CH3143 – Reactor Engineering

Tutorial – 2

Tubular Reactors

1. A B+C

the reaction is carried out in a plug flow reactor operated at steady state. The exit
concentration of A is 40 % of the entering concentration. Entering volumetric flow rate and
inlet concentration of A are 15 dm3/min and 6 mol/dm3, respectively (Volumetric flow rate
is constant, vin=vout). The rate of reaction is given by r = −kC and rate constant is 0.12
dm6mol-2min-1

i. Derive an equation for PFR volume relating volumetric flow rate, concentrations of
A and rate constant.
ii. Calculate the required PFR volume.
iii. Determine a CSTR volume required to achieve same exit concentration (Entering
conditions are same).

2. 𝐴 + 𝐵 → 𝐶 is an irreversible gas phase non elementary reaction. The feed stream to the
reactor at 1013 kPa and 500 K contains 33.3 mole% of A and 66.7 mole% of B. Each of
following reaction rates, measured in units of is observed at a particular conversion,
.
x.
Reaction rate (-rA) 0.010 0.005 0.002 0.001
Conversion (x) 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6

i. Derive the equation for volume of a PFR relating flow rate, reaction rate and
conversion.
ii. Determine the volume of PFR required to achieve 30% conversion of A for an
entering volumetric flow rate of 2 m3/min.
iii. Estimate volume of a CSTR which takes the effluent from above PFR as inlet and
achieve 50 % total conversion.

∫ 𝑓(𝑥)𝑑𝑥 = 𝑓(𝑎) + 4𝑓 + 𝑓(𝑏) , ℎ =

3. N 2O5 vapour under goes the reaction 2 N 2O5  4 NO2  O2 and this is first order and
essentially irreversible. The N 2O5 vapour passes through a tubular reactor in which the
pressure and temperature are constant. The flow rate at the inlet is n0 mole per unit time. If
there is plug flow in the vessel, show that the fraction, F, of the N 2O5 which decomposes
during passage is given by:
 CH3143 – Reactor Engineering
KV r 1
 2.5 ln  1 .5 F
V0 n 0 (1  F )

Where, Vr is the volume of the reactor, V0 is the molar volume at the prevailing temperature
and pressure and K is the rate constant for the reaction. Neglect the presence of N 2 O 4 .

4. Gas leaving an Ammonia oxidation plant is cooled rapidly to atmospheric temperature, in

order to remove the bulk of the water vapour. It then contains 9% NO 1% NO 2 and 8% O2
(all % s are by volume). The remainder of the gas is nitrogen. Before entering the absorption
tower for the production of nitric acid, this gas is allowed to oxidize until the NO: NO 2
molar ratio reaches 5:1. Cooling is efficient enough for the temperature of the reacting gas
mixture to remain constant at 20 0C.
The gas flow rate at the reactor inlet is 10,000 m3/hour, measured at 200C and 1 atm. Gas
pressure within the reactor is constant at 1 atm. Reaction order corresponds to its
stoichiometry and the overall order of the reaction is 3.0. The rate constant ‘k’ is 1.4×10 4
m6/kmol2.s at 200C.
i. Develop the stoichiometric table for the flow system using standard notations (Eg -
Ɵi, Fi)
ii. Calculate the final conversion of NO using the given data.
iii. Determine the required tubular reactor volume to achieve the above calculated
conversion in part b.

5. 𝐴 + 𝐵 ↔ 2𝐶 + 𝐷 is a gas phase reaction which is carried out in a tubular reactor to

produce C on large scale. The reaction takes place isothermally and reactor is maintained at
5270C. Further, the operating pressure is 5 bar and pressure drop through the reactor can be
neglected. The combined feed rate of A and B is 10 tons/hr and A:B mass flow ratio is 2:3.
The temperature and pressure in feed flows are equal to the reactor operating conditions.

The reaction is reversible with the rate equation;

-𝑟 = 𝑘 𝐶 𝐶 − 𝑘 𝐶 𝐶

The rate constant for forward reaction: 𝑘 = 2.5 and equilibrium constant: 𝑘 = 3.4.
.
The products will be discharged from the reactor when fractional conversion of A is 40 %
mole. Estimate the required reactor volume.
Note :
Molar mass of A and B are 52 g/mol and 85 g/mol respectively.