ChE 125 Chemical Reaction Engineering I

HOMEWORK 09

1.

2nd Semester AY 2014-2015

For the gas-phase reaction shown below that is carried out isothermally in a constant-volume batch reactor,
k
C 2 H 4 + C4 H 6
C6 H10

or

k
A + B
C

a) What should be the temperature (in K) to achieve 57.6% conversion of reactants, initially present in an
equimolar ratio, in 4 minutes? The initial total pressure is 0.8 atm (only A and B present initially). The
rate law is

( r ) = 3.0 10
A

115,000
exp
C AC B
RT

with the Arrhenius parameters, A and EA, in L mol-1 s-1 and J mol-1, respectively. Assume ideal gas law
is valid. [T = 799.9871 K]
b) Using the same temperature as in part (a), find the time required for 57.6% conversion of ethene, if the
reaction is carried out isothermally and isobarically. [t = 195.7919 sec]

2.

The elementary gas-phase reaction

(CH )

3 3

k
COOC ( CH 3 )3
C2 H 6 + 2CH 3COCH 3

is carried out isothermally in a flow reactor with no pressure drop. The specific reaction rate at 50C is 10-4
min-1 (from pericosity data) and the activation energy is 85 kJ/mol. Pure di-tert-butyl peroxide enters the
reactor at 10 atm and 127C and a molar flow rate of 2.5 mol/min. Calculate the reactor volume and space time
to achieve 90% conversion in a:
a) CSTR
b) PFR

3.

[ = 572.04 minutes; V = 4.693 m3]

[ = 115.95 minutes; V = 0.95 m3]

It is desired to carry out the gaseous reaction A B in an existing tubular reactor consisting of 50 parallel
tubes 40 ft long with a 0.75-in inside diameter. Bench-scale experiments have given the reaction rate constant
for this first-order reaction as 0.00152 s-1 at 200F and 0.0740 s-1 at 300F. At what temperature should the
reactor be operated to give a conversion of A of 80% with a feed rate of 500 lb/hr of pure A and an operating
pressure of 100 psig? A has a molecular weight of 73. Departures from perfect gas behavior may be neglected,
and the reverse reaction is insignificant at these conditions. [T = 278F]