CHE 354-001 Chemical Reactor Design Homework #2

Spring 2021 Due 1/29/21

Note: This homework covers material from Chapter 1. Please work in terms of concentration
when solving these problems. Do not work in terms of conversion.

1. The elementary gas phase reaction A → B is carried out in a 1,000 L constant-volume batch
reactor initially charged with 8,000 mol species A. At the operating temperature, the value of
the rate constant is 0.14 h-1.
a. Determine the time it will take (in hours) to consume 90% of species A.
b. What will be the concentration of species A (in mol/L) after 8 h?
c. What will be the concentration of species B (in mol/L) after 8 h?
d. Plot the concentrations of species A and B over 25 h.

2. Given the elementary liquid phase reaction A + B → C with kA = 0.35 L/mol·h.

a. Calculate the concentration of species A after 3 h in a batch reactor if CA0 = CB0 = 8 M.
b. Calculate the volume of a CSTR necessary to consume 95% of species A if the feed is
equimolar in A and B with CA0 = 8 mol/L and υo = 1 L/h. What if υo = 5 L/h?
c. Repeat part b for a PFR.
d. Why does the value in parts b and c change when υo changes? Explain in 2-4 sentences.

3. The reaction A + B → 2C takes place in an unsteady CSTR. The feed contains only A and B
in equimolar proportions. Develop mole balances for each species using rA for each (write rB
and rC in terms of rA).

4. Fogler P1-6 Note: You must attach any Polymath or MATLAB output (including code,
graphs, etc.).

5. Optional bonus problem (3 pts extra credit): Fogler P1-2 part (a).