In: Chemistry
A gas stream (40.1 mol% H2, 34.9 mol% CO, 19.8 mol% CO2 and 5.2mol% CH4) enters a cooler at 1832 degrees fahrenheit and leaves the cooler at 50 degrees fahrenheit at constant absolute pressure of 26,600 Torr. Gas enters the cooler at 123 m^3/min. A)Assume ideal gas behaviior to calculate the molar flow rate (mol/min) and volumetric flow rate (m^3/min) of the mixture exiting the cooler. B) Which component will condense first at 50 degrees fahrenheit if the pressure could be changed
Volumetric flow rate of components:
H2 = 123 m3/min x 0.401 = 49.32 m3/min
CO = 123 m3/min x 0.349 = 42.93 m3/min
CO2 = 123 m3/min x 0.198 = 24.35 m3/min
CH4 = 123 m3/min x 0.052 = 6.39 m3/min
Molar flow rate of components:
T = 50ºF = 283.15K P = 26600 torr = 35 atm R = 0.082 L.atm/K.mol
R x T = 0.082 L.atm/K.mol x 283.15K = 23.2183 L.atm/mol
P / (RxT) = 35 atm / 23.2183 L.atm/mol = 1.5074 mol/L = 1507.4 mol/m3
H2 = 1507.4 mol/m3 x 49.32 m3/min = 74344.97 mol/min
CO = 1507.4 mol/m3 x 42.93 m3/min = 64712.68 mol/min
CO2 = 1507.4 mol/m3 x 24.35 m3/min = 36705.19 mol/min
CH4 = 1507.4 mol/m3 x 6.39 m3/min = 9632.29 mol/min
b) H2 and CH4 cannot be condensed, but CO and CO2 could be condensed by changes of temperature and pressure, I think CO2 should condense first, because it has more molecular weight than CO and its phase diagram we can observe what change we can do: