SUBJECT NAME: THERMODYNAMICS: APPLIED III

ASSIGNMENT 1: 07/08/2016
CODE: TDA301T
DUE DATE: 12/08/2016
DUE TIME: 11:00
TOTAL MARKS: 50
FULL MARKS: 50

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:

Strictly, NO LATE SUBMISSIONS will be accepted

NO PLAGIARISM

NUMBER OF PAGES (COVER PAGE INCLUDED): 3

NUMBER OF PAGES OF APPENDICES: 0

COURSE(S):
NATIONAL DIPLOMA: CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING

EXAMINER: MR. M.M. MABUZA

MODERATOR: EXAM COMMITTEE

Question 1 (30 Marks)

Nitrogen gas can be liquefied using a simple Joule-Thomson expansion process as shown in
Figure 1.

Figure 1 A Simple Liquefaction Process

This is done by rapidly and adiabatically expanding cold nitrogen from a high-pressure gas to
a low-temperature, low-pressure vapour-liquid mixture. To produce the high pressure, nitrogen
initially available at 0.1 MPa and 135 K is reversibly and adiabatically compressed to 2 MPa,
isobarically cooled to 135 K, recompressed to 20 MPa, and again isobarically cooled before
undergoing the Joule-Thomson expansion to 0.1 MPa.
a) How much compressor work is required per kilogram liquid nitrogen produced?

If, to improve efficiency, the Linde process (see Figure 2) is used with the same two-stage
compressor as above and with nitrogen vapour leaving the heat exchanger at 0.1 MPa and 120
K.

Figure 2 Linde Liquefaction Process

b) What is the temperature and entropy of nitrogen just before the first stage of
compression (i.e. at point 1)?
c) Supposed the work done by the compressor for the first stage of compression is 150
kJ/kg of nitrogen. How much compressor work is required per kilogram of liquid
nitrogen produced in the Linde liquefaction process?

(NB: Make practical assumptions where applicable)

Question 2 (20 Marks)

Ethylene at 30 bar and 100 C passes through a heater-expander and emerges at 20 bar and 150
C as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3 Process flow diagram

There is no flow of work into or out of the heater-expander, but heat is supplied. Assuming that
ethylene obeys the van der Waals equation of state
a) Derive the expression for the flow of heat into the heater-expander per mole of ethylene.
b) Compute the change in molar volume of ethylene.
c) Suppose for ethylene the molar enthalpy at 30 bar and 100 C is 3610 J/mol and at 20
bar and 150 C is 6796 J/mol. How much heat flows into the heater-expander per mole
of ethylene?

Total (50 Marks)

THE END