A synthetic ammonia plant is continuously fed with1:3 a molar nitrogen-hydrogen mixture containing 0.4% argon by volume based on the sum of nitrogen and hydrogen. The conversion in the reactor is 30% at a level of argon of 5% by volume of the sum of the hydrogen and nitrogen at the reactor outlet. The reactor outlet stream is cooled in a condenser. Assume all the ammonia leaves from the condenser as liquid.

(a) Draw the flow diagram of the process.

(b) Write the chemical for reaction of ammonia formation and comment whether any of the reactants are in excess.

(c) Explain why the molar ratio of argon to the mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen is the same and after the condenser.

(d) Calculate the amount of the purge for a given feed rate of the mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen.

(e) Calculate the fraction of the unreacted nitrogen and hydrogen from the condenser, which is continuously purged to maintain the argon level.

(f) Calculate the feed rate (in tonnes hour) needed to produce 1 tonne per hour of ammonia.

The atomic weights of hydrogen, nitrogen and argon are 1, 14 and 40 respectively.