Help Finding molar flow rate of product out of a condenser

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the molar flow rate of a gas stream leaving a condenser, which contains hexane and nitrogen. Participants explore the problem's parameters, including the composition of the gas stream and the flow rate of liquid hexane condensate.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related, Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes the problem involving a gas stream with 18.0 mole% hexane and a specified mole fraction of hexane in the gas stream leaving the condenser.
  • Another participant clarifies the main question regarding the flow rate of the gas stream in mol/min.
  • A suggestion is made to make assumptions about the system, such as maintaining a constant total flow rate or total pressure, to facilitate the calculations.
  • It is noted that a mass balance relation can be utilized alongside the flow rate ratio to solve for the unknowns.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants appear to agree on the need for assumptions in the calculations, but the specific assumptions to be made and their implications are not fully resolved.

Contextual Notes

Assumptions regarding total flow rate or pressure are not explicitly defined, and the discussion does not resolve how these assumptions impact the calculations.

Who May Find This Useful

Students or professionals dealing with chemical engineering problems related to gas-liquid separation processes and flow rate calculations may find this discussion relevant.

ChemE_undergrad
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Ok. I have attempted this problem several times and went about it a couple of different ways and still cannot get a viable answer!

the problem is:

A gas stream contains 18.0 mole% hexane (C6H14) and the remainder nitrogen. The stream flows to a condenser, where its temperature is reduced and some of the hexane is liquefied. The hexane mole fraction in the gas stream leaving the condenser is 0.0500. Liquid hexane condensate is recovered at a rate of 1.50 L/min.

see attached *.doc file for a diagram relating to the problem!
 

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oh, sorry. The question is: What is the flow rate of the gas stream leaving the condenser in mol/min?

Note: I have always begun by finding the molar flow rate of the condensate.
 
You'll have to make at least one assumption along the way: either you work with constant total flow rate, or with constant total pressure (or something else). With the first assumption, you can write down the ratio of flow rate out to flow rate in from the given data. The second equation is just a mass balance relation. The two equations can be solved for the two unknowns.
 
awesome! thanks, a lot.
 

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