Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical Engineering) Programme

CN3124 Fluid-Solid Systems

Assignment 2 2014/2015 Semester 2
Name:

Matric. No:

QUESTION 1

Date: 10 Apr 2015

(20 marks)

On 21 June 2013, the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading in Singapore reached a record high
of 401 as a result of a transboundary haze situation. According to the National Ambient Air
Quality Standards, this PSI reading corresponded to a PM10 value of approximately 500 g m-3.
An average adult has a normal breathing rate of about 15 breathes/min and inhales/exhales about
0.5 L per breath. During a haze situation, the lungs will need to exert sufficient pressure to expel
air containing particulate materials out of the body through the trachea (windpipe). Assume that
the trachea of an average adult can be modeled as a smooth, vertical pipe with length 15 cm and
diameter 2 cm. Air containing 10 m particles of density 1800 kg m-3 with a solid concentration
of 500 g m-3 is inhaled at the normal breathing rate. The density and viscosity of air may be
taken to be 1.2 kg m-3 and 1.8 10-5 Pas respectively and the terminal velocity of the particles
may be approximated based on Stokes Law. Determine the pressure that needs to be developed
by the lungs in order to transport air containing the above particulate materials through the
trachea. (Hint: You may wish to use the Fluid-Solid Systems modeling software to check your
final numerical answer)

QUESTION 2 Answer ALL parts (a), (b) and (c)

(20 marks)

A cyclone separation system consisting of two identical Stairmand HE cyclones arranged in

parallel is currently used to treat 10 m3 s-1 of air with density 1.2 kg m-3 and viscosity 1.8 10-5
Pas that is laden with dust particles. The density of the dust particles is 1800 kg m-3. The
required cut size is to be not more than 2.5 m.
(a) On a particular day of operation, an abnormality occurred which caused the flow rates of air
to the two cyclones to become different. The fraction of the feed which flowed to the first
cyclone was f. Determine the cut sizes of the two product streams exiting the two cyclones in
terms of f. (10 marks)
(b) The abnormality was later diagnosed to be caused by a damaged cyclone. As a result, one of
the cyclones in the system needs to be shut down for repair. Design a new set of operating
parameters (v, q, P) that can be applied using the remaining cyclone and the existing gas blower
to achieve the same cut size of 2.5 m. Assume that the pressure developed by the gas blower
can be adjusted to any value not higher than that used in the original configuration. (5 marks)
(c) An engineer claims that if the single cyclone in (b) were replaced by one with a different
diameter, the production rate (volumetric flow rate) can be increased and the same cut size of 2.5
m can be achieved using the existing gas blower. Verify whether this claim is true. (5 marks)