GATE Chemical Engineering Doubt Solving Platform
Welcome to Engineers Institute of India (EII), your trusted partner in GATE preparation! We understand that every student faces challenges while preparing for the GATE Chemical Engineering syllabus. That’s why we’ve introduced our Live Doubt-Solving Sessions – a unique initiative to ensure no question remains unanswered
Steps to Submit Doubts:
Use the form provided to submit your doubts clearly.
Specify Subject (e.g., Fluid Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, etc.)
Specific Topic (e.g., Flow Through Pipes, Entropy Calculations, Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers, etc.)
This helps our mentors address your concerns accurately and efficiently.
Join Live Sessions: Our experienced mentors will solve your doubts through Online Live Sessions, where you can interact directly, ask follow-up questions, and clarify concepts in real time.
Open for All: Anyone preparing for GATE Chemical Engineering can join and benefit from expert guidance.
GATE CHEMICAL ENGINEEERING
You can practice these questions, which have been discussed and addressed with our students during online and offline class lectures as part of their preparation. We hope these questions will help you recall and revise concepts, especially if you encounter similar doubts.
- Given a closed system, how would you calculate the work and heat exchanged during an adiabatic process using the first law of thermodynamics?
- A gas expands isothermally in a piston. How would you calculate the work done during the expansion using the first law of thermodynamics and the equation for isothermal processes?
- In a steady-state open system, if the heat entering and leaving the system is known, how do you calculate the change in enthalpy using the first law?
- Given the enthalpy and entropy data for a system, how would you calculate the temperature and pressure at equilibrium for a reaction?
- For a binary mixture, how would you calculate the fugacity of component A, using Raoult’s Law and activity coefficients?
- A chemical reaction is carried out at constant temperature and pressure. How would you calculate the equilibrium constant using Gibbs free energy?
- For a compressible fluid undergoing a free expansion, how would you calculate the entropy change using the second law of thermodynamics?
- Given a vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) system, how do you calculate the mole fraction of components in both phases using Raoult’s Law and fugacity coefficients?
- If the enthalpy of vaporization of a substance is known, how would you calculate the latent heat of the substance during phase change?
- A system undergoes isentropic compression. How would you determine the work done during the compression and the change in entropy using thermodynamic principles?
- If the initial pressure of the gas is given as 5 atm, the initial temperature is 300 K, and the volume doubles during adiabatic expansion, what effect does the expansion have on the final temperature and the work done by the gas? Assume the expansion is reversible, and the gas behaves ideally.
- If a container holds 5 moles of an ideal gas at 350 K and 50 atm, and the gas undergoes an isothermal compression to 1 atm, what effect does the compression have on the work done by the gas, and how does the volume of the gas change during the process? Assume the gas behaves ideally and the temperature remains constant during the compression.
- If a binary mixture of acetone and water is at equilibrium at 25°C with a total pressure of 1 atm, and the mole fraction of acetone in the liquid phase is 0.6, how does this affect the mole fraction of acetone in the vapor phase? Assume the system is at equilibrium and calculate the relative volatility.
- If the heat transferred to Fluid 2 (oil) is 300 kJ, and the specific heat capacities of the fluids (water and oil) are constant, how will the mass flow rate of Fluid 1 (water) be affected? Assume both fluids are incompressible, and their temperatures change from 80°C to 40°C (for water) and 20°C to 50°C (for oil).
- If the gas mixture consists of 1 mole of O₂ and 2 moles of N₂, and the temperature of the mixture is 298 K, what effect does the mole fraction of each gas have on the total enthalpy of the mixture? Assume ideal gas behavior and constant specific heat capacities for the gases.
- A system with recycle, bypass, and purge streams is in a steady-state. How would you calculate the mass flow rates of the streams using mass balance equations?
- Given a non-reacting system in a steady-state, how would you calculate the mass balance for each component entering and exiting the system?
- For a reacting system undergoing a chemical reaction, how would you set up a mass balance using the stoichiometric coefficients of the reaction?
- If a reaction mixture is in an adiabatic reactor, how would you perform an energy balance to calculate the temperature change of the system?
- In a batch reactor with reacting components, how would you calculate the conversion of reactants using mass and energy balance equations?
- Given a process involving a multicomponent feed to a distillation column, how would you calculate the composition of each phase at equilibrium using mass balance?
- How would you calculate the recycle ratio in a continuous reactor system where the unreacted components are recycled back into the system?
- In a system involving liquid-liquid extraction, how would you perform a mass balance to calculate the distribution of the solute between the phases?
- For a multi-phase system, how would you apply phase equilibrium principles to calculate the composition of each phase at equilibrium?
- A system is operating at a constant pressure and temperature. How would you calculate the enthalpy change in a reactor during a chemical reaction using the first law of thermodynamics?
- What is the relationship between pressure, velocity, and height in fluid flow according to Bernoulli's equation? How would you apply this equation to solve flow problems in pipes?
- How do you calculate the Reynolds number for a fluid flowing through a pipe, and what does the value indicate about the type of flow?
- Can you explain the concept of the Darcy-Weisbach equation and how it is used to calculate pressure drops in pipes?
- What are the different types of flow regimes (laminar, turbulent) and how can you distinguish between them using the Reynolds number?
- How do you determine the velocity distribution in laminar flow through a pipe? Can you calculate the velocity at a specific radial distance?
- What is the significance of the energy balance in fluid mechanics, and how would you apply it to calculate energy losses in flow systems?
- How does the friction factor influence the flow rate in a pipe, and how can it be calculated for turbulent flow using the Colebrook equation?
- What is the difference between laminar and turbulent flow in terms of velocity profiles, and how does this affect the pressure drop in pipes?
- Explain the principle of continuity in fluid flow. How would you apply this principle to calculate the flow rate at different sections of a pipe system?
- Can you explain the function of flow meters, and how would you calculate the flow rate using a venturi meter?
- What is the effect of pipe roughness on flow characteristics, and how do you account for this in pressure drop calculations?
- How do you calculate the head loss in a pipe due to friction, and how do you use this to determine pump power requirements?
- What is the impact of fluid properties like viscosity and density on the flow characteristics in pipes, and how are these used in design calculations?
- In a packed bed, how do you calculate the superficial velocity, and how does this differ from the actual velocity of the fluid?
- What is the significance of boundary layer theory in fluid flow, particularly in turbulent flow?
- How do you calculate the rate of heat conduction through a plane wall with a given thermal conductivity, thickness, and temperature difference? Provide an example with values for these parameters.
- What is the formula for calculating heat transfer due to conduction in a cylindrical shell, and how would you use it to find the heat loss from a pipe insulated with a material of known thermal conductivity?
- In a heat exchanger, how do you calculate the heat transfer rate using the Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD) method for counterflow and parallel flow configurations?
- What is the relationship between the Nusselt number, Reynolds number, and Prandtl number in forced convection, and how do you calculate the heat transfer coefficient for turbulent flow in a pipe?
- How do you calculate the temperature distribution within a rod experiencing transient heat conduction, given an initial temperature profile and boundary conditions? Use the lumped capacitance method for simplicity.
- How do you determine the heat transfer rate in a boiling process, using the heat flux and the temperature difference between the liquid and the surface of the boiling substance?
- What are the key steps in solving a problem involving the thermal resistance of a multi-layer wall? How do you calculate the total heat transfer rate through the wall considering different materials with varying thicknesses and thermal conductivities?
- For a fluid flowing over a flat plate, how do you calculate the convective heat transfer coefficient using empirical correlations, and how does the Reynolds number affect the heat transfer rate?
- How do you determine the effectiveness of a heat exchanger when given the inlet temperatures, flow rates, and heat transfer coefficients? Use the NTU method to calculate effectiveness in a counterflow heat exchanger.
- How do you calculate the heat loss from a system using radiation heat transfer principles, given the surface area, temperature of the object, and emissivity?
- In a heat transfer problem involving condensation, how do you calculate the heat transfer rate when the condensate film is formed? What factors influence the rate of heat transfer in condensation processes?
- Given the heat transfer rate, what steps do you follow to calculate the required area for a heat exchanger, considering the heat transfer coefficient, temperature difference, and fluid flow rate?
- How do you apply the concept of Biot number to determine whether a transient heat conduction problem can be solved using the lumped system assumption?
- For a boiling liquid in a vertical tube, how do you calculate the heat flux at different stages of the boiling process, and how does the heat flux change during nucleate boiling and film boiling?
- In a heat exchanger with multiple fluids, how would you calculate the overall heat transfer coefficient (U) and determine the performance efficiency, considering fouling and heat transfer resistances in the system?
- How do you calculate the rate of mass transfer in a system using Fick’s law of diffusion, given the concentration gradient and diffusivity of the species? Provide an example for diffusion in a binary mixture.
- How would you calculate the mass transfer coefficient in a fluid flow system using the film theory, and what factors influence this coefficient for gas-liquid systems?
- How do you apply the concept of stage efficiency in distillation? How would you calculate the number of stages required for a distillation column given the desired separation and operating conditions?
- What is the concept of HTU (Height of Transfer Unit) and NTU (Number of Transfer Units) in mass transfer operations, and how do you use these parameters to design an absorption tower?
- How do you calculate the rate of absorption of a gas into a liquid, given the partial pressure of the gas, the solubility of the gas in the liquid, and the flow rates of both phases?
- In liquid-liquid extraction, how do you calculate the amount of solute extracted from one phase to another, considering the distribution coefficient and phase volumes?
- How do you solve for the residence time distribution (RTD) in a packed bed reactor or absorption column, and how does it affect the efficiency of the mass transfer operation?
- How do you calculate the rate of drying in a drying process, given the drying rate and moisture content of the material at different times?
- What is the role of membrane filtration in mass transfer processes? How do you calculate the flux in microfiltration or reverse osmosis processes, considering the driving pressure and membrane characteristics?
- How do you determine the overall mass transfer rate in a system with resistance to mass transfer in both phases (gas and liquid)? Use the concept of the total resistance to mass transfer.
- What is the difference between the film theory and penetration theory in mass transfer, and how do you apply these theories to calculate the mass transfer rate in a gas-liquid system?
- How do you calculate the rate of solute diffusion in a porous medium, considering the diffusivity and the porosity of the medium?
- In the case of turbulent flow in a pipe, how would you estimate the mass transfer coefficient using empirical correlations like the Sherwood number, and how does the Reynolds number influence this value?
- In a chemical absorption process, how do you calculate the mass transfer rate of a gas into a liquid when the process is controlled by either film diffusion or chemical reaction at the interface?
- How do you solve a problem involving the mass transfer in a multicomponent mixture, considering the individual diffusivities of the components and the mass transfer resistance in each phase?
- How do you calculate the rate of reaction for a first-order reaction using the integrated rate equation, given the initial concentration and time? Provide an example with specific values.
- What is the difference between the batch reactor and the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) in terms of reaction rates? How would you calculate the conversion in each system for a first-order reaction?
- How do you calculate the conversion of a reaction in a plug flow reactor (PFR), given the rate law, flow rate, and reactor volume?
- What is the concept of the residence time distribution (RTD) in a non-ideal reactor, and how do you calculate the conversion of reactants in the presence of RTD data?
- How do you solve for the rate law of a reaction based on experimental data? Given concentration-time data for a reaction, how can you determine whether the reaction is zero, first, or second order?
- What is the significance of the Michaelis-Menten model for enzyme-catalyzed reactions? How do you calculate the rate of reaction using the Michaelis-Menten equation, given the substrate concentration and rate constants?
- How do you calculate the conversion of a multi-step reaction in a PFR or CSTR, considering the intermediate steps and overall reaction rates?
- For a parallel reaction system, how do you calculate the selectivity and yield of a desired product, given the rate constants for competing reactions?
- What is the effect of temperature on the rate of reaction according to the Arrhenius equation? How do you calculate the rate constant at different temperatures, given the activation energy and pre-exponential factor?
- How do you calculate the catalyst efficiency in a catalytic reaction, considering the effect of temperature, pressure, and concentration on the rate of reaction?
- How do you determine the rate of reaction in a solid-catalyzed reaction, considering the effect of surface area and diffusion limitations? Provide an example using the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model.
- How do you solve problems involving catalyst deactivation in a reactor system? What is the relationship between the rate of reaction and the degree of catalyst deactivation over time?
- For a complex reaction network, how do you calculate the overall rate of formation of a product in the presence of multiple reactions with different rate constants?
- What is the effect of pressure on the rate of a gas-phase reaction? How do you calculate the reaction rate for a gas-phase reaction considering both concentration and pressure?
- How do you apply the concept of the effectiveness factor for a catalyst in a porous medium, and how do you calculate the effectiveness factor using the Thiele modulus for a non-isothermal reactor?
- How is a process variable measured in a chemical plant?
- What type of sensor is typically used to measure temperature in a process?
- Which symbol represents a pressure transmitter in a P&ID diagram?
- What is the purpose of process modeling in control systems?
- How do you linearize a nonlinear process for control analysis?
- What is the transfer function of a first-order system?
- How do you handle inverse response in control systems?
- How is a process reaction curve obtained in process control?
- What is the difference between P, PI, and PID controllers?
- What is the function of a control valve in a chemical process?
- How does the dynamic response of a transducer affect measurement accuracy?
- How is the stability of a closed-loop system determined?
- What method is used to analyze the frequency response of a control system?
- How do you tune a PID controller for optimal performance?
- What is the difference between cascade control and feed-forward control?
- How do you calculate the error in a measurement system given the true value and the measured value? Provide an example using a temperature sensor.
- What is the relationship between the Laplace transfer function and the time response of a first-order system? How do you use the transfer function to calculate the system's time constant for a temperature control system?
- How do you calculate the stability of a closed-loop control system using the Nyquist criterion? Provide an example with a transfer function of a simple process.
- In a control system, how do you determine the proportional, integral, and derivative gains (P, I, D) for a PID controller to achieve the desired response for a temperature control system?
- How do you calculate the pressure drop across a valve using the valve flow characteristic curve and the given flow rate?
- For a first-order process with a time constant, how would you calculate the response of the system to a step input change in temperature or pressure?
- How do you calculate the dynamic response of a second-order system in process control, given the damping factor and natural frequency? What is the significance of the damping factor on the system's oscillatory behavior?
- What is the method to calculate the controller tuning parameters for a proportional-integral (PI) controller using the Ziegler-Nichols method, given the process gain and the ultimate period of oscillation?
- How do you calculate the transient response of a system with inverse response, such as a temperature control loop with an exothermic reaction, and what modifications can be made to the control strategy to mitigate this issue?
- What is the concept of process modeling in control systems? How do you develop the transfer function for a simple heat exchanger model based on the physical parameters and flow dynamics?
- How do you calculate the gain margin and phase margin of a system, and what do these values indicate about the stability of the control system?
- For a liquid level control system, how do you calculate the transfer function for the liquid level with respect to the inflow and outflow rates, and what parameters would affect the system's performance?
- What is the purpose of a cascade control system, and how do you calculate the tuning parameters for the primary and secondary controllers in a cascade system for temperature and flow rate control?
- How do you calculate the dead-time for a system with a transport lag, and how does it affect the design of the control system?
- For a flow control system, how do you calculate the flow rate using the orifice equation, and how does the change in pressure differential across the orifice affect the flow rate?
What is the manufacturing process of sulfuric acid in the chemical industry?
How is phosphoric acid produced in the chemical industry, and what are its major applications?
What are the key processes involved in the chlor-alkali industry?
How is ammonia produced in the fertilizer industry, and what is its role in fertilizer manufacturing?
What is the difference between urea and ammonium nitrate in fertilizer production?
What are the key processes involved in manufacturing Single Super Phosphate (SSP) and Triple Super Phosphate (TSP)?
What are the major production steps in the pulp and paper industry?
How are sugar and oil & fats produced in natural product industries?
What are the major processes in petroleum refining, and how are crude oil components separated?
How are polymers like polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, and polyester synthetic fibers produced in the polymerization industry?
