CRE Introduction to Chemical Reactor Engineering Problems c.m, van den bleek a.w. gerritsen November 2000 (last revised: Sept 17, 2001)1 Ideal reactors: basics 1 The decomposition of A takes place according to the following reaction equation AD3B Experiments were carried out in an ideal, isothermal batch reactor of constant volume. The following concentration profile was measured, starting with 75 vol% A and 25 vol% inert. 8 C4 [molliter] 0 . 0 10 20 30 40 —+ time [s] Starting with the same feed and at the same temperature, an ideal PFR, an ideal CSTR and an ideal batch reactor (but now at constant pressure) are compared. a For the continuous reactors calculate the space time and for the batch reactor the time at which the reaction has been completed. b For all three reactors calculate the concentration of A for t, and t= 15 s, respectively. € Now sketch Cy as a function of t, and t, respectively for these three reactors and the given reactor in one graph (clearly indicate the scale division on both axes).2. To study the liquid phase reaction A > produets, the following experiments have been carried out in a small experimental ideal CSTR: % Cx Cx 3] [kmol/m*] _[kmol/m’] 44 5 4 52 8 6 58 8 55 70 8 Z 8 8 5 166 5 3 225 1 os 300 2 1 468 5 2 a Without determining the order of the reaction, calculate the space time needed to convert a feed containing 6 kmol/m’ A for two-thirds in an ideal PFI b What will be the space time needed to achieve the same in an ideal CSTR? 3 In a laboratory-scale isothermal ideal CSTR A is converted into B. For every mole of A one mole of B is formed. A stream of pure A, that has already been converted into B for a small part, is used as the feed of the CSTR: Ca feed = 10 kmol/m’ and Cp fees /Ca,feed = 1/99. The graph shows the relation measured between space time and feed conversion: & min| se 0 01 0.030 0.2 O04 04 7 0.01905 om f 0.062 0.6 pf 0.124 08 The table shows some of the measured data. a Determine the kinetics for this reaction, b_At what space time the maximal rate of disappearance of species A is reached? ¢ If one has the choice between an ideal PFR and an ideal CSTR, which reactor type will generally be preferred when this process is carried out at a large scale? Why?