Ryerson University

Faculty of Engineering, architecture & Science

Department of chemical engineering
CHE 312 Chemical Reactor Engineering
Assignment # 2 (Due on Oct. 21, 2015)
Question 1
Compound A undergoes a reversible isomerization reaction over a supported metal catalyst.
AB
Under pertinent conditions A and B are liquid, miscible and are of nearly identical density; the
equilibrium constant for the reaction (in concentration units) is 5.8. In a fixed bed isothermal
flow reactor in which back mixing is negligible (i.e. plug flow), a feed of pure A undergoes a net
conversion to B of 55%. The reaction is elementary. If a second identical flow reactor at the
same temperature is placed downstream from the first what overall conversion of A would you
accept if:
a) The reactors are directly connected in series?
b) The products from the first reactor are separated by appropriate processing and only the
uncovered A is fed to second reactor?

Question 2
k1

A+B2C
k2

The following reversible gas phase reaction follows an elementary rate law and is carried out
isothermally at 325 K in a packed bed reactor. The two feed streams to the reactor mix to form a
single feed stream that is equal molar in A and B (5 mol/s) with total volumetric flow rate of 60
dm3/s.

(a) Calculate the maximum conversion that can be accomplished by the reaction.
(b) Calculate the weight of catalyst required to achieve a conversion of 80%.
1

(c) Calculate the conversion with catalyst of total weight of 125 kg. What is the catalyst weight
you would recommend to use for this process?

Giving that: FA0 = 5 mol/s

E = 25 kcal/mol
k1= 0.4 dm6/mol.kg.s @310K
Ke= 10,000 @ 325 K
= 0.012 /kg