10.

37 Chemical and Biological Reaction Engineering, Spring 2007

Prof. K. Dane Wittrup
Lecture 9: Reactor Size Comparisons for PFR and CSTR

This lecture covers reactors in series and in parallel, and how the choice of reactor
affects selectivity versus conversion.

PFR vs. CSTR: Size and Selectivity

Material balance:

CSTR PFR

FAo XA FAo
V= XA V= dX A
rA 0 rA

Levenspiel Plot

as X A increases, C A decreases
rA decreases, for 1st and 2nd order,
FAo F
so Ao increases
rA 1st or 2nd rA
order
reaction
Figure 1. General Levenspiel Plot.

XA

CSTR Volume PFR Volume

FAo FAo
rA rA
VCSTR VPFR

XA XA
Figure 2. Levenspiel plots for a CSTR and a PFR for positive order reactions.

So PFR is always a smaller reactor for a given conversion when kinetics are positive
order.
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2007. MIT OpenCourseWare (http://ocw.mit.edu), Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Downloaded on
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Non-monotonically positive order kinetics arise:
Autocatalytic reactions (e.g. cell growth)
Adiabatic or non-isothermal exothermic reactions
Product inhibited reactions (some enzymes)

Series of Reactors

Example: 2 CSTRs

FAo

v1

x1

FA1

v2

x2
FA2
Figure 3. Schematic of two CSTRs in series.
FAo
V1 = X1
rA1

2nd reactor: 0
In + Out + Prod = Acc

FA1 FA2 + rA2 V2 = Steady state

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 FA0
FA2 = FA0 X 2 FA0 V2 = ( X 2 X1 )
rA2

FAo
rA
V1 Figure 4. Reactor volumes for 2 CSTRs
V2 in series.

X1 X2
X

Multiple CSTRs begin to

approximate a single PFR
FAo
rA

X
Figure 5. Reactor volumes for multiple CSTRs in series.

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 FAo FAo
rA rA VCSTR
VPFR

VPFR
VCSTR

X XA
Final X
Designed final
conversion

Figure 6. Levenspiel plots comparing CSTR and PFR volumes for changing kinetics.
Left: The CSTR has the smaller volume. Right: The PFR eventually has the smaller
volume.

Choice of PFR vs CSTR depends on conversion. Choose the reactor that has the
smallest volume reduce cost.

Reactors:

CSTR
FAo
rA
VCSTR
VPFR

PFR
X
Final X
Figure 7. To achieve the desired conversion with smaller reactor volumes, use a
combination. In this case, use a CSTR then a PFR. By doing so, the reactor volume is
less than the area underneath the curve.

For competing parallel reactions, selectivity for desired product can dominate the
choice.

Example A D rD = kd C A1 D = Desired, U = Undesired

2
A U rU = ku C A

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 rD kd (1 2 )
Define selectivity SD /U = = CA
rU ku

If 1 > 2 , as C A increases, S D /U increases

-Favors PFR because C A starts at C Ao then drops whereas CSTR
concentrations are always at lower C A .
If 1 < 2 , as C A increases, S D /U decreases
-CSTR favored
kd
If 1 = 2 then S D /U = , no dependence on C A
ku
-Therefore no CSTR/PFR preference.

Define a fractional yield

dCD kd C A1
= =
dC A kd C A1 + ku C A 2

All D produced
Overall fractional yield =
All A consumed

For a CSTR: = xit C

A

C A = C A C A
0 f

1 C At
For a PFR: =
C A CA 0
dC A

If 1 = 2

C A

C Af C A0
CA
Figure 8. Fractional yield versus concentration. Selectivity does not depend on CA.

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If 1 > 2

CA
Figure 9. Fractional yield versus concentration when 1 > 2.

CSTR PFR

PFR C A
CSTR C A

C Af C A0 C Af C A0

CA CA
Figure 10. Comparison of overall fractional yield for a CSTR and a PFR when 1 >
2.

PFR is preferred because PFR > CSTR , therefore the yield of D per mol A consumed
is higher.

If 1 < 2

CSTR C A PFR C A

C Af C A0 CA C Af C A0 C A

CSTR PFR
Figure 11. Comparsion of overall fractional yield for a CSTR and a PFR when 1 >
2.
PFR < CSTR
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