Chemical Engineering

Process Analysis I

ChemE 101
Outline
• Units and Dimensions
• Systems of units
• Force and Weight
• Dimensional Homogeneity
• Dimensionless Quantities
• Process data representation and analysis
Introduction to Chemical
Engineering Calculations
According to American Institute of Chemical Engineers
(AIChE), “Chemical engineering is the profession in which a
knowledge of mathematics, chemistry, and other natural
sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied
with judgment to develop economic ways of using materials
and energy for the benefit of mankind.”
PROCESS
 Combination of steps in which materials are converted
into desired products using equipment and conditions
that facilitate the conversion.

Raw
Process Products
Materials
PROCESS
PROCESS
Units and Dimensions
• Measured quantities – value + unit
• Dimension – property that can be measured
• Can only add/subtract if same units
• Can combine in multiplication/division
• ex: Length (L), Mass (M), Time (𝜽), Temp (T)
• Conversion factor
• Equation which has the same quantity but different units
• Ratio equivalent to 1
Systems of Units
• Types of Units
1. Base unit: ex: m, kg, s, K
2. Multiple unit: multiples or fractions of base units
(ex. hour = 3600 seconds)
3. Derived unit: can be obtained by
• Multiplying/dividing base or multiple units (ex. cm3/s)
• Defining equivalents of compound units (ex. N = kg-m/s2)
Systems of Units
Special Note: Force and Weight
• Force = mass x acceleration
• Natural units: kg-m/s2, g-cm/s2, lbm-ft/s2
Derived units
• SI: 1 N (Newton) = 1 kg-m/s2
• CGS: 1 dyne = 1 g-cm/s2
• AES: 1 lbf (pound-force) = 32.174 lbm-ft/s2
Conversion from natural to derived

kg  m / s 2 g  cm / s 2 lbm  ft / s 2
gc  1 1  32.174
N dyne lb f
Systems of Units
Special Note: Mole Unit
• Amount of a substance
• Molecular weight = mass of a mole of substance
• Numerically equal if using units in the same system
-Ex. for O2
• SI/CGS: 32 g/mol or 32 kg/kmol
• AES: 32 lb/lbmol
-Thus, conversion factors for kg-lb is the same as kmol-lbmol
Dimensional Homogeneity
• Every valid equation must be dimensionally homogeneous
-All additive terms must have the same dimensions

• Ex. Consider the equation D[ft] = 3t[s] – 4

-If the equation is valid, what are the dimensions of 3 and 4
-If the equation is consistent, what are the units of 3 and 4
-Derive the equation where D[m] and t[min]
Dimensional Homogeneity
• Recall from Math:
• Trigonometric functions
• Logarithmic functions
• Exponential functions

• Ex. A quantity k depends on temperature T in the following

manner:
 mol   20,000[cal / mol ] 
k  3   1.2 10 exp  
5

 cm  s   1.987T [ K ] 
• What are the units of 1.2x105 and 1.987?
Dimensional Homogeneity
• Ex. Given the Antoine equation, with values
B
log P  mmHg   A 
T F   C
A = 6.85221 B = 1916.33 C = 385.6
• What are the units of A, B and C?
• Obtain new coefficients A’, B’ and C’ if T is to be in oC
and P in kPa.
Minute Paper
• ¼ sheet of ruled pad
• No need to write your names
• Answer the following questions:
1. What did you learn today?
2. Which concepts did you find difficult to understand?
3. How can we improve the class?
Dimensional Quantities
• Reynolds Number (NRe)
• Determines if fluid flow is laminar or turbulent

• Dimensionless numbers simplify the physical

understanding of a phenomenon
• Encountered frequently in Chemical Engineering.
Class Exercise
• The Reynolds number is used to determine if the
flow through a conduit is either in the laminar,
turbulent or transition regime as shown below:
• Nre≤2100 : Laminar
Dvr
• 2100<Nre<4000 : Transition N Re =
• Nre≥4000 :Turbulent m
• For the given data below, determine the flow
regime: D = 5.89in
v = 4.3m / s
lbm
r = 55.54 3
ft
m = 6.5´10-3 Pa - s
Handling of Data

• Most of the data used by engineers are in the form

of tables, graphs, equations or formulas
• Example: Equation to evaluate the skin friction in
pipes

• This formula may also be represented by a

chart/diagram
Handling of Data
Curve Fitting
• It is important to determine the mathematical
relationship between certain variables.
• How? Conduct experiments, and use the obtained
data to fit into a model/equation.
• Curve Fitting
• Fit semi-log, log-log, reciprocal, hyperbolic data as linear
equations
• Arrange equations so that the grouping of variables result in a
straight line plot
• Graphing can be done manually or by using programs like MS
Excel or hand held calculators
Plot of a Straight Line

• Equation: y = mx + b
• where m is the slope
and b is the intercept

• f(y) = mf(x) + b
• log y = m(log x) + b
• ln y = m(ln x)+ b
Class Exercise

• The following table shows the specific heat of

ethane as a function of temperature:

• Given that the variation is linear, find the equation

that represents the data.
Class Exercise

• Dependent variable:
• Specific heat (y)
• Independent variable:
• Temperature (x)
• At x = 0; b = 0.385.

• A(180, 0.58), B(13, 0.40)

• a = (0.58 – 0.40)/(180 - 13)
• a = 0.00108

• Equation of line:
Cp = 0.00108T + 0.385
Rectangular Coordinates
Logarithmic Scales
Methods of Plotting to Give Straight
Lines
Case Study
• Researchers have shown that Y varies with X
according to the following function:
Y  a exp  bX 

• To determine the value of a and b, you performed

the same experiment that they did and came up
with the following data points:
Case Study
• A graph of your data points on rectangular
(Cartesian) coordinates looks like:
1000

800

600
Y

400

200

0
0 5 10 15 20 25
X
Case Study (Take log of both sides)
log Y   log  a   bX  log  e 
3

2
log(Y)

1
b log  e   0.11  b  0.253

log0a  0.48  a  3.02

0 5 10 15 20 25
X
Data points on a semi-log plot
1000

100
Y

10

1
0 5 10 15 20 25
X
Semi-logarithmic Plot
1000

100
Y

10

1
0 5 10 15 20 25
X
Semi-logarithmic Plot
1000

100
Y

10

1
0 5 10 15 20 25
X
Going back to the case study
1000

100
Y

10

a3
1
0 5 10 15 20 25
X
Going back to the case study
1000

log Y1   log a  b log  e   X 1 


log Y2   log a  b log  e   X 2 
100
Y

log Y2   log Y1 

10
b
log  e    X 2  X 1 

1
0 5 10 15 20 25
X
Going back to the case study
1000

14,100 
100
Y

log 100   log  3

10

b  0.2505
log  e   14  0 
10,3
0 5 10 15 20 25
X
 Log-log Graph Paper
Straight lines on log-log graph paper represents
equations of the following form:

Y  aX b

X 6 15 55 67 106 160 254 302 455 599 663

Y 133.313 187.116 302.615 325.54 385.162 449.243 533.022 568.276 661.334 732.158 760.181
 Y  aX b

800

600

400
Y

200

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
X
 log Y   log  a   b log  X 
3
log(Y)

2.5

2
0.5 1.5 2.5 3.5
log(X)
Log-log Graph Paper
1000

100
Y

10
1 10 100 1000
X
Log-log Graph Paper
Y  aX b
1000

 50,300 
1, 65
100 log Y2   log Y1 
Y

b
log  X 2   log  X 1 
a  65
log  300   log  65 

log  50   log 1
10
1 10
X
 0.39 100 1000
Class Exercise
• In an electric generating station, the steam silica should be
maintained at a prescribed level. Excessive silica in the steam will
cause silica deposition in the turbine blades which will considerably
reduce turbine efficiency or even cause a plant shutdown.
• The following tabulation shows the maximum boiler pressure that can
be tolerated to maintain the steam silica at a satisfactory level:

• If the above values will form a straight line on a semi-log scale, find
the appropriate equation that will represent the data.
Class Exercise

Let Csilica = beaP (from y = aebx)

Taking the natural logarithm of both sides of the above equation:
ln Csilica = aP + ln b
Plot ln C vs. P on a rectangular plot, or
Plot C vs P on a semilog plot
Class Exercise

ln Csilica = aP + ln b
Plot C vs P on a semilog plot
Slope: a
C(600,10), D(1800,1.2)
a = (ln 10 – ln 1.2)/(600 – 1800)
= -1.77 x10-3

Csilica = 29e-0.00177P
Questions?
Minute Paper
• ¼ sheet of ruled pad
• No need to write your names
• Answer the following questions:
1. What did you learn today?
2. Which concepts did you find difficult to understand?
3. How can we improve the class?
Thank you!