CO5 Advanced a The enzyme glucose isomerase can be used to
Last updated: 6/15/2023
CO5 Advanced a The enzyme glucose isomerase can be used to convert glucose into fructose a much sweeter sugar The reaction is O C H 1 H C OH HO C H H C OH H C OH H C H OH Glucose Glucose isomerase OH H C H C 0 Several grades of glucose are available to be used in a fresh feed Glucose with a 1 weight percent inert impurity Glucose with a 5 weight percent inert impurity Glucose with a 10 weight percent inert impurity HO C H H C OH H C OH H C H OH Fructose The fructose can be sold for 0 44 lb It is estimated that a new plant can process about 18 000 lb hr of fresh glucose feed The process has been studied in the laboratory and about 60 of the glucole unconverted in fructose It is estimated that the annualized cost of a reactor and separator handmg 1800 lb hr of total fresh feed would cost 150 000 yr You may assume that this cost increased with the reactor size to the 0 7 power You may also assume that the separator achieves 100 separation of the glucose fructose mixture All the inerts leave with the glucose 0 220 1b 0 178 lb 0 167 lb Design a process to isomerize 18 000 lb hr of fresh glucose feed and produce pure fructose with maximum annual profit You may assume the process runs 24 hours day Derive any balances that may describe the system Define a variable x to stand in for the glucose in the fresh feed and a variable y to represent the fraction of glucose in the recycle and purge streams Let R be the size of the recycle stream and P be the size of the purge stream Substitute your balances into each other until you have one equation with x y and R undefined Using a spreadsheet set up separate tables for each value for x Then in each table define a range of y values y 01 y 02 y 03 etc You may find this easiest to have a separate row for each value of y Using your equations you should then be able to solve for R P all other variables the cost of the reactor the profit from product and the overall net gain Plot your value of y against the net gain for each of the three impurity percents Which operating condition recycle purge ratio impurity in feed etc gives you the highest possible profit Is the recycle purge ratio a value that you would expect PARS