under normal steady state conditions of operation, the
through flow rate is q(m3/s) and the concentration of the key reactant
component is 𝑐 (kmol/m3). The reaction is isothermal and the kinetics are
adequately described by the expression:

Reaction rate = 𝑘𝑐 1.25 (kmol/m3s)

where 𝑐 is the concentration of the key reactant
(i) Assuming through flow, 𝑞, to be constant, derive the transfer
function relating the concentration of the key reaction leaving the
system to its concentration in the feed stream.
(ii) If 𝑞 is also subject to fluctuations, show how this affects the above
derivation.
[6] The dynamic behavior of a heater is believed to be described by the transfer
function
0.9𝑒 −2𝑠 3𝑒 −2𝑠
δT(s) = δTin(s) + δFH(s)
5𝑠+1 (8𝑠+1)(10𝑠+1)

where T and Tin are respectively the exit and inlet temperatures (in K) of the
stream being heated, FH the flowrate of the heating medium (in kg/min), and s
the Laplace transform parameter (in min-1).

Sketch the response of T to:

(i) a 5K change in Tin
(ii) a -1 kg/s change in FH

[7.] A fixed volume well-stirred reactor receives two liquid feed streams, each of
which is a dilute solution of components A and B. The first order reaction
𝑘
𝐴 → 𝐵 takes place under isothermal conditions in the presence of a small
amount of solid catalyst held as a suspension within the liquid in the reactor.

(a) Derive a dynamic model describing the time variation of the

concentration of A and B in the reactor effluent.
(b) Calculate the nominal volumetric flowrates q1ss and q2ss of the streams
that are required to produce and effluent stream with the following
steady-state concentrations of A and B:
CAss = CBss = 5 molm-3
(c) Show the transfer functions relating the variations of CA and CB to that of
the flowrates q1 and q2 are of the form:
5.72 0.76
δ𝐶 (𝑠) 3.82𝑠+1 3.82+1 δ𝑞 (𝑠)
[ 𝐴 ] =[ −1.06(8.88𝑠−1) −1.38(5.12𝑠+1) ][ 1 ]
δ𝐶𝐵 (𝑠) δ𝑞2 (𝑠)
(6.17𝑠+1)(3.82𝑠+1) (6.17𝑠+1)(3.82𝑠+1)

(all numbers rounded to 2 decimal digits)

(d) It is proposed to manipulate the flowrates q1 and q2 to control the two

concentrations CA and CB. Calculate the relative gain array (RGA) for this
system.

Data for problem :

Feed Stream 1
Inlet concentration of A, CA,1 : 20 molm-3
 Inlet concentration of B, CB,1 : 1 molm-3

Feed Stream 2
Inlet concentration of A, CA,2 : 7 molm-3
Inlet concentration of B, CB,2 : 2 molm-3

Reactor volume V: 10m3

Reaction rate constant, k : 0.1s-1

[8.] An imperfectly mixed reactor is used to carry out a liquid-phase reaction.

Identification experiments have shown that the response of the exit
concentration, 𝑐 (molm-3) of the key reactant to changes in the feed flowrate,
q(m3s-1) is described by the transfer function:
5𝑒 −20𝑠
δc(s) = δq(s)
(50𝑠+1)(80𝑠+1)

where the Laplace transform parameter, s is measured in s-1

Sketch the response of the exit reactant concentration to an increase of 0.2m3s-1
in the feed flowrate.