Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Vacuum Drying Oven –I
New technologies being investigated to protect a damaged space shuttle during reentry is
to first fill the damaged area with a porous polymeric material and then soak it with
water. At the temperatures of space the water will freeze in the pores. The worst-case
scenario is for a 4 inch2 area, 1-inch deep hole in the shuttle’s skin. Your question is to
determine if during reentry the shuttle’s skin will be protected by this ice filled repair. To
help facilitate your investigations the laboratory has a vacuum drying oven that is steam
heated. Professor Ring will supply several examples of the open cell porous polymer
material to be tested. This material should be well characterized before it is to be used in
your experiments.
Develop a series of experimental tests to determine the time required to remove water and
ice from the porous structure at different drying conditions. Compare these measurements
to predictions using simultaneous heat and mass transfer. Extrapolate these conditions to
those of reentry of the space shuttle and predict if the ice filled repair material is adequate
for this application. To do this effectively, you will need to simulate the temperature and
pressure conditions that the shuttle will experience during reentry and then predict the
rates of sublimation and drying that will take place in this patch material during these
reentry conditions. Use some sort of risk analysis to determine what are the most
important parameters that will lead to a successful patch of this type and determine what
is the chance of failure of the patch during reentry.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
CSTR-PFR Combination Reactor
Our client has a CSTR saponification reactor operating in their plant. The saponification
reaction used by our client is the saponification of ethyl acetate, (ET-Ac);
Et-Ac + NaOH NaAc + Et-OH
followed by a separation process for sodium acetate, NaAc, from the mixture of the
solvent water and the reaction byproduct ethanol (ET-OH). They are having trouble
with the reactor and want to increase the reactor’s yield. They have available a PFR that
could be used in series or parallel to increase the reaction yield. First of all, they would
like to know if their stirred tank reactor is operating as an ideal reactor. They think that
the impeller operating at 30 rpm may be too slow for ideal mixing. You will be required
to develop a method of experimentally determining if the reactor is operating ideally and
specifically determine just how far from ideal this behavior is. Second of all, they would
like to know how to configure the CSTR and PFR combination for and increase in yield
for the saponification of ethyl acetate. You are to make the prediction of what is the best
configuration before the oral exam using data from the literature1 that may take some
further analysis and the geometry of the 1.3 Liter CSTR and the 63 cm long 2.5 cm in
diameter packed bed PFR filled with 3 mm diameter glass bead packing located in Lab F
which will be available to you for experimentation. Your laboratory work should make
measurements on this reactor configuration and compare the experimental results with
your predictions.
A key factor in these experiments is the method used to measure the concentration of
either reactants or products from the reactor. Develop an accurate method of chemical
analysis. What size sample do you need to take from the reactor to give accurate
analysis?
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
1
Hovarka, R.B. and Kendall, ;H.B. "Tubular reactor at low flow rates" CEP56(8),58-62(1960).
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Heat Conduction –1
A long cylindrical antenna on an airplane’s exterior cools it’s cylindrical aluminum
electronics compartment to which it is attached. If the electronics are cooled to less than
0C then they will not work properly due to a surface acoustic wave transducer. The flight
conditions are up to 8 hrs at 10,000 m altitude where the ambient temperature is –60C
and with airspeed of 1,000 km/hr. You are to develop a model for the temperature
distribution in the antenna and the cooling of the electronics compartment. The
dimensions and materials of construction for the antenna and the electronics compartment
are to be taken from the Heat Conduction experimental apparatus with its cylindrical
steam chamber and its cylindrical metal rods in aluminum and stainless steel of various
diameters. As part of your oral exam you will be required to predict the temperature
transient profile for an aluminum rod as a function of time and location from one end
where the temperature is held constant. You are to compare this model with
measurements done on the Heat Conduction experimental apparatus in which you will
monitor the transient heat conduction in the rods given an inlet of hot fluid at one end of
the rods. In your final report compare the experimental transient temperature profile to
the predicted transient temperature profile for all rods on the apparatus. Explain any
differences you see between experiment and prediction in the discussion part of your
report. Finally using this data and other materials and models, make suggestions for the
materials of construction of the antenna for the airplane, its diameter (assuming it has to
be of a given length to work as an antenna) and the heating requirements for a heater to
be placed in the electronics compartment to provide the needed heat to keep the
compartment at or above 0C during the flight.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Extruder-2
A client has produced a new high-density form of a polyethylene. We have been asked to
characterize the extrusion properties of this new polymer and make predictions of its rate
of extrusion in industrial equipment. The client also wants to know what is the
maximum extrusion rate for the high-density polyethylene polymer in the manufacture of
a new type of 1” pipe to replace that, which is sold for sprinkler systems here in the USA.
The industrial equipment used today extrudes PVC at 10 C above its melting point at 0.5
m/s through the 1” pipe die. You have PVC, the blue beads in the laboratory, which you
can try for comparison purposes to characterize the rheology of PVC for comparison
purposes.
Your boss believes the best way to do this is to measure the Non-Newtonian rheology of
the polymer at various temperatures and then to extrude it under various conditions to
verify that it can be extruded well. So at various temperatures, perform extrusion
experiments at various temperatures and flow rates. Measure the pressure and the flow
rate for these conditions. Using appropriate Newtonian models for the flow in both an
extruder and a rectangular die2 calculate the viscosity of the fluid. Plot the viscosity as a
function of shear rate. Is the viscosity Newtonian? Please identify any Non-Newtonian
data taken. What rheological equation should be used to fit the Non-Newtonian data?
How is the PVC different from the high-density polyethylene?
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Ring, T.A. “Fundamentals of Ceramic Processing and Synthesis” Academic Press, New York 1996, p.
644-649.
2
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Catalytic Decomposition of Cumene
Due to a design error a 3-5% impurity, cumene, is present in a customer’s isooctane
stream. Since the cost of revamping the production unit is prohibitive, it is proposed to
remove the cumene by a vapor-phase catalytic decomposition, viz,
C—C—

+
C=C—C
A catalyst is needed that will not cause any reaction with isooctane. The propylene is to
be stripped out down stream and the benzene added to the isooctane feed. Set up a small,
fixed bed reactor and investigate a SiO2-Al2O3 catalyst for the decomposition of cumene
over a range of temperatures from 300 C to 500 C. Since isooctane is inert of this
catalyst in this temperature range, helium can be substituted as an inert carrier gas.
Your task is to:
1.) Determine the reaction order with respect to cumene and kinetic rate constant as a
function of temperature for the above reaction
2.) Determine the catalyst deactivitation kinetics. Coking is responsible for
deactiviation.
3.) Determine how long it takes to achieve catalyst line out, that is when catalyst
deactivation becomes constant
4.) Determine the reaction order with respect to cumene and kinetic rate constant as a
function of temperature at line out conditions.
In your oral be prepared to discuss:
1.) Equipment
2.) Sample analysis using a gas chromatograph
3.) Kinetic analysis for nth order reaction in cumene and for both pore diffusion and
surface reaction as rate-limiting steps.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Heat Control -2
The heat control is an apparatus with a long residence time which makes developing a
controller for it a time consuming operation. As a result, you should plan a limited
experimental program to be used for process modeling purposes. Using control station fit
the experimental data to a process model. Use the process model to develop two
controllers be they P, PI, PD or PID and determine the appropriate coefficients for the
two best controllers. After you have developed the controllers using control station
implement the controllers on the heat control apparatus and test your two controllers.
Compare the accuracy of the two best controllers on the apparatus to those same
controllers on the process model. Develop a method to quantitatively compare the
various controller types you have performed experiments upon. Be prepared to discuss
the quantitative comparison method in the oral exam.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Liquid Level Control-1
The liquid level control experiment measures the pressure head in a tank and controls
either the inlet flow rate or the outlet flow rate from the tank. The object of this
experiment is to test both system configurations with a controller (either P,PI or PID)
with an optimized set of tuning parameters. Determine which configuration is the best, to
control level in the tank. You are also to specify the controller type(e.g. P,PI,PID) and
optimum tuning parameters for the system, which best controls level by manipulations of
the flow rate in or out of the tank. Develop a method to quantitatively compare the
various configurations (both valve location and various controller types) you have
performed experiments upon. Be prepared to discuss the quantitative comparison method
in the oral exam.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Bubble-cap Distillation Column –3
The client wants to optimize the performance of his distillation column separating an isopropanol (IPA)-water mixture. Our objective is to determine operating conditions and
configuration for the distillation column that will give optimized performance for the
separation of IPA-water mixture. Based upon the results from the previous group’s
report, your objective is to optimize the distillation column to produce the maximum
amount of high concentration product for the least amount of steam. There are several
strategies that might be used to increase the capacity of the distillation column including:
feed point, recycle ratio, condenser control temperature, height in the reboiler, or other
that your engineering judgment deems appropriate. Please use a software package,
Aspen, HiSyS or ChemCad, to test various optimization strategies. Select 4 different
operating conditions and run the distillation column at finite reflux for those conditions
and determine the yield of the unit operation. Compare your experimentally measured
yields to those predicted by the software package. In your report identify the conditions
to maximize the yield for the column using the IPA-water mixture in the feed tank.
Please determine the capital cost of the modification, if any, to the column and the
operating cost for these 4 different operating conditions. Compare these cost to that of
the current operating configuration. How much would you save with your optimized
column?
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Liquid flow bench-1
We have a very tight budget and want to do experiments very cost effectively for our
client. He needs to evaluate the use of Salt Lake Brine from the north arm of the lake.
The north arm is the most concentrated. The brine will be pumped to a plant near to
Willard bay where the brine and river water from the Weber river will be pumped
through separate filtration systems, e.g. a sand bed filter then a membrane filter at 10
microns. You need to determine the pressure drop and pump energy needed for the
pipeline and for a water treatment plants. We need to do this both on paper an using
experiments. At the plant we need to determine the pressure drop and pump energy
needed for the filtration system for both the brine and the river water needed for the plant.
This clean brine and clean river water will then be used to generate power (130
megawatts) by pressure-retarded osmosis and a hydro turbine. Please see Sidney Loeb’s
paper attached.
Use the liquid flow bench to determine the friction factor for water flow in pipes. Of
particular interest is the turbulent regime where the pipe roughness plays a role.
Carefully plan your experiments to obtain the most accurate measurements of the friction
factor and the Reynolds number. For your oral exam please give the range of flow rates,
pipe sizes, pressure drops and other parameters you intend to use. In addition please
predict the range of Reynolds number to be investigated as well as the accuracy of the
friction factor to be measured. Compare your results with those in the literature and
discuss any differences.
Also use the liquid flow bench to determine the pressure drop for a sand be filter. Of
particular interest is the turbulent flow regime. Carefully plan your experiments to obtain
the most accurate measurements of the pressure drop and the Reynolds number.
Compare your results with those in the literature and discuss any differences.
Finally, determine the cost of the pipeline and the cost of the filtration plants for both the
river water and the brine. These costs should reflect both capital and operating costs.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Bubble-cap Distillation Column –1
Please operate the laboratory distillation column in two modes: 1) at total reflux
and 2) when top and bottom products are being taken with a recycle ratio of
approximately twice the minimum recycle ratio. Determine the stage-by-stage efficiency
of the laboratory distillation column under these two modes of operation. Please assure
that the distillation column is operating at steady state before samples are taken for your
analysis of stage-by-stage efficiency.
For your oral exam please predict the overall stage efficiency from a correlation
available in the literature. For this calculation, assume that the column capacity is limited
by flooding considerations and make your estimate of overall efficiency at 80% of
flooding. Also be prepared to discuss errors in your experimentally measured quantities
and error propagation into the stage-by-stage efficiency determined. Which mode of
analysis and operation will give the lowest errors?
An estimate is needed of the capacity (GPM of Feed) of the laboratory distillation
column to process a 15% ethanol in water stream and to produce a 50% ethanol product.
The approximate reflux ratio, the steam rate required, the optimum feed plate location
and the expected percent ethanol recovery are to be specified. Proposed column
operation should conform to accepted industrial practice.
You are to make this estimate based upon the results of operation of this same
column on the water-isopropanol solution available. Necessary corrections to these
laboratory data are to be made based upon standard correlations, to permit the evaluation
for the ethanol-water system.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger-1
A client is interested to know the reason for the transient in his shell and tube heat
exchanger. So you are to measure it and determine why it is so long. In addition, he
wants to use this heat exchanger for two new uses, which require you to make design
calculations for him.
Using the shell and tube heat exchanger determining the overall heat transfer coefficient
for the transfer of heat from the jacket to the liquid inside the shell. For your oral exam
you will have to establish a protocol for these measurements and a dimensionless number
correlation for the shell side heat transfer coefficient that is reasonable for this type of
equipment. Compare your experimental correlation with any that are available in the
literature.
In addition, you need to pay particular attention to data taken at startup of the equipment
and develop a method of determining the effective thermal mass of the shell and tube
heat exchanger experimentally. Compare that with an estimate of the mass using its
geometry and the density of its various materials of construction.
In your final report you are to use the experimental data and analysis performed to
develop a design of the operating conditions necessary to use this same shell and tube
heat exchanger to cool both a mixture of 0.33 mole fraction dodecane in heptane from
300C to 50C and liquid sodium from 300C to 150C using cooling water in both cases.
How much mixture can be fed to the heat exchanger per unit time and what flow rate of
cooling water is needed. Assume that the cooling water is the same temperature as
available in the tap in the Laboratory.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
CSTR
A client appears to be running his CSTR without sufficient mixing as low conversions are
being reported. Uniform mixing of reactants is critical to the conversion in a CSTR. You
are to develop a series of data to show the effect of inadequate mixing on CSTR
conversion for presentation to the client. We believe that they will mimic the client’s
results.
Please run a CSTR at less than optimum stirring rates to establish the degree of macrosegregation that is observed as a function of stirring rate using the residence time
distribution and the conversion. Start at zero stirring rate in a baffled tank and proceed
upwards to stirring rates where uniform mixing is theoretically expected (see Perry's).
Please take data at steady state for each stirring rate. Use the saponification of ethyl
Chem in 1
acetate
Et-Ac + NaOHs( ,
, ) NaAc + Et-OH
as a test reaction. The kinetics of this reaction is reported in Hovarka, R.B. and Kendall,
;H.B. "Tubular reactor at low flow rates" CEP56(8),58-62(1960). In equimolar
experiments they found this reaction to be second order overall. As a result of this
finding the location of the reactant feed port is critical. In the oral quiz give good reasons
for your selection of feed port locations. A key factor in these experiments is the method
used to measure the concentration of either reactants or products from the reactor.
Develop an accurate method of chemical analysis. What size sample do you need to take
from the reactor to give accurate analysis?
Use reactor mixing models to fit the results you have obtained from measurements of the
residence time distribution and the conversion. Compare your mixing models for
conversion to those measured. So that we can show that client we can predict the effects
of poor mixing in his CSTR.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Glass Lined Reactor
The client needs a Heat transfer correlation for a glass-lined reactor of odd geometry.
Using the glass lined reactor determine the heat transfer coefficient for the transfer of
heat from the steam jacket to the liquid inside the reactor. Please make these
measurements with the baffle in place at various liquid levels and stirring rates. For your
oral exam you will have to establish a protocol for these measurements (including
accuracy assessment) and a correlation (of the type Nusselt Number versus Reynolds
number) that is reasonable for this type of equipment.
Chem
in 1 acetate
Based upon a reaction the saponification
of ethyl
Et-Ac + NaOHs( ,
, ) NaAc + Et-OH
determine a design for this glass-lined reaction using this reactor. The kinetics of this
reaction is reported in Hovarka, R.B. and Kendall, ;H.B. "Tubular reactor at low flow
rates" CEP56(8),58-62(1960). In equimolar experiments they found this reaction to be
second order overall. This reaction conversion may be limited by either kinetics or heat
transfer. Determine the capacity of this glass-lined reactor assuming 0.1 M feed of both
reactants when the conversion of the product is to be 0.85.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Extruder-1
Perform extrusion experiments at various temperatures and flow rates. Measure the
pressure and the flow rate for these conditions. Using appropriate Newtonian models for
the flow in both an extruder and a rectangular die3 calculate the viscosity of the fluid.
Plot the viscosity as a function of shear rate. Is the viscosity Newtonian? Please identify
any Non-Newtonian data taken. What rheological equation should be used to fit the NonNewtonian data?
Use the data gathered for polyethylene and validation of the various governing equations
used, predict this equipment’s maximum extrusion rate for a ceramic paste consisting of
55% by volume solids mono-disperse 0.1 micron diameter particles of amorphous SiO2 in
water assuming that the Silica dispersion follows a Crossian or shear thinning rheology4
similar to polyethylene. Does the Braybender motor have sufficient torque to push the
ceramic paste through the die (only) at this maximum flow rate?
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Ring, T.A. “Fundamentals of Ceramic Processing and Synthesis” Academic Press, New York 1996, p.
644-649.
4
Ibid, p. 562-573.
3
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Distillation
With the new gas sample ports run the distillation column and take gas samples. Analyze
the gas samples with our Index of Refraction apparatus and compare these results, the
liquid samples also taken and theoretical calculations for the column. From the liquid
samples determine the stage efficiency and from the gas samples determine the stage
efficiency and compare with that determined from the gas samples. Also compare these
experimental results to literature correlations of stage efficiency.
An estimate is needed of the capacity (GPM of Feed) of the laboratory distillation column
to process a 2.5% ethanol in water stream and to produce a 40% ethanol product. The
approximate reflux ratio, the steam rate required, the optimum feed plate location and the
expected percent ethanol recovery are to be specified. Proposed column operation should
conform to accepted industrial practice. You are to make this estimate based upon the
results of operation of this same column at on the water-isopropanol solution available.
Necessary corrections to these laboratory data are to be made based upon standard
correlations, to permit the capacity evaluation for the ethanol-water system.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
CSTR
A client appears to be running his CSTR without the baffles in his mixing tank and
therefore insufficient mixing as low conversions are being reported. Uniform mixing of
reactants is critical to the conversion in a CSTR. You are to develop a series of data to
show the effect of inadequate mixing on CSTR conversion for presentation to the client.
We believe that they will mimic the client’s results.
Please run a CSTR with and without baffles to establish the degree of macro-segregation
that is observed as a function of stirring rate using the residence time distribution and the
conversion. Start with a baffled tank and proceed to add baffles until four are added.
Please take data at steady state for each condition. Use the saponification of ethyl acetate
Et-Ac + NaOH ↔NaAc + Et-OH
as a test reaction. The kinetics of this reaction is reported in Hovarka, R.B. and Kendall,
;H.B. "Tubular reactor at low flow rates" CEP56(8),58-62(1960). In equimolar
experiments they found this reaction to be second order overall. As a result of this
finding the location of the reactant feed port is critical. In the oral quiz give good reasons
for your selection of feed port locations. A key factor in these experiments is the method
used to measure the concentration of either reactants or products from the reactor.
Develop an accurate method of chemical analysis. What size sample do you need to take
from the reactor to give accurate analysis of the rate constant?
Use reactor-mixing models to fit the results you have obtained from measurements of the
residence time distribution and the conversion. Compare your mixing models for
conversion to those measured. So that we can show that client we can predict the effects
of poor mixing in his CSTR.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Distillation –III
With the terrorist hysteria, there has been a need to develop chemical agent
decontamination methods. Chemical agents are phosphor organic molecules that behave
like vaporizable light oils. To decontaminate a surface either a solvent for chemical
agent is used or strong oxidizing solutions are used, i.e. bleach solutions. Strong
oxidizing solutions can degrade some surfaces of the materials to be decontaminated. If a
solvent is used for decontamination it must be regenerated. A good solvent is iso-propyl
alcohol. A good method for regeneration is distillation.
Go along to the grocery store and get a bottle of essential oil of the mint, which will act
as a simulant for a chemical agent like Sarin. Develop a method to measure the
concentration of mint in iso-propanol. Maybe spectrometry would work. Add the mint
to a batch of iso-propanol and run it through the batch still. From your operation of the
batch still determine if contaminated iso-propanol can be cleaned up for reuse as a
decontamination solvent. Determine the relative volatility for mint in iso-propanol. Then
use the CHEMCAD or Aspen program, with the BATCH module, to develop a schedule
of sequential batch distillations including slop cuts that would be recycled with the
objective to maximize the separation of mint from iso-propanol with operation at our
atmospheric pressure, with a total condenser and a reboiler powered at 800watts. In your
experiments you are to test this sequential batch distillation schedule and compare your
results with that of your CHEMCAD or Aspen predictions.
Thank you for freshening the laboratory air.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
pH Control – 3
A new client requires that a controller be designed for a waste acid neutralization step.
The acid stream is pH 3, HCl to be neutralized by a base, NaOH. Since the product of the
neutralizer enters a biological waste treatment facility for phenol in which the digestion
enzyme being used is very pH sensitive, the pH must be controlled to within 0.3 pH units.
There are several enzymes under development for the phenol digestion with different
ideal pH operating conditions. As a result we need to develop a generalized pH
controller that will work with different and changing flow rates of the waste stream and
control the pH between 5 and 9 with accuracy at the set point of 0.3 pH units. Deviation
in pH beyond that will denature the enzyme protein and render it useless for the phenol
digestion reaction.
It is well established that pH control is difficult mixing process to control. The reason is
that this mixing process is highly non-linear in its pH response. Using a burette and a pH
meter, show this non-linear response by mixing acid into a base solution. Then operate
the pH control experiment on these same solutions and develop a control strategy for this
system. Should you use a P, PI or PID controller to best control the pH in this system,
which performs best? Develop and test an advance control strategy for this process over
a pH range of 4 pH units. Quantitatively compare the results for the various controllers
you have tried in an attempt to determine the best controller for this process.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Packed Beds-I
Flow through packed beds are essential for many unit operations including trickle bed
reactors used for biological clean-up of phenol from process waters in a refinery. Phenol
at concentrations above 100 ppm is toxic to bacteria in waste water treatment facilities
and must be removed before refinery waste water is discharged to the sewer. As a result,
waste water is flowed through a packed be bioreactor made of porous sand impregnated
and bound with an enzyme from unique strain of bacteria that considers phenol as food.
The enzyme in the acid form catalyzes the oxidation of phenol rendering it non-toxic.
The kinetics of this oxidation reaction follows the Michaelis Menton kinetic relation
-Rate = Vmax S/(Km+S)
where S is the concentration of the substrate, phenol and Vmax =1 mole/(cm2 hr) and Km=
10 ppm measured for the enzyme impregnated sand particles. Your job is to determine
from the properties of the flow of water in the sand bed (i.e. friction factor vs Reynolds
number) what is an appropriate waste water flow rate to match the kinetics of the reaction
so that water loaded with 500ppm phenol can be rendered safe to send to the Salt Lake
City sewer. You will also need to size the pump required to pump the water through the
2 meter tall, 0.5 meter diameter sand trickle bed reactor.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Heat Control -1
The heat control is an apparatus with a long residence time which makes developing a
controller for it a time consuming operation. As a result, you should plan a limited
experimental program to be use for process modeling purposes. Using control station fit
the experimental data to a process model. Use the process model to develop two
controllers be they P, PI, PD or PID and determine the appropriate coefficients for the
two best controllers. After you have developed the controllers using control station
implement the controllers on the heat control apparatus and test your two controllers.
Compare the accuracy of the two best controllers on the apparatus to those same
controllers on the process model.
Finally, use a Smith predictor controller for controlling the apparatus. Ask Ben Meibos
for help in implementing this controller. Compare the accuracy of the Smith predictor
Controller to that of the others tested.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Heat Control -3
The heat control is an apparatus with a long residence time which makes developing a
controller for it a time consuming operation. As a result, you should plan a limited
experimental program to be used for process modeling purposes. Using control station fit
the experimental data to a process model. Use the process model to develop two
controllers be they P, PI, PD or PID and determine the appropriate coefficients for the
two best controllers. After you have developed the controllers using control station
implement the controllers on the heat control apparatus and test your two controllers.
Compare the accuracy of the two best controllers on the apparatus to those same
controllers on the process model.
Finally, design and test a more advanced controller of your choice. Compare the accuracy
of this multivariable controller to that of the others tested.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Liquid Level Control-1
The liquid level control experiment measures the pressure head in a tank and controls
either the inlet flow rate or the outlet flow rate from the tank. The object of this
experiment is to test both system configurations with a controller (either P,PI or PID)
with an optimized set of tuning parameters. Determine which configuration is the best, to
control level in the tank. You are also to specify the controller type(e.g. P,PI,PID) and
optimum tuning parameters for the system, which best controls level by manipulations of
the flow rate in or out of the tank. Develop a method to quantitatively compare the
various configurations (both valve location and various controller types) you have
performed experiments upon. Be prepared to discuss the quantitative comparison method
in the oral exam.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.
Beehive State Engineers
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Multivariable control system-1
A water heating system consists of a constant level tank with an electrical heater. The
water flows from the heated tank into a hypothetical delivery system. The objective of
this water heating system is to deliver water at constant temperature and flow rate with
temperature takes priority at all times. In the system, the water flow is controlled going
into and out of the tank. The inlet flow is controlled according to the height of the liquid
in the tank. On the basis of your best analytical efforts, determine the times to steady
state that would be needed for each controller at 1.25 and 2.5 gpm flow rates and the tank
height at 25 inches and 35 inches. You are required to tune the two most important
controllers on this apparatus at different tank heights and flow rates. You should decide
which type of controllers (i.e. P, PI, PID) are to be used in each case.
For your laboratory experiments operate the system : 1) manually to get a feel for the
system, and 2) tune all the controllers and determine the tuning parameters for the
processes and control valves for two tank heights and two flow rates. Are these tuning
parameters likely to be the same? How good is this tuning? How would you determine
the control performance? Based on the above work, is there a simple advanced control
strategy that might significantly improve performance? After discussions with TAR
implement and test this advanced control strategy and report on its performance.
Please include this assignment in your report as an appendix but do not cite it in the
body of your report.