Tutorial 2 with solution

Course Name: Chemical Reaction Engineering II

Course code: CL-302
Instructor: Prof. Bishnupada Mandal

1. Heat generation v/s surface temperature curve is:

(a) Exponentially upward
(b) Exponentially downward
(c) A straight line with 0 intercept
(d) S-shaped
Answer: (d)

2. A 1st order reaction A → Product is taking place in cylindrical pore with pore length L. If At
the mouth of the pore, the reactant concentration is CAs and within the pore, it is CA(x), where
x is distance inside the pore. The reactant A the concentration of reactant CA within the pore at
any distance x from the mouth of the pore i.e. x = 0 is:
C sinh( L − x)
(a) A =
C AS sinh  L
C cosh( L − x)
(b) A =
C AS cosh  L
C sinh( ( L − x))
(c) A =
C AS sinh  L
C cosh( ( L − x))
(d) A =
C AS cosh  L
Answer: (d)

3. If a reaction A → B is taking place at a catalyst surface, k g is mass transfer coefficient and kr

is reaction rate constant then in a mass transfer limited situation, effective rate constant will be
(a) keff = k g
(b) keff = kr
(c) keff = k g + kr
kg
(d) keff =
kr
Answer: (a)

4. Small values of Thiele modulus usually below 0.4 means

(a) A short pore, slow reaction
(b) A short pore, fast reaction
(c) A long pore, slow reaction
(d) A long pore, fast reaction
Answer: (a)

5. Pore diffusion is rate limiting when:

(a) Thiele modulus is small
(b) Thiele modulus is high
(c) Effectiveness factor is high
(d) None of the above
Answer: (b)

6. A first order gas phase catalytic reaction A → B is taking at a surface of porous catalyst. If the
concentration of reactant A in feed is 55 mol/L and at the catalyst surface is 40 mol/L. The mass
m3 gas
transfer coeficient is 21  10−2 m and reaction rate constant is 42.23 2 . Then find
s m catalyst . s
out the following:
(a) Effective rate constant will be ________ (Report up to 2 decimal places)
mol Areacted
(b) The rate of reaction will be __________ in (Report up to 2 decimal places)
m 2 cat sur. s
Answer:
(a) 0.209
Range: 0.2-0.3
(b) 11.49
Range: 11-12
Solution:

k g  kr
keff =
k g + kr
0.21  42.3
keff =
0.21 + 42.3
keff = 0.209
−r " = keff C Ab
mol Areacted
−r " = 0.209  55 = 11.49
m 2 cat sur. s

8. A particular catalyst has a void fraction of 0.40, an internal surface area of 180 m2/g, and a pellet
density of 1.40 g/cm3. If this catalyst is formed into spherical pellets with a diameter of 5 mm,
(a) The value of the surface reaction rate constant for which internal diffusion limitations will
reduce the reaction rate by a factor of 2, will be ___________ 10−7 cm / s (Report up to one
decimal places)
(b) The effective pore diameter in this catalyst will be ___________in nm. (Report up to nearest
integer)
Given that the effective diffusion coefficient for dilute thiophene in hydrogen at a pressure of 1
bar and temperature of 600 K within this catalyst is 0.004 cm2/s.
Answer: 5.7
Range:5-6.5
Answer: 16
Range:14-18
Explanation:
For a spherical catalyst pellet ,
3  coth( ) − 1 S g  c kr
= =R
  De
1.8  106  1.4kr
 = 0.25
0.004
1.8  106  1.4kr
4.73 = 0.25
0.004
−7
kr = 5.7  10 cm / s