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Example 2: Over What Range of Conversions Are The Plug-Flow Reactor and CSTR Volumes Identical?

This document provides solutions to problems involving different reactor configurations for an irreversible gas-phase reaction. 1) The plug-flow reactor and CSTR volumes are identical over conversions up to 0.5, as the reaction rate is independent of conversion in this range. 2) A 90 L CSTR achieves a negligible conversion of 0.00002. 3) A 2.3x1011 m3 plug-flow reactor is needed for 70% conversion, requiring additional CSTR volume for the remaining conversion to 90%.

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Alejandra Sanchez
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110 views

Example 2: Over What Range of Conversions Are The Plug-Flow Reactor and CSTR Volumes Identical?

This document provides solutions to problems involving different reactor configurations for an irreversible gas-phase reaction. 1) The plug-flow reactor and CSTR volumes are identical over conversions up to 0.5, as the reaction rate is independent of conversion in this range. 2) A 90 L CSTR achieves a negligible conversion of 0.00002. 3) A 2.3x1011 m3 plug-flow reactor is needed for 70% conversion, requiring additional CSTR volume for the remaining conversion to 90%.

Uploaded by

Alejandra Sanchez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Example 2

For the irreversible gas-phase reaction:

the following correlation was determined from laboratory data (the initial
concentration of A is 0.2 g mol/L):

The volumetric flow rate is 5 m3/s.

a. Over what range of conversions are the plug-flow reactor and


CSTR volumes identical?
b. What conversion will be achieved in a CSTR that has a volume
of 90 L?
c. What plug-flow reactor volume is necessary to achieve 70%
conversion?
d. What CSTR reactor volume is required if effluent from the plug-
flow reactor in part (c) is fed to a CSTR to raise the conversion
to 90%?
e. If the reaction is carried out in a constant-pressure batch reactor
in which pure A is fed to the reactor, what length of time is
necessary to achieve 40 % conversion?
f. Plot the rate of reaction and conversion as a function of PFR
volume.
g. Critique the answers to this problem.

Solution

a. Over what range of conversions are the plug-flow reactor


and CSTR volumes identical?
So that it is easier to visualize the solution, we first plot the
inverse of the reaction rate versus conversion. This type of plot is
often called a "Levenspiel Plot.":

Recalling the mole balance equations for a CSTR and a PFR:

Until the conversion (X) reaches 0.5, the reaction rate is


independent of conversion and the reactor volumes will be
identical.

i.e.
b. What conversion will be achieved in a CSTR that has a
volume of 90 L?

For now, we will assume that conversion (X) will be less that
0.5. We start with the CSTR mole balance:

Our calculated conversion is extremely small.

c. What plug-flow reactor volume is necessary to achieve 70%


conversion?

This problem will be divided into two parts, as seen below:


1. The PFR volume required in reaching X=0.5 (reaction
rate is independent of conversion).

2. The PFR volume required to go from X=0.5 to X=0.7


(reaction rate depends on conversion).

Finally, we add V2 to V1 and get:

Vtot = V1 + V2 = 2.3*1011 m3

d. What CSTR reactor volume is required if effluent from the


plug-flow reactor in part (c) is fed to a CSTR to raise the
conversion to 90%?
We notice that the new inverse of the reaction rate (1/-rA) is
7*108. We insert this new value into our CSTR mole balance
equation:

e. If the reaction is carried out in a constant-pressure batch


reactor in which pure A is fed to the reactor, what length of
time is necessary to achieve 40% conversion?

We will begin with the mole balance on a batch system. Since


there is no flow into or out of the system, it can be written as:
From the stoichiometry of the reaction we know that V =
Vo(1+X) and  is 1. We insert this into our mole balance
equation and solve for time (t):

After integration, we have:

Inserting the values for our variables:

That is 640 years.

f. Plot the rate of reaction and conversion as a function of PFR


volume.

The following graph plots the reaction rate (-rA) versus the PFR
volume:
Below is a plot of conversion versus the PFR volume. Notice
how the relation is linear until the conversion exceeds 50%.
The volume required for 99% conversion exceeds 4*1011 m3.

g. Critique the answers to this problem.

The rate of reaction for this problem is extremely small, and the
flow rate is quite large. To obtain the desired conversion, it
would require a reactor of geological proportions (a CSTR or
PFR approximately the size of the Los Angeles Basin), or as we
saw in the case of the batch reactor, a very long time.

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