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Ethylene oxide ( C 2 H 4 O ) is used primarily as a sterilizing agent for medical equipment and supplies, and as a chemical

Ethylene oxide (C2H4O) is used primarily as a sterilizing agent for medical equipment and supplies, and as a chemical intermediate in the production of ethylene glycol and other chemicals. It is produced by the catalytic oxidation of ethylene (C2H4) :
2C2H4+O22C2H4O
The feed to the reactor (R1)(not the fresh feed to the process) contains 75 mol % of ethylene and the balance oxygen (O2). The production is designed for 30% of single pass conversion. Product stream exit at R1 enters a two-stage separator unit. The two-stage separator unit is functioned to separate the ethylene oxide (stream exit the R1) from other components. The product stream exit R1 enters the first-stage separator (S1). The S1 top product contains ethylene and oxygen only. while the S1 bottom product consists of ethylene and ethylene oxide only. The top product of S is recycled to the reactor. The bottom product of S1 enters second-stage separator (S2). At separator S2,95% of ethylene fed to the S2 will exit the S2 as top product. Only ethylene present at S2 top product. Meanwhile, S2 bottom product contains 97.7mol% of ethylene oxide and the balance ethylene. It is noted that the production rate is refer to the molar flowrate of S2 bottom product.
The basic process flow diagram is presented in Figure 1.
YOUR TASK
The production rate of ethylene oxide is in range between 100kmolhr to 150kmolhr. As a group of engineers in the company, you are assigned to evaluate the plant design in producing ethylene oxide. Your task is to cover three (3) case study, case (a), case (b) and case (c) as listed below:
a) By choosing one (1) basis of production rate, evaluate the molar flowrate of stream F,n1,n2,n3,n4, and T and the molar composition of stream F,n2,n3, and n4.
Hint: The chosen value musf be in the range of currenf production rate (100 kmolhr to 150 kmolhry.
b) Evaluate the molar flowrate and composition of stream F if top product of S2(Stream T) in case (a) is recycle to the reactor at the mixing point. Give your opinion about the difference between value of F in case (a) and case (b).
c) If the manager of the company proposes to maximize ethylene oxide production by considering ALL factors including:
To increase the production rate about 10% from the value as chosen in case (a)
To achieve a composition of 99 mol% ethylene oxide at production stream (Stream P)
To recycle the top product of S2(Stream T) to the reactor at the mixing point
Evaluate the molar flowrate of stream F,n1,n2,n3,n4, and T and molar composition of stream F,n2,n3, and n4. Give your opinion about the difference between molar flowrate and composition of streams in case (a), case (b) and case (c) including advantages and constraints for these three cases.
Hint: The composition of stream n is the same as case (a) and case (b). Similarly to case (a) and case (b),95% of ethylene fed to the S2 will exit the S2 as top product.
d) Draw and label the flowchart for case (a), case (b) and case (c) completely with molar flawrate and composition for each stream.
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