References

1. (FR) R. M. Felder, and R. W. Rousseau, ``Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes'' 2nd Edition (Wiley, NY: 1986).
2. (G) C. J. Geankoplis, ``Transport Processes and Unit Operations,'' 3rd Edition (Prentice Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1993).

1. Closed System (note: D = å_final - å_initial )
• D E_k + D E_p + D U = Q_in + W_on (FR)
• Is it adiabatic? (if yes, Q_in=0)
• Are there moving parts, e.g. do the walls move? (if no, W_on=0)
• Is the system moving? (if no, D E_k=0)
• Is there a change in elevation of the system? (if no, DE_p = 0 )
• Does T, phase, or chemical composition change? (if no to all, DU=0)
2. Open System (the fluid is the system) (note: D = å_out - å_in )

 
1. Is it a Mechanical Energy Balance (MEB) problem?

(turbulent, a=1; laminar, a=0.5; F= total frictional loss)
 
• D P/r+ 1/2aDv² + g Dz + F = W_{s,on fluid}/m (FR)
• D P/r+ 1/2aDv² + g Dz + F = -W_{s,by fluid} (G)
The mechanical energy balance is only valid for systems for which the following is true:
1. single-input, single output
2. small or zero Q_in
3. incompressible fluid (r = constant)
4. small or zero D T
2. Is it a regular open system balance?
• D E_k + D E_p + D H = Q_in + W_s,on (FR)
• Is it adiabatic? (if yes, Q_in=0)
• Are there moving parts, e.g. pump, turbine, mixing shaft? (if no, W_s,on=0)
• Does the average velocity of the fluid change between the input and the output? (if no, D E_k=0); remember <v> = v_av = v =V(m³/s)/A(m²).
• Is there a change in elevation of the system between the input and the output?? (if no, D E_p = 0 )
• Does T, phase, chemical composition, or P change? (if no to all, DH=0)

1. Constant T, P changes only
1. real gases => look it up in a table (e.g. steam, Tables B4, B5, B6)
2. ideal gases => D U=0
3. liquids, solids => D U=0
2. Constant P, T changes only
1. real gases => look it up in a table (e.g. steam),

or, if V is constant, D H = ò_T1^T₂C_v(T) dT.
2. ideal gases => D H = ò_T1^T₂C_v(T) dT

Also, C_p=C_v + R
3. liquids, solids D H = ò_T1^T₂C_v(T) dT

also C_p »C_v
3. Constant T, P, phase changes
1. real gases => look it up in a table (e.g. steam)
2. liquid to vapor => D U=DH_vap(T)-PDV_vap»DH_vap - RT
3. solid to vapor => D U=DH_sub(T)-PDV_sub»DH_sub - RT
4. solid to liquid => D U=DH_melt(T)-PDV_melt»DH_melt
4. Constant T, P, mixing occurs
1. gases => D U=0
2. similar liquids => D U=0
3. dissimilar liquids/solids => D U= DH_solution, Table 8.5-1, FR page 380

Note: be careful with units, D H_solution [=]kJ/mole  solute
5. Constant T, P, reaction occurs

1. Constant T, P changes only (Note: Since T is constant, U does not change.)
1. real gases - look it up in a table (e.g. steam, Tables B4, B5, B6)
2. ideal gases

 

	H	=	U+PV	(1)
		=	U+RT	(2)
	(H2-H1)	=	(U2-U1)+ R(T2-T1)	(3)
	D H	=	D U = 0	(4)

3. liquids, solids

 

	H	=	U+PV	(5)
	D H	=	D(PV)	(6)
	V	»	constant wrt P	(7)
	D H	=	V(D P)	(8)

2. Constant P, T changes only
1. real gases => look it up in a table to be most accurate (e.g. steam),

otherwise D H = ò_T1^T₂C_p(T) dT
2. ideal gases => D H = ò_T1^T₂C_p(T) dT
3. liquids, solids => D H = ò_T1^T₂C_p(T) dT
3. Constant T, P, phase changes
1. liquid to vapor => D H=DH_vap(T)

Note: d lnP^*/dln1/T =D H_vap/R Clapeyron equation
2. solid to vapor => D H=DH_sub(T)
3. solid to liquid => D H=DH_melt(T)
4. Constant T, P, mixing occurs
1. gases => D H=0
2. similar liquids => D H=0
3. dissimilar liquids/solids => D H= DH_solution, Table 8.5-1, FR page 380

Note: be careful with units, D H_solution [=] J/mole  solute
5. Constant T, P, reaction occurs

1. Write down neatly everything you are doing so that you and the grader both understand better what you are thinking.

 
2. Draw your flow sheet Large. Leave yourself plenty of room to add information to the drawing. Draw it over if it becomes too crowded (Do not erase; start a new sheet. You may want to come back to the original information.)

 
3. Always write complete units with quantities, e.g., for mole fraction A the units are moles A/moles total; quantities are meaningless without the units.

 
4. What are you looking for? What balance can help you find it?
 
Is a mass balance necessary?
 
1. Is it an open or a closed system?

 
2. Is it a mechanical energy balance problem?

 
5. Convert inconvenient units, e.g., convert volumes and volume fractions into moles or masses, since mass is conserved and volume is not. Also, convert dew points and other similar information (e.g. percent humidity, molal saturation, etc.) to compositions if possible.

 
6. Do you have a piece of information you do not know what to do with? What is its definition? Look it up in the index, if necessary. Write it with its proper units and try to interpret how it impacts the problem.

 
7. What has remained constant in the problem? Is it isothermal (T constant)? Isobaric (P constant)? Constant V or V? Adiabatic (Q=0)? Is the mass flow constant? Is the volumetric flow constant? Is the heat flow constant or known?

 
8. Remember that if a phase is saturated, you know a great deal about it:
1. If it is a pure component, you only need to know the phase (i.e. solid, liquid, vapor) and one of the following to know everything about the stream: T, P, V, U, H.
2. If it is a mixture, Raoult's law applies to each component, y_iP=x_iP_i^*(T).
9. When looking for U, H, or V, always take it from a table, if it is available. It is available for water/steam:
1. Table B.4, FR page 628, ``Properties of Saturated Steam,'' sorted by Temperature
2. Table B.5, FR page 630, ``Properties of Saturated Steam,'' sorted by Pressure
3. Table B.6, FR page 636, ``Properties of Superheated Steam,'' presented in a grid of pressure and temperature. Saturated steam properties are also presented in the first two columns of Table B.6, but the steps in pressure are large, and therefore Tables B.4 and B.5 are more accurate for saturated steam properties at lower T and P.
10. If the problem is complex, break it down into smaller pieces and draw separate flow-sheets which correspond to the smaller pieces.

 
11. Name unknown streams, compositions, and enthalpies or internal energies. See if there are few unknowns which can be solved for. Try different methods of naming the unknowns if the first way you think of does not turn out to be convenient.

 
12. Check for forgotten relations:
1. mass balance
2. mole fractions and mass fractions sum to 1.
3. If a stream is just split, with no special process unit present, the mole or mass fractions are the same in all streams before and after the split.
4. For a fixed, closed system, V, V, and mass are constant.
13. The last step is to answer the question. Always present your answer with the correct number of significant figures and a box around it.

This document was translated from L^AT_EX by H^EV^EA.