PC-Peer Discussion - Session-2
13-May-2025, 7 to 8 pm
Quick Recap:
The meeting covered various aspects of process calculations, material balance, and thermodynamics, with Karthikeyan leading discussions on topics such as combustion processes, gas mixtures, and heat of reaction. Participants, including Srinidhi and Jeevitha, engaged in problem-solving exercises and asked questions to clarify their understanding of complex concepts. The session concluded with suggestions for further study and a focus on upcoming topics.
Next Steps:
- Karthikeyan to include more problems from textual-courses and previous question papers in future discussion sessions.
- Students to practice more recycle, purge, and bypass problems to improve their problem-solving skills.
- Students to review energy balance concepts and problems.
- Students to go through the discussed problems again and raise any doubts in the next session.
Calculations and Academy Enrollment Process: Karthikeyan and MSubbu discussed the process of calculations and the importance of closing time. Jeevitha joined the discussion and shared that she learned about the academy through an advertisement sent by her Professor.
Process Calculations and Recycle Challenges: Karthikeyan and Srinidhi discussed their difficulties in solving process calculations, particularly in the area of recycle or bypass. Srinidhi expressed her struggle in understanding and approaching these problems, while Karthikeyan suggested starting with the data provided in the question. They also discussed a specific problem involving the reaction of 100 moles of a component and the consumption of 100 moles of ammonia, with 70% of the reaction being complete. Karthikeyan guided Srinidhi through the conventional method of solving this problem, emphasizing the importance of starting with the given data.
Understanding and Solving Problems With Logic: Karthikeyan explained a simple logic he applied to solve a problem. He emphasized the importance of understanding what needs to be found before approaching the problem. He used the example of a question about how long it would take for all the water to vaporize, and how he used the given volume of water and the volumetric flow rate of water to find the answer. He also discussed the use of relative humidity and the conversion of volume metrics to molar flow rate. He encouraged questions and doubts during the discussion.
Combustion Process and Gas Saturation: Karthikeyan discussed a combustion process involving propane and butane, with specific percentages of oxygen and nitrogen. He explained the need to balance carbon and hydrogen atoms, and how to find the mole fractions of propane and butane. He also discussed the concept of saturation in gas mixtures, using the example of a gas mixture containing 80.85% nitrogen and the balance as methane. He explained how to determine the temperature at which the gas would be saturated and how to cool it further to condense a certain percentage of the gas.
Vapor Pressure and Condensing Process: Karthikeyan explained a complex question about changing pressure while keeping temperature constant. He clarified that the vapor pressure would remain constant and the total pressure would be the variable. He demonstrated how to calculate the final pressure needed for the condensing process to be saturated. Srinidhi initially had doubts but later understood the concept.
Process Calculations and Thermodynamics Explained: Karthikeyan discussed various topics in the meeting, including process calculations, material balance, and thermodynamics. He explained the concept of mole fraction and how to calculate it, and also discussed the oil recovery process. He emphasized the importance of considering the oil present in the extract stream while solving the sum. He also explained the difference between constant volume and constant pressure processes, and how to calculate the heat of reaction for each. He provided a formula for calculating Qp and Qv, and explained the concept of enthalpy. He also answered a question from Arputha about the relationship between Qp and Qv.
Heat of Reaction and Energy Balance: Karthikeyan led a discussion on the concept of negative and positive heat of reaction, explaining that a negative sign indicates an exothermic reaction, while a positive sign indicates an endothermic reaction. He also discussed the use of the extent of reaction method to solve problems involving heat transfer and energy balance. Karthikeyan emphasized the importance of considering all terms in the equation to be in the same unit, and the need to verify that all terms are in the same unit. He also provided guidance on how to approach recycle and purge problems, suggesting that one should first consider the single reactor and then the overall balance.
Process Calculations and Energy Balance: Karthikeyan led a session on process calculations and energy balance, encouraging participants to interact more. Srinidhi and Jeevitha expressed their need to review the material further. Srinidhi suggested that apart from class problems, solving textual course problems could provide more exposure to new data. Karthikeyan agreed, suggesting that they should focus on the next section. The session ended with no outstanding questions or action items.