Mechanical Operations - Engineering

Q1:

Sphericity is the ratio of the surface area of a spherical particle having the same volume as the particle to the surface area of the particle. Which of the following has the maximum value of sphericity ?

A Sphere

B Cube

C Cylinder (L/D = 1)

D Raschig rings

ANS:A - Sphere

Among the given options, a sphere has the maximum value of sphericity. Here's why:

  1. Definition of Sphericity:
    • Sphericity is a measure of how closely a particle's shape approximates that of a sphere.
    • It is defined as the ratio of the surface area of a sphere having the same volume as the particle to the surface area of the particle itself.
  2. Shapes and Sphericity:
    • Sphere: A sphere has the highest possible sphericity value of 1. This is because a sphere has the smallest surface area for a given volume compared to any other shape.
    • Cube: A cube has a lower sphericity compared to a sphere because it has a larger surface area relative to its volume.
    • Cylinder (L/D = 1): A cylinder with a length-to-diameter ratio of 1 (meaning it is as tall as it is wide) has a lower sphericity than a sphere because its surface area is larger for the same volume.
    • Raschig Rings: Raschig rings are cylindrical rings used in chemical processing and have even lower sphericity than a cylinder because they have more surface area relative to their volume due to their open structure.
  3. Conclusion:
    • Since sphericity is defined based on how closely a particle resembles a sphere, a sphere itself, by definition, has the maximum sphericity value of 1.
    • Among the options provided (sphere, cube, cylinder with L/D = 1, Raschig rings), the sphere has the highest sphericity value.
Therefore, the correct answer is Sphere.