Residence time distribution in circulation flow model

A non-ideal continuous stirred tank reactor can be described by a cell network model that
reflects the flow conditions of the liquid medium in the reactor. Three major non-ideal flow
circulation patterns have been identified, which all merge at the stirrer: 1) an inlet vortex, 2)
an outlet vortex and 3) an independent internal vortex.

The streamlines in the reactor and a schematic flowsheet of the model concept are illustrated
below:

y3 y7
E5
q r2
y1 r 3 r3 y5
E1 E4
r3 r1+q y2 y6 r2
q, y0 q
y3
q E2 r1 r2+q E3
r1 y4 y3 y5

with:
q (= V )= Reactor throughput [m³/s]; ri = Flow rate in the ith circulation vortex [m³/s];
yi = local concentration, e.g. of a tracer;
Ei = residence time distribution function of the individual network elements

In the Laplace domain, the transformed concentration variables and transfer functions of the
individual network elements related to one another by simple algebraic equations, e.g.:

y7   e st y 7 (t)dt  E5  y 3
0

r1y 4  qy 0   r1  q y1 .
r1  r2  r3  q y3  r1  q y2  r2 y6  r3 y7
Using these relationships, the unknown transformed internal concentrations yi (i =
1,2,3,4,6,7) can be eliminated. By assuming similar isotropic circulation vortices, i.e.
E  E 5  E1E2  E3E4  E1E3 , the following transfer function can be derived for the entire
non-ideal reactor:
y5 qE
E  
y 0  r  q  rE
with: r = r1 + r2 + r3

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y 7  E5  y 3
y6  E4  y5
y 5  E3  y 3
y 4  E2  y3
y 2  E1  y1
r1y 4  qy 0   r1  q y1
r1  r2  r3  q y3  r1  q y2  r2 y 6  r3 y7
  r1  q E1y1  r2E1y 5  r3E5 y3
 r1E1y 4  qE1y 0  r2E1E3 y 3  r3E5 y3
r  q y3  r1E1E2 y3  qE1y0  r2E1E3 y3  r3E5 y3
 rEy3  qE1y 0
 r  q  Er  y3  qE1y0
1 y qE
 r  q  Er  y 5  qE1y 30  5 
E3 y 0  r  q  rE

For the single isotropic transfer function E one can employ, for example, the behaviour of a
three stage CSTR. The characteristic mean residence time for the vortices is then given by:
q
  
rq
Using this fact, one can calculate the conversion for a reaction kinetics of first order in a non-
ideal reactor with r/q = 5 and Da = 3 for the entire reactor, for example:.
1 1
E  E 
  
3 3
 r    q  r
 s 3  1  1  q   s 3 r  q  1  q
      
1
1 X  3
 r   q  r
 1  q   k 3 r  q  1  q
    
1
 X  1 3
 0.78
3 1 
1  5    1  5
 3  5  1 
The corresponding values for a CSTR and a PFR are given by:
1 1
1  XCSTR   XCSTR  1   0.75
1  k  1  3 
XPFR

Da  k  
dX
  X
 
 ln 1  XPFR  XPFR  1  e 3  0.95
0

i.e. the deviation from ideal stirred tank behaviour is minimal.

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