University of KwaZulu-Natal
School of Engineering
Module Code: ENCH3FS 2026
Lecturer Dr S. Fashu
Tutorial 1
Question 1
1. (i) A powder is contained in a vessel to form a cylindrical plug 0.8cm in diameter and 3cm
long. The powder density is 2.5gcm-3 and 220g of powder was used to form the plug. The
porosity inside the plug of powder is (-):
a. 0.58 b. 0.42 c. 0.75 d. 0.25
(ii). Air was drawn through the plug at a rate of 6.6cm3 per minute. A mercury manometer was
used to measure the pressure drop during this process; a pressure drop of 60mm Hg was
recorded. The specific gravity of mercury is 13.6, thus the pressure drop across the plug was
(Pa):
a. 80 b. 800 c. 8000 d. 80000
(iii). The superficial gas velocity in (ii) was (ms-1):
a. 0.0022 b. 3.65x10-5 c. 2.2x10-6 d. 0.00365
(iv) The viscosity of the air was 1.8x10-5Pas, using the Kozeny-Carman equation, the specific
surface area per unit volume of the powder was (m-1):
a. 2310 b. 3.0x1011 c. 5.5x105 d. 1.2x106
(v) The Sauter mean diameter of the powder was (µm):
a. 2600 b. 22 c. 11 d. 5.0
(vi) The air density was 1.2kgm-3, the modified Reynolds number of the system was (-):
a. 0.10 b. 8.4x10-10 c. 4.6x10-4 d. 0.00021
(vii) Comment on whether the use of Kozeny-Carman equation was valid or not:
The flow is laminar, i.e. Re<2, so the Kozeny-Carman equation was valid.
Question 2
2. Water flows through 4.0kg of solid particles of density 2500kg/m3 forming a packed bed of
depth 0.475m and diameter 0.0757m. The variation in frictional pressure drop across the bed
with water flow rate in the range 200-1200cm3/min is shown in columns one and two in the
table below. The viscosity of water is 0.001Pas.
(a) Show that the flow is laminar
(b) Estimate the mean surface-volume diameter of the particles
(c) Calculate the relevant Reynolds number.
Pressure 5.5 12.00 14.50 20.50 29.50 36.50
drop
(mmHg)
U(m/s)x104 0.75 1.48 1.85 2.59 3.70 4.44
Question 3
The reactor of a catalytic reformer contains spherical catalyst particles of diameter 1.46 mm.
The packed volume of the reactor is 3.4m3 and the void fraction is 0.25. The reactor feed is a
gas of density 30 kg/m3 and viscosity 2.5x10-5Pas flowing at a rate of 11320m3/h. The gas
properties maybe assumed constant. The pressure loss through the reactor is restricted to
68.95kPa. Calculate the cross-sectional area for flow and the bed depth required.
Question 4
A packed bed of cross-sectional area 0.0036 m2 of materials of sphericity 0.68 and diameter 3
mm is operated for a catalytic cracking of a heavy hydrocarbon (of density 860m3/s and
viscosity 0.18 Pas) at its flowrate 0.018 m3/s. What is the friction factor of the flow through the
bed of porosity 0.4?
Question 5
A packed bed of solid particles of density 2500 kg/m 3 occupies a depth of 1m in a vessel of
cross-sectional area 0.04m2. the mass of solids in the bed is 50 kg and the surface-volume mean
diameter of the particles is 1 mm. A liquid of density 800 kg/m3 and viscosity 0.002 Pas flows
upwards through the bed, which is restrained at its upper surface.
(a) Calculate the voidage (volume fraction occupied by voids) of the bed.
(b) Calculate the pressure drop across the bed when the volume flowrate of liquid is 1.44m 3/h.