Chapter 15 Specific reactors The kinetics of reactions is specific for different reaction systems and processes and valid for isothermal and nonisothernial reactors. The effects of the kinetics on the conversion, selectivity, or yield depend on the reaction and may be quite pronounced. Liquid or gas phase reactions with high heat capacity can be performed in specific reactors, which dpérate isothermally or not. We will study the most common cases such as semibatch reactors, recycle reactors, fixed-bed reactors, and reactors with membranes, 15.1 SEMIBATCH REACTOR The semjbatch reactor (tank or tubular) contains a large amount of liquid, reactant that continuously reacts on the addition of a second reactant (liquid or gas), which is ~ instantly consumed. The kinetics isthe same, but consumption increases over reaction time as the second component is added (Figure 15.1) ‘The semibarch reactors can be operated by three different manners 1 The tank contains a liquid reactant B into which the reactant A (liquid or gas) is continuously added—isothermal system. Ga AR : Seas +B, R ‘aa Figure 15.1. Scheme of semibatch reactor.352_Chemical reaction engineering Semibatch reactors c % OG CSTR I! | Electric resistance nee “Figure 15.2 Concentration profiles in different cases. 2 The tank contains the reactants while the gas product is continuously formed, 3 The tank contains the liquid reactant while the gas reactant A is continually add, Nonreacted A is continually released. ‘The reactant concentration profiles have been represented in Figure 15. fo semibatch reactor under isothermal conditions The concentration is uncertain becauseyit varies over time. Consider a semiopen system according to the scheme shown in Figure 15.3. ee Fa represents the molar flow of reactant A, then: os (Is) Fao — Fat (—ra): Vi aE where (ra) = reaction rate, Fy =molar flow of component A, and V = system volune which varies over time, : Since Fyo = Cygvo and the reagent A is completely consumed durin the reaction, there is no outlet flow of A. Therefore, . Fy=0 4 d(CaV) da dv i Caovo ~ 0+ (—ra) - Vie) arr Tae oA ae% Specific reactors 353 of component A | F, (mov) 7 Mol of reactant ik ae inside the tan! reactant A v that enters in V C._molt Different from other systems, Bis jitialy in the tank AQ) + Bays R Figure 153. Molar mass balance inthe semibatch reactor. The volume variation over time.caused by addition of reagent A into reagent B (present in the tank) is calculated by means of an overall mass balance taking into account the average density in the system without chemical reaction. Thus: d(pV) pay -0-+0= porate (15.3) Assuming that the system average density is constant, ie. P= py =constant We obtain: w (15.4) ith the boundary condi . t=03V=V ‘We obtain the volume variation over time, i. fo + vot (15.5) Or dividing by vp,we obtain the following expression as a function space time: T=w+t : (15.6)