Lecture 07

Ex – 4:

𝐼𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡
𝑡(𝑚𝑖𝑛) 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑟(𝑔/𝐿)
𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 0 0
5 3
10 5
15 5
20 4
25 2
30 1
35 ~0

Determine 𝑋̅ and τ̅ (𝑘 = 1 𝑚𝑖𝑛−1 )

∞
Ans: 𝑋̅ = ∫0 𝑋(𝑡)𝐽′ (𝑡)𝑑𝑡 ∶ 𝑠𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟
∞ 𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ kinetics
𝜏 = ∫0 𝑡𝐽′ (𝑡)𝑑𝑡

𝑘 = 1 𝑚𝑖𝑛−1 ⇒ 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

𝑋(𝑡) ≡ 𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ = 1 − 𝑒 −𝑘𝑡 = 1 − 𝑒 −𝑡 ; 𝐽′ (𝑡) to be determined from the table below; work on
tavg and Cavg for an improved numerical accuracy.

𝑡 𝐶 𝐶𝑎𝑣𝑔 𝑡𝑎𝑣𝑔 (𝐶Δ𝑡) 𝐽′ (𝑡) 𝑋(𝑡 ) 𝑋(𝑡)𝐽′ (𝑡)Δ𝑡

= 𝐶 ⁄∑ 𝐶Δ𝑡
0 0 - -
5 3 1.5 2.5
10 5 4 7.5
15 5 5 12.5 calculate calculate calculate calculate
20 4 4.5 17.5
25 2 3 22.5
30 1 1.5 27.5
35 0 0.5 32.5
∑ 𝐶Δ𝑡 𝑋 = ∑ 𝑋(𝑡)𝐽′ (𝑡)Δ𝑡
5 𝑚𝑖𝑛
∞
Recall: 𝑋 = ∫0 𝑋(𝑡)𝐽′ (𝑡)𝑑𝑡 holds good for segregated reactors. However, if the rate of reaction
is 1st order, the reactor can still be treated as a macro-reactor, and the expression holds good.
Correct answers are 99.37% conversion and 15 min of average residence time. For the latter
calculation, add one more column for tJ'(t)Δt and add the row elements.
1
 𝑘=2 𝑚𝑖𝑛−1
Ex 5: A 1st order reaction ( 𝐴 → 𝑅) takes place in a non – ideal mixed reactor. Because of
inadequate mixing, only 85% of the reactor volume is well mixed and has the mean residense
time of 1 min. The RTD of the remaining 15% (in the corners and close to the walls) can be
approximated by the following equation: 𝐽(𝜃) = 1 − 𝑒 −0.5𝜃 (0 ≤ 𝜃 ≤ ∞)

Determine: a) The RTD of the reactor

b) 𝜏, and c) 𝑋

Ans:
𝐽1 (𝜃) 𝑓𝑜𝑟 85% 𝑉 = 1 − 𝑒 −𝜃⁄1
𝑄1 0.85V
= 1 − 𝑒 −𝜃 (𝜏1 = 1)
𝑄 𝐽2 (𝜃) 𝑓𝑜𝑟 15% 𝑉 = 1 − 𝑒 −0.5𝜃
𝑄
(𝜏2 = 2)

𝑄2 0.15V

Note that 15% of CSTR volume also behaves as an ideal CSTR, as seen by the corresponding J(Ө)

𝑄1 𝐽1 (𝜃)+𝑄2 𝐽2 (𝜃)
𝐽(𝜃) =
𝑄1 +𝑄2

0.85𝑉 0.15𝑉
𝑄1 = = 0.85𝑉 ; 𝑄2 = = 0.075𝑉
𝜏1 𝜏2

0.85×(1−𝑒 −𝜃 )+0.075×(1−𝑒 −0.5𝜃 ) 0.925−0.85𝑒 −𝜃 −0.075𝑒 −0.5𝜃

𝐽(𝜃 ) = =
0.85+0.075 0.925

(a) 𝐽(𝜃) = 1 − 0.92𝑒 −𝜃 − 0.08𝑒 −0.5𝜃

𝑉 𝑉
(b) 𝜏= = (0.85+0.075)𝑉 = 1.08 min ( 𝑑𝑒𝑓 𝑛 )
𝑄

𝐴𝑙𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑦 ,
∞
𝜏 = ∫0 𝜃𝐽′ (𝜃)𝑑𝜃
∞
= ∫0 𝜃(0.92𝑒−𝜃 + 0.04𝑒−0.5𝜃 )𝑑𝜃
∞
0.04𝑒−0.5𝜃 ∞ 0.04𝑒−0.5𝜃
= [𝜃 (−0.92𝑒−𝜃 − )] + ∫0 (0.92𝑒−𝜃 − ) 𝑑𝜃
0.5 0 0.5
∞
0.04𝑒−0.5𝜃
= 0 + [−0.92𝑒−𝜃 − ] = [−(0.92𝑒−𝜃 + 0.16𝑒−0.5𝜃 )]∞
0
0.25 0
= 0.92 + 0.16
= 1.08 min (same as before)

2
 ∞ ∞
(c) 𝑋 = ∫0 𝑋(𝜃)𝐽′ (𝜃)𝑑𝜃 = ∫0 (1 − 𝑒−𝑘𝜃 )𝐽′ (𝜃)𝑑𝜃
(𝑠𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟) 1𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟/𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟

∞
= ∫0 (1 − 𝑒−𝑘𝜃 )(0.92𝑒−𝜃 + 0.04𝑒−0.5𝜃 )𝑑𝜃 = 0.677

This must also be the same as calculated below:

As per the problem statement, the real reactor is a combination of two ideal CSTRs in parallel:

𝑄1 Therefore;
0.85V
𝑋1 for a 1st order rate–reactor in an ideal CSTR
𝑄
𝑄 𝑘 𝜏1
= (𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛)
𝑋 =? 1+𝑘 𝜏1
𝑄2
0.15V
2×1 2
= =
1+2×1 3
𝑘 𝜏2 2×2 4
𝑋2 = = =
1+𝑘 𝜏2 1+2×2 5

𝑋1 𝑄1 +𝑋2 𝑄2 2⁄ ×0.85𝑉+4⁄ ×0.075𝑉

3 5
Therefore, 𝑋 = =
𝑄1 +𝑄2 0.85𝑉+0.075𝑉

0.567+0.06
= = 0.677
0.925

(Thus, RTD calculation/data produce the same result as that from design equation)

Ex 6: Coal particles are devolatized in a fast fluidized/moving bed reactor at 450𝑜 𝐶, using 𝑁2 gas.
The average residense time of the well-mixed particles, 𝜏 = 10 min. Initial volatile contents are
46% (𝑤⁄𝑤 ). The devolatization rate follows 1st order rate kinetics:

𝑑𝑋
= −𝑘(𝑋 − 0.2); 𝑋 ≡ 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠.
𝑑𝑡

Determine 𝑋 (the average volatile content of the coal particles) at the reactor –exit. Assume k
= 1 min-1.

(Note: 20% of the volatiles never comes out).

3
Ans: In such case (g/l + S reaction)/reactors, each particle can be considered to be segregated.
There is no concentration distribution within a particle and particles do not mix with each other.
The reactor can be considered to be macro or segregated reactor. Therefore,
∞
𝑋 = ∫0 𝑋(𝑡)𝐽′ (𝑡)𝑑𝑡

(𝑠𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑙)

1
Ans: 𝐽′ (𝜃) = 𝑒 −𝑡⁄10
10
(ideal/well -mixed reactor)

∞ 1 𝑑𝑋
𝑋 = ∫0 (0.2 + 0.26𝑒 −𝑘𝑡 ) 𝑥 𝑒 −𝑡⁄10 𝑑𝑡 2) = −𝑘 (𝑋 − 0.2): 𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ 𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑠
10 𝑑𝑡
1 ∞
= 10 ∫0 (0.2𝑒 −𝑡⁄10 + 0.26𝑒 −1.1𝑡
)𝑑𝑡 𝑙𝑛 (𝑋 − 0.2)|𝑋𝑋𝑜=0.46 = −𝑘𝑡|𝑡0
1 ∞ 0.26 ∞ 𝑋−0.2
= [0.2 × 10𝑒 −𝑡⁄10 |0 − × 𝑒 −1.1𝑡 | ] 𝑙𝑛 (0.46−0.2) = −𝑘𝑡
10 1.1 0
1 0.26
= [2 + ] = 0.223 (𝑜𝑟 22.3%) 𝑋 = 0.20 + 0.26𝑒 −𝑘𝑡
10 1.1
(batch reactor)

𝑁𝑜𝑡𝑒: 𝑡 = 0 , 𝑋 = 0.46
( )
𝑡 → ∞ , 𝑋 → 0.20

HW: (SMITH, 3rd ed) ≡ 6.1, 6.2