CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT
CEB2043
REACTION ENGINEERING I

Chapter 2:

Conversion and Reactor Sizing

(Part 1)
 OVERVIEW ON OBJECTIVE OF
CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2
Reactor
sizing in
terms of
mole
balance APPLYING
Re-write
DESIGN EQUATION
reactor
TO SOLVE PROBLEMS
sizing in
RELATED TO
CHAPTER 2 terms of
FLOW REACTOR AND
conversion
REACTOR IN SERIES
Relating
mole
balance to
conversion
 CHAPTER TO CLO TO PO MAPPING

Chapter 2: Conversion and Reactor Sizing

CLO 1: Apply the principles of chemical reaction engineering to solve reaction

engineering problems involving multiple reactions and non-isothermal processes for
homogeneous system

PO 3: Design solutions for complex chemical engineering problems and design systems,
components or processes that meet specified needs with appropriate consideration for
public health and safety, cultural, societal, and environmental considerations.
 LESSON OUTCOMES

At the end of this chapter, students should be able to:

1. define conversion , X

2. develop the design equation for batch and flow reactors (relating
mole balance to conversion, X)

3. apply the design equation to calculate the volume of reactors for

a particular process (Levenspiel plot)

4. evaluate the best reactor arrangement (single and series)

5. differentiate between space time and space velocity

 RECAP FROM CHAPTER 1
Design Equation in terms of mole
Batch CSTR PFR PBR
dN A How do we
rAV = relate
dt
conversion
with flow rate
or moles of
reactant?
 CONVERSION
Consider this general reaction
A,B,C,D : chemical species
aA + bB ➔ cC + dD a,b,c,d: stoichiometric coefficient

Consider A as the limiting reactant, conversion can be defined as

moles of A reacted How much is reactant A being consumed?

XA = How far the reaction proceeds to the right (product)?
moles of A feed

MAXIMUM CONVERSION?
Irreversible Reaction Reversible Reaction
X,max = 1 X,max = Xe
 RELATING CONVERSION, X WITH
BATCH REACTOR

Mole of reactant A left at any time, t = Mole of reactant A fed into the reactor
̶ Mole of reactant A reacted

NA0 NA = NA0 – NA0X

NA
 RELATING CONVERSION, X WITH
FLOW REACTORS
Molar flow rate of reactant A at outlet = Molar flow rate of reactant A at inlet

̶ Molar rate of reactant A consumed in the reactor

FA0
FA0X
FA FA = FA0 – FA0X
FA0

FA0X FA
 RELATING CONVERSION, X WITH DIFFERENT
TYPE OF REACTORS

Batch Reactor Flow Reactors

NA = NA0 – NA0X FA = FA0 – FA0X

 DEVELOP DESIGN EQUATION FOR BATCH
REACTOR
𝑑𝑁𝐴
MB: 𝑟 𝑉 =
𝐴 1
𝑑𝑡
NA0

𝑁𝐴 = 𝑁𝐴0 − 𝑁𝐴0 𝑋 2

NA Differentiate 2 𝑑𝑁𝐴 = 0 − 𝑁𝐴0 𝑑𝑋 3

−𝑁𝐴0 𝑑𝑋 1
Substitute 3 in 1 = 𝑟𝐴 𝑉 𝑡 = 𝑁𝐴0 න 𝑑𝑋
𝑑𝑡 −𝑟𝐴 𝑉
 DEVELOP DESIGN EQUATION FOR CSTR
𝐹𝐴0 −𝐹𝐴
MB: 𝑉=
−𝑟𝐴
1
FA0

𝐹𝐴 = 𝐹𝐴0 − 𝐹𝐴0 𝑋 2

FA
FA0X
𝐹𝐴0 𝑋
Substitute 2 in 1 𝑉=
−𝑟𝐴
 DEVELOP DESIGN EQUATION FOR PFR

FA0 FA 𝑑𝐹𝐴
FA0X MB:
𝑑𝑉
= 𝑟𝐴 1

𝐹𝐴 = 𝐹𝐴0 − 𝐹𝐴0 𝑋 2

Differentiate 2 𝑑𝐹𝐴 = 0 − 𝐹𝐴0 𝑑𝑋 3

𝑋𝑓
−𝐹𝐴0 𝑑𝑋 𝑑𝑋
Substitute 3 in 1 = 𝑟𝐴 𝑉 = 𝐹𝐴0 න
𝑑𝑉
𝑋𝐴𝑖 −𝑟𝐴
 DEVELOP DESIGN EQUATION FOR PBR
𝑑𝐹𝐴
= 𝑟𝐴 ’
FA0
FA0X
FA MB: 𝑑𝑊 1

𝐹𝐴 = 𝐹𝐴0 − 𝐹𝐴0 𝑋 2

Differentiate 2 𝑑𝐹𝐴 = 0 − 𝐹𝐴0 𝑑𝑋 3

−𝐹𝐴0 𝑑𝑋 𝑋𝑓
Substitute 3 in 1 = 𝑟𝐴 ′ 𝑑𝑋
𝑑𝑊 𝑊 = 𝐹𝐴0 න
𝑋𝐴𝑖 −𝑟𝐴 ′
 SUMMARY OF DESIGN EQUATIONS
Reactor Differential Algebraic Integral

𝑋
𝑑𝑋 𝑑𝑋
Batch 𝑁𝐴0 = −𝑟𝐴 𝑉 𝑡 = 𝑁𝐴0 න
𝑑𝑡 −𝑟𝐴 𝑉
0

𝐹𝐴0 𝑋
CSTR 𝑉=
−𝑟𝐴

𝑋
𝑑𝑋 𝑑𝑋
PFR 𝐹𝐴0 = −𝑟𝐴 𝑉 = 𝐹𝐴0 න
𝑑𝑉 −𝑟𝐴
0

𝑋
𝑑𝑋 𝑑𝑋
PBR 𝐹𝐴0 = −𝑟𝐴 ’ 𝑊 = 𝐹𝐴0 න
𝑑𝑊 −𝑟𝐴 ′
0
 SUMMARY OF LESSON OUTCOMES

By now, students should be able to:

1. define conversion , X

2. develop the design equation for batch and flow reactors

(relating mole balance to conversion, X)