CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Reaction Engineering II

Worksheet on Chapter Four

1. The elementary, irreversible, organic liquid-phase reaction A + B C is carried out in an

adiabatic CSTR reactor. An equal molar feed in A and B enters at 27ºC, and the volumetric
flow rate is 2 dm3/s and CA0 = 0.1 kmol/m3.
(a) Calculate the conversion achieved if the reaction is carried out in a 500 dm3 size reactor.
(b) Find the corresponding temperature of the reactor

Additional information:

H0A (273 K) = -20 kcal/mol, H0B (273 K) = -15 kcal/mol, H0C (273 K) = - 41 kcal/mol

CPA = CPB = 15 cal/mol K, CPC = 30 cal/mol K k = 0.01 at 300 K E = 10,000 cal/mol

2. The first-order, irreversible, exothermic liquid-phase reaction, A B is to be carried out in

a jacketed CSTR. Species A and inert I, are fed to the reactor in equi-molar amounts. The
molar feed rate of A is 80 mol/min.

Additional information

CPI= 30 cal/moloC CPA = CPB = 20 cal/moloC ∆HoRx = -7500 cal/mol

UA = 8000 cal/minoC k = 6.6 *103 min-1 at 350 K τ = 100 min

Ambient temperature, Ta = 300 K E = 40,000 cal/mol.K

(a) What is the reactor temperature for a feed temperature of 450 K?

(b) Plot and then analyze the reactor temperature as a function of the feed temperature.

(c) To what inlet temperature must the fluid be preheated for the reactor to operate at a high
conversion? What are the corresponding temperature and conversion of the fluid in the CSTR at
this inlet temperature?
(d) Suppose that the fluid inlet temperature is now heated 50C above the reactor temperature in
part (c) and then cooled 200C, where it remains. What will be the conversion?

(e) What is the inlet extinction temperature for this reaction system?

3. The reversible liquid phase reaction A B is carried out in a 12dm3 CSTR with
heat exchange. Both the entering temperature, T0, and the heat exchange fluid, Ta, are at 330
K. An equal molar mixture of inert and A enter the reactor.

(a) Choose a temperature, T, and carry out a calculation to find G(T) to show that your
calculation agrees with the corresponding G(T) value on the curve shown below at the
temperature you choose.

(b) Find the exit conversion and temperature from the CSTR.

(c) What entering temperature T0 would give you the maximum conversion?

(d) What would the exit conversion and temperature be if the heat-exchange system failed (i.e.,
U = 0)?

(e) Can you find the inlet ignition and extinction temperatures? If yes, what are they? If not, go
on to the next problem.

. Additional information

CPA = CPB = 100 cal/mol.K, CPI = 150cal/mol.K k = 0.001h-1 at 300K with E = 30000 cal/mol

FA0 = 10 mol/h, CA0 = 1 mol/dm3 , υ0 = 10dm3/h KC = 5000000 at 300K

∆HRx = -42 000 cal/mol, UA = 5000 cal/h.K

The G(T) curve for this reaction is shown below

4. The irreversible reaction A+B C + D is carried out adiabatically in a CSTR. The
“heat generated” G (T) and the “heat removed” R (T) curves are shown in Figure below.

(a)What is the ΔHRx of the reaction?

(b) What are the inlet ignition and extinction temperatures?

(c) What are all the temperatures in the reactor corresponding to the inlet ignition and extinction
temperatures?

(d) What are the conversions at the ignition and extinction temperatures?
5. The elementary reversible liquid-phase reaction A <=> B takes place in a CSTR with a heat
exchanger. Pure A enters the reactor.
(a) Derive an expression (or set of expressions) to calculate G (T) as a function of the heat of
reaction, equilibrium constant, temperature, and so on. Show a sample calculation for G (T)
at T0 = 400 K.
(b) What are the steady-state temperatures? (Ans.: 310, 377, 418 K.)
(c) Which steady states are locally stable?
(d) What is the conversion corresponding to the upper steady state?
(e) Vary the ambient temperature Ta and make a plot of the reactor temperature as a function
of Ta, identifying the ignition and extinction temperatures.
(f) If the heat exchanger in the reactor suddenly fails (i.e., UA = 0), what would be the
conversion and the reactor temperature when the new upper steady state is reached? (Ans.:
431 K.)
(g) What heat exchanger product, UA, will give the maximum conversion?
(h) Write a question that requires critical thinking and then explain why your question
requires critical thinking.
(i) What is the adiabatic blowout flow rate?
(j) Suppose that you want to operate at the lower steady state. What parameter values would
you suggest to prevent runaway, e.g., the upper SS?
Additional information
UA = 3600 cal/min.K E/R = 20,000 K CPA = CPB = 40 cal/mol K
V = 10 dm3 ∆HRx = -80,000 cal/mol A υ0 = 1 dm3 /min
KC = 100 at 400 K FA0 = 10 mol/min k = 1 min-1 at 400K
Ambient temperature, Ta = 370C Feed temperature T0 = 370C