Homework Set 2: Chemical Reaction Engineering,

CHE 625: Problem 6,7

Bankole Temitayo S. [80034560]
April 11, 2015

Problem 6

The following are obtained from the problem:

Parameter

Value

Temp

630o C

Pressure

1 atm

0.8mm

0.95 g/cm3

pore radius

28 A

00

0.46

00

S 00

338m2 /g

bed

0.7gcat/cm3

0.869g/cm3

Feed rate (F)

60cm3 /h/cm3 bed

XA

0.5

we write the chemical reaction as:

5C18 H38 + 13H2 18C5 H12

(1)

Basis: 1 cm3 bed

F CA0 (1 XA )
Vcat
60 0.869/255(1 0.5)
r=
0.7/0.95
r=

(2)

r = 13.87 102 mol/cm /hr

In order to find the effective diffusion coefficient, we turn to the Stokes Einstein equation:

D=
D=

1.05 109 T
1/3

Vb

1.05 109 (630 + 273) 1

p
0.039 3 255/0.869

D = 3.66 106 cm2 /s

(3)

Deff = D

00
00

0.46
3
= 561.2 109 cm2 /s

(4)

Deff = 3.66 106 cm2 /s

Deff


=

D 00
6

2

(r)

Deff [As ]


2
0.166 2
13.8710
6
3600
=
561.2 109 0.0034
= 17.374

(5)

x tanh x = 17.374
x = 17.374

2x
17.374
=
17.3742
= 0.06

(6)

Problem 7

In order to find the maximum temperature gradient, we find the maximum temperature difference
across the catalyst given by (Levenspiel, 1999)

Tmax =

Deff (Hr ) [As ]

keff

(7)

The heat of reaction is estimated from the following:

X

i Hi +

i Cp,i (T Tref )

(8)

Hr = 173.5 103 + 167.19 630

18
505.4 103 + 5686300
5

(9)

Hr = 463.05kJ/mol
In order to estimate keff , we turn to the method for estimating thermal conductivities for
mixtures as presented in (Latini et al., 1996)
keff = k1 w1 + k2 w2 0.72w1 w2 (k1 k2 )

255
255 + 70
70
w2 =
255 + 70
k1 = 0.11W/m.K

(10)

w1 =

k2 = 0.033W/m.K
keff = 0.084W/m.K

(11)

Substituting keff = 0.084W/m.K , Hr = 463.05kJ/mol and Deff = 561.2 109 cm2 /s into
equation (7), we obtain:

Tmax = 1.052K
maximum temperature gradient therefore is
Tmax
r00
1.052
Temperature gradient =
0.088
Temperature gradient = 12K/cm
Temperature gradient =

References
G. D. Central.
Thermophysical Properties: Phase Change Materials.
https://www.
thermalfluidscentral.org/encyclopedia/index.php/Thermophysical_Properties:
_Phase_Change_Materials, 2010. [Online; accessed 11-April-2015].
G. Latini, G. Passerini, F. Polonara, and G. Vitali. Alternative refrigerants in the liquid phase:
Thermal conductivity of binary and ternary mixtures. 1996.
O. Levenspiel. Chemical reaction engineering. Industrial & engineering chemistry research, 38
(11):41404143, 1999.
Y. L. Rastorguev and G. Bogatov. Thermal conductivity of n-heptadecane and n-octadecane at
high pressures and temperatures. Chemistry and Technology of Fuels and Oils, 8(3):176179,
1972.
N. B. Vargaftik. Handbook of thermal conductivity of liquids and gases. CRC press, 1993.