CPE 639 MECHANICAL DESIGN OF PROCESS EQUIPMENT ASSIGNMENT 2 (Group Work

CPE 639 MECHANICAL DESIGN OF PROCESS EQUIPMENT ASSIGNMENT 2 (Group Work) Deadline of Submission: 18 May 2016

1. Choose a suitable material of construction for the following duties: a) 98 per cent w/w sulphuric acid at 70 oC. b) 5 per cent w/w sulphuric acid at 30 oC. c) 30 per cent w/w hydrochloric acid at 50 oC. d) 5 per cent aqueous sodium hydroxide solution at 30 oC. e) Concentrated aqueous sodium hydroxide solution at 50 oC. f) 5 per cent w/w nitric acid at 30 oC. g) Boiling concentrated nitric acid. h) 10 per cent w/w sodium chloride solution. i) 5 per cent w/w solution of cuprous chloride in hydrochloric acid. j) 10 per cent w/w hydrofluoric acid. In each case, select the material for a 50 mm pipe operating at approximately 2 bar pressure. Provide the justifications.

2. Suggest suitable materials of construction for the following applications and provide justifications. a) A 10,000 m3 storage tank for toluene. b) A 5.0 m3 tank for storing a 30% w/w aqueous solution of sodium chloride. c) A 2 m diameter, 20 m high distillation column, distilling acrylonitrile. d) A 100 m3 storage tank for strong nitric acid. e) A 500 m3 aqueous waste hold-up tank. The wastewater pH can vary from 1 to 12. The wastewater will also contain traces of organic material. f) A packed absorption column 0.5 m diameter, 3 m high, absorbing gaseous hydrochloric acid into water. The column will operate at essentially atmospheric pressure.

3. Aniline is manufactured by the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene in a fluidised bed reactor. The reactor operates at 250 oC and 20 bar. The reactor vessel is approximately 3 m diameter and 9 m high. Suggest suitable materials of construction for this reactor and provide justifications.

4. Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) is manufactured by the dehydrogenation of 2-butanol using a shell and tube type reactor. Flue gases are used for heating and pass though the tubes. The flue gases will contain traces of sulphur dioxide. The reaction products include hydrogen. The reaction takes place in the shell at a pressure of 3 bar and temperature of 500oC. Select suitable materials for the tubes and shell and provide justifications.

5. In the manufacture of aniline by the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene, the off-gases from the reactor are cooled and the products and unreacted nitrobenzene condensed in a shell and tube exchanger. A typical composition of the condensate is, kmol/h: aniline 950, cyclo-hexylamine 10, water 1920, nitrobenzene 40. The gases enter the condenser at 230 oC and leave at 50 oC. The cooling water enters the tubes at 20 oC and leaves at 50 oC. Suggest suitable materials of construction for the shell and the tubes and provide justifications.