Methanol is synthesized from carbon monoxide and hydrogen in a catalytic reactor. The fresh feed to the process contains 32.0 mol% CO, 64.0% H2, and 4.0% N2. This stream is mixed with a recycle stream in a ratio 5 mol recycle/1 mol fresh feed to produce the feed to the reactor, which contains 13.0 mol% N2. A low single-pass conversion is attained in the reactor. The reactor effluent goes to a condenser from which two streams emerge: a liquid product stream containing essentially all the methanol formed in the reactor, and a gas stream containing all the CO, H2, and N2 leaving the reactor. The gas stream is split into two fractions: one is removed from the process as a purge stream,and the other is the recycle stream that combines with the fresh feed to the reactor. (a) For a basis of 100 mol fresh feed/h, calculate the production rate of methanol (mol/h), the molar flow rate and composition of the purge gas, and the overall and single-pass conversions. (b) Briefly explain in your own words the reasons for including (i) the recycle stream and (ii) the purge stream.
Methanol is synthesized from carbon monoxide and hydrogen in a catalytic
reactor. The fresh feed to the process contains 32.0 mol% CO, 64.0% H2, and 4.0% N2. This stream is mixed with a recycle stream in a ratio 5 mol recycle/1 mol fresh feed to produce the feed to the reactor, which contains 13.0 mol% N2. A low single-pass conversion is attained in the reactor. The reactor effluent goes to a condenser from which two streams emerge: a liquid product stream containing essentially all the methanol formed in the reactor, and a gas stream containing all the CO, H2, and N2 leaving the reactor. The gas stream is split into two fractions: one is removed from the process as a purge stream,and the other is the recycle stream that combines with the fresh feed to the reactor.
(a) For a basis of 100 mol fresh feed/h, calculate the production rate of
methanol (mol/h), the molar flow rate and composition of the purge
gas, and the overall and single-pass conversions.
(b) Briefly explain in your own words the reasons for including (i) the recycle stream and (ii) the purge stream.
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