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QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCE
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
CHEE 481
FINAL EXAMINATION
APRIL 12, 2007
Dr. E.W. Grandmaison

Instructions: Examination is 3 hours in length

The use of calculators, textbooks and notes is permitted
The examination consists of 5 (five) questions
Please write your name or student number on all examination booklets
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Question #1 (12%)
A laboratory-scale elutriation column is to be used to separate galena particles (density of 7.6
gm/cm3) according to their equivalent aerodynamic diameter. The column consists of a
cylindrical column with a flow distributor to provide a uniform air velocity, U E, in the column.
The air flow is intended to remove the galena particles from the top of the column through a
conical contraction ensuring that entrained particles are indeed removed with the gas stream
leaving the column. In normal operation, a sample of the galena is placed in the column and the
air flow rate is gradually increased to different values thus removing particles from the column
based on their equivalent aerodynamic diameter. Estimate the elutriation velocity required to
remove particles (i) at the transition between Stokes law and the Intermediate flow regime, and
(ii) at the transition between the Intermediate and Newton’s law flow regime. Assume that the
experiment is operated at room temperature with air having a density of 1.18 kg/m 3 and viscosity
of 1.84 x 10-5 kg/m-s.
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Question #2 (24%)

A standard cyclone with a body diameter DC = 1.0 m is to be used to treat a gas stream with a
flow rate of Q = 1.50 m3/s. The gas stream has a temperature of 35C with corresponding
density, f = 1.15 kg/m3, and viscosity, f = 1.89  10-5 kg/m-s. The gas stream contains
particulates with the following properties:
Particulate density, p = 4.5 g/cm3.

Inlet Particle Size, m Mass Fraction,MP

1 0.02
2 0.05
5 0.15
10 0.25
20 0.28
50 0.25
Part (a) (14%)

Find the collection efficiency for each particle size and the overall collection efficiency for this
cyclone. Base your collection efficiency estimates on the standard relations:

where and Ne = 4

Part (b) (10%)

Test the particle size distributions for the cyclone input and output streams from part (a) for log-
normal cumulative behaviour. If appropriate estimate G and G for each distribution. Graph
paper is included on page 7 of this examination and your graph should be submitted with your
examination booklet.

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Question #3 (24%)
An electrostatic precipitator (ESP) is to be used to treat a gas stream with a particle size
distribution:

Inlet Particle Size, m Mass Fraction,MP

0.1 0.015
0.5 0.035
1 0.060
5 0.120
10 0.200
50 0.260
100 0.310

The ESP is a parallel plate type design with channels having a collector plate area, A = 10 m 2
and each channel processes 0.5 m 3/s of the gas stream at T = 600C and P = 106390 Pa. The gas
has a molecular weight of Mw = 29.8 g/mole and the gas viscosity can be modeled by the
relationship:
f (kg/m-s) = 1.62×10-6 × T1/2 - 9.56 × 10-6, with T in Kelvin

The ESP operates at conditions that give drift velocities in the form of the empirical relations
(applicable for all particle sizes):

Diffusion charging,

Bombardment charging,

where DP is the particle size in microns, K m is the Cunningham correction factor and f is the gas
viscosity in kg/m-s.
Part (a) (16%)
Find the capture efficiency for each particle size and the overall capture efficiency for this ESP.
Part (b) (8%)
A heat recovery system is planned for the plant that uses this ESP. This plan will recover heat
and reduce the temperature of this gas stream from 600C to 200C. If the heat recovery system
is placed before the ESP, estimate the impact this change would have on the particulate capture
efficiency?
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Question #4 (20%)
In gas filtration processes, the single particle capture efficiency is given by the
relationship:

This expression predicts that there is a minimum efficiency at intermediate particle diameters
(for example, minimum efficiencies for values of DP  0.3-0.5 microns were demonstrated in this
course.
This efficiency also depends on the gas velocity, U, that transports the particles towards
the filter element. In domestic air filtration systems the effect of the gas velocity is also
important since these units must operate at different gas flow rates selected by the user.
Part (a) (14%)
Show that this capture efficiency has a minimum value as the gas velocity, U, is changed (when
all other variables are held constant). For the conditions noted below, estimate the corresponding
gas velocity and minimum capture efficiency.
Boltzman’s Constant, K = 1.38 x 10-23 kg-m2/K-s2
Temperature, T = 25C = 298 K
Gas density, f = 1.19 kg/m3
Gas viscosity, f = 1.84 x 10-5 kg/m-s
Filter fibre diameter, Df = 20 m
Particle diameter, DP = 0.3 m
Cunningham correction factor, Km = 1.6

Part (b) (6%)

What implications does this result have for the performance of air filter systems, i.e. will this
minimum carry through the total design of a complete high porosity (f  0.8) filter system with a
minimum efficiency at this gas flow rate (explain your answer).
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Question #5 (20%)

An emission source from a wood pulp mill has the following properties:
Stack height, HS = 70 m
Stack gas temperature, TS = 75OC
Stack gas exit velocity, US = 4 m/s
Stack exit diameter, DS = 5 m
Stack exit concentration, CS = 100 ppm H2S
This emission source is to be tested for ground level concentrations of H 2S under average
atmospheric stability conditions (Class C) of 1 atm pressure, 20 OC average ambient temperature
and a wind velocity of 3 m/s.
Part (a) (8%)
Calculate the ground level concentration of H 2S (ppm) 2 km downwind from this emission
source.
Part (b) (6%)
Using power law parameters for the dispersion coefficients, y and z, calculate the maximum
ground level concentration of H2S and the point where this maximum occurs.
Part (c) (6%)
The company proposes to make changes to pulping process that will reduce the stack gas exit

concentration of H2S to 50 ppm. Along with these changes they also plan to increase production

capacity leading to a higher stack gas exit velocity of 6 m/s. What impact will these changes

have on the ground level concentration of H 2S in terms of the maximum ground level

concentration of H2S and the point where this maximum occurs.

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Name: ________________________ Student #: _____________________