Tutorial 3 with solution

Course Name: Chemical Reaction Engineering II

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

1. The reactant concentration drops rapidly to zero on moving into pore, hence:
(a) Diffusion strongly influences the rate of reaction.
(b) Diffusion weekly influences the rate of reaction.
(c) Diffusion does not influences the rate of reaction.
(d) None of the above
Answer: (a)

2. Under Strong diffusion limitations, the observed activation energy is approximately:

(a) Equal to the true activation energy of the reaction.
1
(b) of the true activation energy of the reaction.
2
1
(c) of the true activation energy of the reaction.
4
3
(d) of the true activation energy of the reaction.
4
Answer: (b)

3. If Ea is the activation energy, R is reaction rate constant and Ts is surface temperature. The
extent to which the reaction rate depends on temperature can be defined by:
E R
(a)  = a
TS
RT
(c)  = S
Ea
(d)  = Ea RTS
E
(d)  = a
RTS
Answer: (d)

4. Strong diffusion limitations alter the apparent kinetics of a catalytic reaction. For any nth order
irreversible reaction the observed reaction order will be:
n
(a) + 1
2
n +1
(b)
2
n
(c) + 1
3
 n +1
(d)
3
Answer: (b)

5. The global effectiveness factor includes:

(a) Diffusion limitations in the external boundary layer
(b) The pore diffusion limitations
(c) Both diffusion limitations in the external boundary layer and pore diffusion limitations.
(d) Diffusion limitations in the external boundary layer or pore diffusion limitations.
Answer: (c)

6. An elementary first order reaction A → product was carried out at 8.2 atm and 273 0C in a
spinning basket reactor containing cylindrical catalyst particles to which only pure A is fed. Find
out the following:
(a) Observed reaction order will be _______(Round off to two decimal place)
J
(b) Observed activation energy will be _______ 105 (Round off to one decimal place)
mol
(c) Thiele Modulus will be ___________ 104 (Round off to nearest integer)
(d) Effectiveness factor will be ________ 10−5 ( Round off to nearest integer)
Additional information:

Reaction rate constant is: 2.034 10 4 ( m3 gas )

m 2 catalyst surface.s
Diameter of catalyst: 2 mm
Density of catalyst pellets: 2.3 g/cm3
Effective Diffusivity: 2.3 cm2/s
Surface area of porous catalyst: 49 m2/g of cat
J
Activation energy: 7.55 105
mol
Answer:
(a) 1
(b) 3.77
Range: 3.5-4
(c) 5
Range: 4-6
(d) 2
Range: 1-3
Solution:
n +1
nobs =
2
1+1
nobs =
2
nobs = 1
E
Eobs =
2
J
Eobs = 3.77  105
mol
R S g  c kr
=
2 DeA
0.001 49  2.3  106  2.034  104
=
2 2.3  10−4
 = 4.99  104

1
tanh( )

G =
  D 
1 +  s eA
 l k  tanh( )
 g
1
tanh(4.99  104 )
G = 4.99  10 4

 4.99  104  2.3  10−5 

1+  4 
tanh(4.99  104 )
 (0.01 / 2)  2.034 10 
G = 1.97  10−5
7. An experimental rate measurement on the decomposition of A is made with a particular catalyst.
The diameter of spherical catalyst particle is 480 µm. Effective diffusion coefficient for diffusion
m3
in the pores is 25  10−6 and effective thermal conductivity of the catalyst pellet is
hr mcat
J
750 . Then the temperature within the pellet at 120 µm distance will be _______ 0C?
hr m cat K
(Report up to nearest integer)
Additional data:
MJ
H rxn = −17 (exothermic)
mol A
mol
Bulk concentration of component A (C Ag ) = 31 3 (at 1 atm and 280 0 C )
m
mol
C A = 5 3 (at 120  m )
m
Assume there is no external mass transfer resistance.
Answer: 295
Range:290-300

Solution:
(−H rxn ) DeA
Tpellet = (C AS − C A )
e
17  106  25  10−6
T − 280 = (31 − 5)
750
T = 280 + 14.733
T = 294.733