Residence Time Analysis of

Reactors
CH 4501 Chemical Kinetics and
Reactor Design

Prof. (Ms) M. Y. Gunasekera

Department of Chemical and Process
Engineering

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Introduction
Residence Time Analysis of Reactors

• LO4 –Analyze chemical reactor performance using

the residence time analysis.

Tutorial – Residence Time Analysis

Quiz – Residence Time Analysis

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References:
• Chemical Reactor Theory
• by K.G. Denbigh and J.C.R Turner

• Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering

• by Scott Fogler

• Chemical Reaction Engineering

• by Octave Levenspiel

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Residence Time Analysis (cont.)

• Performance of Ideal reactors:

• Perfectly mixed batch reactors
• Plug Flow Reactor (PFR)
• Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR)
• Residence Time Analysis of Reactors
• Ideal
• Non Ideal
• Residence-time functions

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Examples of Non Ideal Conditions in
Reactors

Packed Bed Reactor

CSTR

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Residence Time
• Ideal plug flow reactor:
• All the atoms of material leaving the reactor have been inside
it for exactly the same amount of time
• Ideal batch reactor
• Residence time:
• The time the atoms have spent in the reactor
• Various atoms in the feed spend different times inside
the reactor
• Distribution of residence times of the material within
the reactor
• Understanding of residence-time distribution (RTD) can
facilitate analysis of chemical reactor characteristics.

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Residence-time Functions

• The residence-time distribution function, E(t)

(Exit Age Distribution Function)
• The cumulative residence-time distribution
function, F(t)
• The internal-age distribution function, I(t)

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Residence-time Functions (cont.)

The residence-time distribution function, E(t)

(Exit Age Distribution Function)

▪ The residence-time distribution function is the

fraction of material in the outlet stream which has
been in the system for times between t and (t+dt) is
equal to Edt.
E is a function of t,

▪ E(t)dt is the fraction of material in the inlet stream

which will spend a time between t and (t+dt) in the
system.
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Residence-time Functions (cont.)

The cumulative residence-time distribution

function, F(t)
• The fraction of material in the outlet stream which has
been in the system for times less than t, is equal to F.
F is a function of t, F(t);
therefore, F(0) = 0 and F() = 1

E(t) =dF(t)/dt
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Residence-time Functions (cont.)

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Residence-time Functions (cont.)

The internal-age distribution function, I(t)

• Fraction of the material within the system (not in

the outlet stream) which has been there for times
between t and (t+dt) is equal to I(t)dt.

• For a perfect mixer, I(t) = E(t)

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Residence-time Functions (cont.)

The mean residence-time, 𝑡ҧ

The average time spent by material flowing at rate v
through a volume V can be shown to be equal to V/v

𝑡ҧ = 𝑉ൗ𝑣
• There must be no change of density of the flowing
stream
• No back mixing of material

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Residence-time Functions (cont.)

From the definition derive the following equations or

relationships.
∞
𝑡ҧ = න 𝑡𝐸 𝑡 𝑑𝑡
0

∞ ∞
න 𝐸 𝑡 𝑑𝑡 = න 𝐼 𝑡 𝑑𝑡 = 1
0 0

𝑣
𝐼 𝑡 = [1 − 𝐹 𝑡 ]
𝑉
𝑉 Τ𝑣 ∞
න 𝐹 𝑡 𝑑𝑡 = න 1 − 𝐹 𝑡 𝑑𝑡
0 𝑉 Τ𝑣

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Reduced or dimensionless time, 
𝑡 𝑡
Where, 𝜃= ; 𝜃=
𝑡ҧ 𝑉 Τ𝑣

(1) The mean residence-time, 𝜃ҧ = 1

(2) The F remains unchanged, F() = F(t)

(3) E and I become dimensionless and are V/v times

as large as they were on the t scale.

E() = (V/v)E(t) therefore, I() = 1− F()

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End of Presentation

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