CAPE Laboratory

Spring Semester 2023 - 2024

Assignment – 5

Objective: Numerical solution of Partial Differential Equations.

Consider the following partial differential equations representing mass and energy balances for
a non-isothermal Plug Flow Reactor (PFR) in which a liquid-phase reaction takes place.

𝜕𝐶𝐴 𝜕𝐶𝐴
+𝑢 = 𝑟𝐴
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑧
𝜕𝑇 𝜕𝑇 (−∆𝐻)𝑟𝐴
+𝑢 =
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑧 𝜌𝑐𝑝
𝑘𝐶𝐴 −𝐸 1 1
where 𝑟𝐴 = − , 𝑘(𝑇) = 𝑘0 exp [ ( − )] , k0 = 2, T0 = 450 K
1.5+𝐶𝐴 𝑅 𝑇 𝑇0

J
Given: E = 60 kJ/mol, 𝜌𝑐𝑝 = 800 , (−∆𝐻) = 100 kJ/mol
mol K

Temperature at the inlet = 450 K, Concentration at the inlet = 1 mol/m3.

The length of PFR = 2 m, u = 0.4 m/min

Solve the above system of PDEs to find how concentration and temperature change with time
and along the length of PFR.