Determining the quantities and volume of liquid in each tank and predicting damage or danger caused in the procedure.
A toxic liquid stream is flowing throughout two stirred tanks in series. In each tank, the outlet flow rate from the tank is proportional to the tank volume (Vi =KiVi), where Vi is the tank volume and Vi is the outlet flow rate from the tank. For tank1, which has a capacity of 15m3, the constant K1=0.3. For tank 2, which has a capacity of 5m3, the constant K2=0.67. Initially, the liquid flow into tank 1 is V0 =2.0 m3/min and the system is operating at steady state.
a) Determine the quantities of liquid in each tank at this initial steady state. Because of a flow controller failure, the liquid flow rate into tank 1 is suddenly doubled to VN=4 m3/min. The operator recognizes this disturbance exactly five minutes after change occurs and returns the inlet flow to tank 1 back to its original flow rate of 2 m3/min.
b) Determine what the volume of liquid in each tank would have been if the system will have been allowed to reach an original steady state at a flow of Vn=4m3/min?
C) Did operator recognize the process disturbance soon sufficient to prevent any damage to or danger in the vicinity of the procedure?