Problem: Methanol is produced by reacting carbon monoxide and hydrogen. A fresh feed stream containing CO and H2 joins a recycle stream and the combined stream is fed to a reactor. The reactor outlet stream flows at a rate of 350 mol/min and contains 10.6 wt% H2, 64.0 wt% CO, and 25.4 wt% CH3OH. (Notice percentages are by mass and not moles). This stream enters a cooler in which most of the methanol is condensed. The liquid methanol condensate is withdrawn as a product, and the gas stream leaving the condenser – which contains CO, H2, and 0.40mol% uncondensed CH3OH vapor – is the recycle stream that combines with the fresh feed. a) Draw and label a flow diagram b) Carry out a Degree of Freedom Analysis for the condenser, the reactor, and overall process. (Hint: If two molecular species are in the same ratio to each other wherever they appear in a process and this ratio is incorporated in the flowchart labeling, balances in those species will NOT be independent equations. Similarly, if two atomic species occur in the same ratio wherever they appear in a process, balances on those species will NOT be independent equations (Section 4.7b of the book)) c) Calculate the single pass and overall pass conversion
Problem: Methanol is produced by reacting carbon monoxide and hydrogen. A fresh feed stream
containing CO and H2 joins a recycle stream and the combined stream is fed to a reactor. The
reactor outlet stream flows at a rate of 350 mol/min and contains 10.6 wt% H2, 64.0 wt% CO, and
25.4 wt% CH3OH. (Notice percentages are by mass and not moles). This stream enters a cooler
in which most of the methanol is condensed. The liquid methanol condensate is withdrawn as a
product, and the gas stream leaving the condenser – which contains CO, H2, and 0.40mol%
uncondensed CH3OH vapor – is the recycle stream that combines with the fresh feed.
a) Draw and label a flow diagram
b) Carry out a Degree of Freedom Analysis for the condenser, the reactor, and overall
process. (Hint: If two molecular species are in the same ratio to each other wherever they
appear in a process and this ratio is incorporated in the flowchart labeling, balances in those
species will NOT be independent equations. Similarly, if two atomic species occur in the same
ratio wherever they appear in a process, balances on those species will NOT be independent
equations (Section 4.7b of the book))
c) Calculate the single pass and overall pass conversion
Step by step
Solved in 6 steps with 1 images
