Problem: [ChE Boards April 2012] A factory room 200 ft × 45 ft × 12 ft receives through the ventilators 10000 ft3/min of fresh
air,
which contains 0.04% CO2 by volume. The helper enters at 7:00AM. A half-hour later the CO2 content has risen to 0.12%.
1. What value of CO2 content is to be anticipated at 12:00PM?
2. How much fresh air must be admitted per minute to insure that the CO2 shall never rise above 0.10%?
Solution:
V = 108000 ft3
ri = ro = 10000 ft3/min
t = 0 (7:00AM) Ci = 0.0004 Q = 0.0004(108000) = 43.2 ft3
t = 30 min (7:30AM) Co = 0.0012 Q = 0.0012(108000) = 129.6 ft3
t = 300 min (12:00PM) Co = ? Q = Co(108000)
1.
accumulation = inlet – outlet + generation – consumption
𝑑𝑄
= 𝑟𝑖 𝐶𝑖 − 𝑟𝑜 𝐶𝑜 + 𝐺
𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑄 𝑄
= 10000(0.0004) − 10000 ( )+𝐺
𝑑𝑡 108000
𝑑𝑄 5𝑄
=4− +𝐺
𝑑𝑡 54
𝑑𝑄 5𝑄
+ =4+𝐺
𝑑𝑡 54
The last equation above is a linear DE of the form 𝑦 ′ + 𝑝(𝑥) ∙ 𝑦 = 𝑞(𝑥). Here y = Q, x = t, p(x) = 5/54, and q(x) = 4 + G. Solving for
the integrating factor I,
𝐼(𝑥) = 𝑒 ∫ 𝑝(𝑥)𝑑𝑥
𝐼(𝑡) = 𝑒 ∫ 𝑝(𝑡)𝑑𝑡 = 𝑒 ∫(5⁄54)𝑑𝑡 = 𝑒 5𝑡⁄54
Thus, the general solution to the DE is
𝑦𝐼(𝑥) = ∫ 𝑞(𝑥) ∙ 𝐼(𝑥)𝑑𝑥 + 𝐶
𝑄𝑒 5𝑡⁄54 = ∫(4 + 𝐺)𝑒 5𝑡⁄54 𝑑𝑡 + 𝐶
4 + 𝐺 5𝑡 ⁄54
𝑄𝑒 5𝑡⁄54 = 𝑒 +𝐶
5⁄54
At (t, Q) = (0, 43.2),
4 + 𝐺 5(0)⁄54
43.2𝑒 5(0)⁄54 = 𝑒 +𝐶
5⁄54
54
43.2 = (4 + 𝐺) + 𝐶
5
54
43.2 = 43.2 + 𝐺+𝐶
5
54
𝐺+𝐶 =0 [𝐄𝐪. 𝟏]
5
At (t, Q) = (30, 129.6),
4 + 𝐺 5(30)⁄54
129.6𝑒 5(30)⁄54 = 𝑒 +𝐶
5⁄54
2084.388 = 173.699(4 + 𝐺) + 𝐶
2084.388 = 694.796 + 173.699𝐺 + 𝐶
1389.592 = 173.699𝐺 + 𝐶 [𝐄𝐪. 𝟐]
Solving Equations 1 and 2 simultaneously,
G = 8.530 ft3/min
C = –92.128
4 + 8.530 5𝑡 ⁄54
𝑄𝑒 5𝑡⁄54 = 𝑒 − 92.128
5⁄54
𝑄𝑒 5𝑡⁄54 = 135.324𝑒 5𝑡⁄54 − 92.128
At t = 300 min,
𝑄𝑒 5(300)⁄54 = 135.324𝑒 5(300)⁄54 − 92.128
𝑄 = 135.324 ft 3
𝑄 135.324
𝐶𝑜 = = = 0.001253 or 0.1253%
𝑉 108000
2.
At Co = Cmax = 0.0010, dC/dt = dQ/dt = 0. Hence,
𝑑𝑄
= 𝑟𝑖 𝐶𝑖 − 𝑟𝑜 𝐶𝑜 + 𝐺
𝑑𝑡
0 = 𝑟𝑖 (0.0004) − 𝑟𝑖 (0.0010) + 8.530
𝑟𝑖 = 14216.67 ft 3 ⁄min
Problem: A room 30 by 30 by 10 ft receives 900 ft3/min of fresh air, 0.04% CO2. If the CO2 content rises from 0.04% to 0.12% in ½
hr after a crowd enters the room, what CO2 content is to be expected 3 hr after the crowd enters? Assume that the crowd breathes
CO2 into the air at a constant rate.
Solution:
V = 9000 ft3
ri = ro = 900 ft3/min
t=0 Ci = 0.0004 Q = 0.0004(9000) = 3.6 ft3
t = 30 min Co = 0.0012 Q = 0.0012(9000) = 10.8 ft3
t = 180 min Co = ? Q = Co(9000)
𝑑𝑄
= 𝑟𝑖 𝐶𝑖 − 𝑟𝑜 𝐶𝑜 + 𝐺
𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑄 𝑄
= 900(0.0004) − 900 ( )+𝐺
𝑑𝑡 9000
𝑑𝑄
= 0.36 − 0.1𝑄 + 𝐺
𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑄
+ 0.1𝑄 = 0.36 + 𝐺
𝑑𝑡
𝐼(𝑡) = 𝑒 ∫ 𝑝(𝑡)𝑑𝑡 = 𝑒 ∫ 0.1𝑑𝑡 = 𝑒 0.1𝑡
𝑄𝑒 0.1𝑡 = ∫(0.36 + 𝐺)𝑒 0.1𝑡 𝑑𝑡 + 𝐶
0.36 + 𝐺 0.1𝑡
𝑄𝑒 0.1𝑡 = 𝑒 +𝐶
0.1
At (t, Q) = (0, 3.6),
0.36 + 𝐺 0.1(0)
3.6𝑒 0.1(0) = 𝑒 +𝐶
0.1
3.6 = 3.6 + 10𝐺 + 𝐶
0 = 10𝐺 + 𝐶 [𝐄𝐪. 𝟏]
At (t, Q) = (30, 10.8),
0.36 + 𝐺 0.1(30)
10.8𝑒 0.1(30) = 𝑒 +𝐶
0.1
216.924 = 72.308 + 200.855𝐺 + 𝐶
144.616 = 200.855𝐺 + 𝐶 [𝐄𝐪. 𝟐]
Solving Equations 1 and 2 simultaneously,
G = 0.7577 ft3/min
C = –7.577
0.36 + 0.7577 0.1𝑡
𝑄𝑒 0.1𝑡 = 𝑒 − 7.577
0.1
𝑄𝑒 0.1𝑡 = 11.177𝑒 0.1𝑡 − 7.577
At t = 180 min,
𝑄𝑒 0.1(180) = 11.177𝑒 0.1(180) − 7.577
𝑄 = 11.177 ft 3
11.177
𝐶𝑜 = = 0.00124 or 0.124%
9000
