Unit Operation (III)

part I(1)a
Degree of Freedom

Degree of freedom analysis

Phase rule System equilibrium state Process process streams process variables (flowrate, composition, temp., energy transfer rate)

Variable intensive variables (temp., pressure, composition)

Degree of freedom analysis for a process

(Reklaitis, Introduction to Material & Energy Balances)

In order to make a complete material (streams and composition) and energy (energy required and system temperature) balances, number of unknown should be equal to number of independent equation. To know a problem is correctly specified, it is tedious to set up the simultaneous equations and count the number of unknown; instead, you can do the degree of freedom analysis, which is a more convenient approach. Besides it can tell you where the starting place to solve a problem is in a manual calculation.

1. For material balance only

= total no. of stream variables (flow and composition) - total no. of mass balance (no. of component no. of unit) - total no. of subsidiary relation (such as equilibrium relation) - total no. of specified stream variables = 0 correctly specified + underspecified - overspecified (1) (2) (3)

degree of freedom

2. Special unit splitter

If a flow contains S components and splits into N branches, composition relations imposed are (N-1)(S-1), which are XjI = XjII = = XjN, j = 1, 2, 3, , S (4)

Non-active system

3. Reactor
For material balance Nsout = Nsin + esr, s = 1, 2, 3, , S (5) Where es is stoichiometry coefficient, which is zero for inert species.

Therefore, around a reactor, the number of independent mass balance is equal to the number of species plus one additional variable r (Rs/es), in which Rs is the molar production rate, Rs = Nsout Nsin (6)

4. Combined material and energy balances

1. One energy balance for one unit 2. Variables should include Tv, dQ/dt and dW/dt (if work =involved)

Reactive system

Exp. 1

Process
Stream variable 11+1=12

overall
6+1=7

I
9

II
7+1=8

III
8

Mass balance
Specified subsidiary Degree of freedom flow composition

4+4=8
1 2 1 (conversion) 0

4
1 2 0 0

4
0 2 0 3

4
1 0 1 2

4
0 2 1 1

This problem is correctly specified, start with over-all boundary.

Exp. 2

Exp. 2

Exp. 2

E: 50oC HCl C2H 4 C2H5Cl C2H 6

C: 0oC HCl C2H 4 C2H 6 condenser F: C2H5Cl

1.5%A 1.5% of 0.93B

A: 0oC HCl

reactor
B: 0oC
93% C2H4 7% C2H6

splitter
G: 0oC C2H5Cl

1600kg/h =24800mol/h

D: 0oC C2H5Cl

1-1(a)