Homework- 1

Due on 23/1/18 8 AM NC244

Mass Transfer II (CH31010)
Prof. Jayanta Chakraborty

1. Calculate the absolute humidity, relative saturation, and dew-point temperature of a mixture of
benzene-nitrogen at a pressure of 1.5 bar and temperature of 320 K, if the partial pressure of benzene in
the mixture is 0.2 bar.

2. In a plant for the recovery of acetone which has been used as a solvent, the acetone is evaporated
into a stream of nitrogen gas. A mixture of acetone vaporand nitrogen flows through a duct 0.3 m by 0.3
m cross section. The pressure and temperature at one point in the duct are 106.6 kPa and 300 K. At this
point, the average velocity of the gas is 3.0 m/s. A wet-bulb temperature (wick wet with acetone) at this
point is 270 K. Calculate the kilograms of acetone per second carried by the duct. For N2 at 300 K and
106.6 kPa, Pr=0.716, Cp,B=1.041 kJ/kg-K, and µ=178 µP. For acetone vapor, Cp,A=1.30 kJ/kg-K.

3. A drier requires 1.5 m3/s of air at 338 K, 1 atm, and 20% relative humidity. This is to be prepared from
air at 300 K dry-bulb, 291 K wet-bulb temperatures by direct injection of steam into the airstream
followed by passage of the air over steam-heated finned tubes. The available steam is saturated at 383
K. Calculate the kilograms of steam per second required for (a) direct injection, and (b) the heat
exchanger. Assume that in the heat exchanger the steam condenses at constant temperature.

4. A recently installed induced-draft cooling tower (with the fan located at the top) was guaranteed by
the manufacturer to cool 450 m3/h of water from 316 K to 303 K when the available air has a wet-bulb
temperature of 297 K. A test on the tower operated at full fan capacity provided the following results:

Inlet water, 450 m3/h, 319 K

Outlet water, 298.6 K
Inlet air, 297 K dry-bulb, 288.6 K wet-bulb temperature
Outlet air, 310.6 K essentially saturated

(a) What is the fan capacity in m3/s?

(b) Can the tower be expected to meet the guarantee conditions? Note that to do so, NtOG in the
test must be at least equal to the guarantee value if HtOGis unchanged.

5. Water is to be cooled at the rate of 10 kg/s from 317 K to 300 Kin a countercurrent cooling tower
under conditions such that HtOG=2.5 m. Air enters at the bottom of the tower under at 297 K and a
wet-bulb temperature of 294 K. The air rate to be used is 1.33 times the minimum.For the specified
airflow rate [1.33 Vs’(min)], calculate the number of overall transfer units and tower packed height.