In the manufacture of an active pharmaceutical ingredient API, the API goes thro
ID: 958835 • Letter: I
Question
In the manufacture of an active pharmaceutical ingredient API, the API goes through a purification step in which it is crystallized, filtered and washed. The washed crystals contain 47% water. They are feed into a tunnel dryer and leave the tunnel dryer at 165kg/h containing 5% adhered mositure.Dry air enters the dryer at 145 degree Farenhiet(*F) and 1atm and the outlet air is 135*F and 1 atm with relative humidity of 50%.calculate the rate at which the API enters the dryer (kg/h) and the volumetric flow rate (ft^3/h) of the inlet air.
Explanation / Answer
Crystal % in feed, F = 100- 47 = 53 %
Crystal % in product = 100- 5 = 95 %
Product mass flow = 165 kg/hr
Performing crystal mass balance we have,
F * 0.53 = 165 * 0.95
F = 295.75 kg/hr
Let flow rate of Dry air be S kg/hr
Outlet flow rate of air = (S+W) kg/hr where W is the water content in air
By Mass balance:
S + 295.75 = 165 + (S+W)
W = 130.75 kg/hr
Outlet temperature, Tout = 135 oF
Tout = (135-32)*5/9 + 273.15 K = 330.37 K
Tin = (145-32)*5/9 + 273.15 K = 335.93 K
Psat at T = 16500 Pa (From saturation curves of water)
Ptotal = 1 atm = 101325 Pa
W/S = 0.5 * Psat / Ptotal
S = W * 101325 / (0.5 * 16500) = 1605.9 kg/hr
Density of air at Tin = P Mw / RT = 1 * 28.97 / (0.0821 * 335.93) = 1.05 kg/m3
Volumetric flow rate = S / Density = 1605.9 / 1.05 = 1528.8 m3/hr = 1528.8 * 3.283 ft3/hr
= 53990.65 ft3/hr
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