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Recycle Reactor. Example.: Question: Let Us Consider A First Order Reaction
Recycle Reactor. Example.: Question: Let Us Consider A First Order Reaction
Question: Let us consider a first order reaction A 2B . It is a liquid phase reaction (no change
in volume) and other standard assumptions (such as isothermal conditions , steady state etc)
apply. The incoming fresh feed is pure A, at a concentration of 1 mol/lit, volumetric flow rate Q
= 10 lit/min, the volume of the reactor = 300 lit and the rate constant k = 0.1 min-1. What is the
output conversion when R = 1 and when R = 3?. In addition, (i) determine concentration of A
and B in the net output stream and recycled stream, and (ii) confirm that for the PFR section, the
calculations based on FA,1 and Xs yield the correct concentrations in stream 2.
Solution:
X0
V dX
( R 1) FA0
R
rA
X0
R 1
Here rA kCA0 (1 X A ) where CA0 = 1 mol/lit, Q = 10 lit/min, FA,0 = 10 mol/min, k = 0.1 min-1
0 1 2
3
When R = 1,
0 X
300 dX
2 10 1 0.11 (1 X )
X0
2
Molar flow rate, volumetric flow rate and concentrations in the ‘combined input stream to PFR’
are
Q1 = 20 lit/min
To use the design equation, we don’t actually need FB,1 and CB,1 , we have just calculated them to
get an idea of their values. Now, we use the design equation of the PFR to calculate the single
pass conversion Xs.
Xs
V dX
FA,1
kC
0 A1 (1 X )
Note that we have to use CA1 (and not CA0) here in the definition of X. i.e. Within the PFR, the
concentration at any location is given by CA = CA1(1-X)
300 1
ln(1 X s )
11.26 0.1 0.563
ln(1 X s ) 1.5
X s 0.7769 . Using this, we can calculate the concentration and molar flow rate of A at the
outlet stream.
If R = 3,
R 3
( R 1) 4
0 X
V 300 dX
( R 1) FA0 4 10 3 0.11 (1 X )
X0
4
1 3 X 0
0.75 ln 4
1 X0
1 3 X 0
4 2.117
1 X0
X 0 0.8171
This is lower than that for R = 1, which is expected. For a first order reaction, simple PFR gives
more conversion, R =1 will reduce the conversion a bit, R = 3 will reduce it more, and R =
infinity will bring it to the CSTR conversion.
When R = 3, if Xo = 0.817
For the first order kinetics, we can show the equality of the design equations in the PFR form and
in the recycle reactor form.
X0
V dX
FA0
( R 1)
R
kC A0 (1 X )
(1)
X0
R 1
V 1 1 X0
( R 1) ln
FA0 kC A0 1 R X
R 1
0
Xs
V dX
FA1
r
0 A
XS
V dX
FA0 1 R(1 X 0
kC
0 A1 (1 X A )
1 R(1 X 0 )
Since C A1 C A0 , this gives
R 1
( R 1)
XS
V dX
FA0 1 R(1 X 0 1 R(1 X 0 ) kC
0 A0 (1 X )
(2)
1 X0
ln
R ln 1 X S
1 X0
R 1
1 X 0 ( R 1) 1 X 1
X0
1 R RX 0 X 0
1 R(1 X 0 ) 1 R(1 X 0 ) 1 R(1 X 0 )
S
1 X 0 ( R 1)
1 R(1 X 0 )