2. Function of Thermodynamics
“It is the function of thermodynamics to relate those properties of a
system required for practical or theoretical purposes to the
parameters that are most readily measured, and thus to provide the
maximum return of information for any investment in experiment.”
- H.C. VAN NESS
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3. Classical and Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
Classical Thermodynamics
First/second laws, Essentially energy balance over a process , heat-work, work-
heat conversion device
PVT behavior, thermodynamic variables
Phase and reaction equilibria
Application to chemical engineering problems: Work requirement
and heat effects in mixing and separation processes
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4. Thermodynamics of Pure Species
Generic thermodynamics deals with property estimates of pure species
– For example, steam tables for energy balance can be readily used
Example
Answer ?
Simple! Use steam tables (turns out T = 518.47 K)
Will anything condense?
Look in steam tables
Steam, 533.15 K, 10 bar, 1 kg/s 533 .07 K, 9.95 bar, 0.995 kg/s
0.005 kg/s, 1 bar, T = ?
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5. Thermodynamics of Mixtures
Gas mix: 85% CH4, 7% C2, 4 % C3, 2% C4, 1% C5, 0.6% C6, 0.4% C7
What is the temperature, T? Will anything condense?
Not so straightforward anymore!
Gas mix, 298.15, 10 bar, 1 kg/s 296 K, 9.95 bar, 0.995 kg/s
0.005 kg/s, 1 bar, T = ?
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6. Thermodynamics of Mixtures
50 cc H2O + 50 cc methanol mixture, final volume < 100 cc
Isoproponol + Methyl ketone, ΔV > 0
Freezing point of water + ethylene glycol < freezing point of either
Freezing point of C6H6 + C6F6 > freezing point of either
C6H6 : 278 .7 K C6F6 : 278.1 K Equi-molar: 297 K
Chemical industry deals with virtually infinite number of species and their
mixtures (22 million compounds in CAS registry)
How do they behave?
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7. Thermodynamics and Reactions
Blast furnace
Fe2O3 + 3CO = 2Fe+ 3CO2
Gas leaving chimney contains considerable amount of CO, carrying away
unutilized heat.
Can we increase CO conversion?
Longer contact time: Furnaces as long as 30 m were made in England
Reaction is equilibrium limited (No improvement achieved!!)
Enormous sum of money was wasted which could have been prevented if laws of
thermodynamics were applied
Story as described by Le Chatelier (1888)
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8. Role of Thermodynamics in Chemical Engineering
The two laws provide
Constraints and interconversions between heat and work
Basis for establishing states of pure substances and their mixtures
Direction in which they move when stimulated by external force!
Typical Applications
Phase equilibrium (separation of components from mixtures)
reaction equilibrium (ultimate extent of a reaction)
Plays supervisory role
Necessary in design of equilibrium controlled operations
In design of rate controlled separations
It sets the boundaries (driving force)
Processes are often treated as departure from equilibrium
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9. Feasibility of a Process
For a process to be feasible it must
Obey the thermodynamic constraints
Operate at a reasonable rate so that size of the equipment will be economical
Any process design usually involves a feasibility study before detailed design
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10. Engineering Aspects
Measured variables: T,P, V, x (or y) and change in energy
Other variables like G,S, fugacity, activity coefficient etc. are all “created” to find
easy solutions to thermodynamic problems in abstract domain
Thermodynamics in abstract domain is more or less solved (science)
Challenge lies in the third step (engineering)
Nature unfolds itself without any reference to energy, entropy , fugacity,
compressibility factor (Z) etc.
These variables transform the problem into a convenient domain for us to solve
Recall quote from Prof Van Ness!!
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11. Course Objectives
Provide undergraduate students with the fundamentals of Chemical Engineering
Thermodynamics.
Demonstrate the application of the fundamental concepts to a wide variety of
processes occurring in Chemical Engineering.
Develop skills necessary to make appropriate assumptions in specific Chemical
Engineering problems.
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12. Expected Outcomes
Formulate and manipulate the thermodynamic treatment of processes.
Formulate and analyze specific Chemical Engineering problems using fundamental
concepts.
Select appropriate approximations for practical problem solving.
Understand the implications of approximations on the efficiency and accuracy of
the solution.
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13. Necessary Prior Knowledge
Mass and energy balances
Differential and integral calculus
Spreadsheet software for simple calculations / graphing such as (Openoffice Calc /
Microsoft Excel® or similar)
Software for simple algebraic problems such as finding roots of a polynomial,
solving simultaneous non-linear algebraic equations etc. (Octave / Matlab® or
similar )
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15. Learning Strategy
Course is challenging
Prepare to solve many problems (8-10 per week)
Practice as many problems on the topic as you can from the textbook
DO NOT randomly pick an equation from the book to solve the problem.
Understand where a particular equation comes from and the underlying
assumptions
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16. Course Outline
First law, reversibility of a process
enthalpy, heat capacity, mass and energy balances for open systems
PVT behavior of pure substances
Processes involving ideal gas, sensible heat calculations
2nd law, heat engines, T-scale
Entropy, entropy generation, entropy “balance”
Thermodynamic properties, diagrams/tables
Properties of ideal gases, residuals
Equations of state (virial, cubic etc.)
Corresponding states, generalized correlations
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17. Course Outline
Two-phase systems, liquid mixtures, solution thermodynamics
Ideal gas mixture and concept of fugacity
Ideal solution and excess properties
Vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE), Raoult’s law, K-factors, Henry’s law
Modified Raoult’s law and activity coefficients
Gibbs-Duhem Equation and Thermodynamic Consistency
Equilibrium and Stability of Liquid Mixtures , VLLE
Chemical Reaction Equilibria
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18. Book(s)
Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, J.M.Smith, H C Van Ness,
M M Abbott, Adapted by B I Bhatt (7th Ed.), Tata McGraw Hill Pvt. Ltd. (2004)
Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, Y V C Rao (2nd Ed.) Universities Press
(1997)
Introductory Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, J.R.Elliott and C.T.Lira (2nd
Ed.), Pearson Eductaion India Pvt. Ltd. (2013).
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19. Development of Thermodynamics
Based on general understanding of interconversion between heat and work, first and
second laws were developed
They have no proof, but there is no contrary experience either
These laws were later developed into a network of equations
Have wide ranging application in all branches of engineering
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20. Size of a system
System: Body of matter that is of interest
Size of the system: Expressed as mass (m), moles (n) or total volume (Vt)
𝑛 =
𝑚
𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
Molecular weight of water: 18 gm/mol, 18 kg/kmol or 18 lb/lb-mol
𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑉 =
𝑉𝑡
𝑛
(SI Units: 𝑚3
𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙−1
)
𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑉 =
𝑉𝑡
𝑚
(SI Units: 𝑚3𝑘𝑔−1)
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22. Temperature
Galileo (Early 1600’s): Thermoscope
Romer (early 1700’s) : Developed numerical scale
Farenheit (used mercury, increased resolution of the scale)
Celsius (1744) : Celsius scale
Amontons (early 1700’s) provided approximate estimate of absolute zero
Absolute temperature scales (Kelvin and Rankine)
Exercise: Learn interconversion between various temperature scales i.e. ℃, ℉, 𝐊 and OR
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