CHAPTER 3

EXERCISE
Summary
• Summary of reactor mole balance:
 Summary
• Differential and integral forms of the reactor design equations
Summary
=
Summary

 Example 1
Consider the liquid phase cis - trans isomerization of 2-butene

which we will write symbolically as A -> B

The reaction is first order in A (-rA = kCA) and is carried out in a tubular reactor
in which the volumetric flow rate, v, is constant, i.e., v = v0.
1. Sketch the concentration profile.
2. Derive an equation relating the reactor volume to the entering and exiting
concentrations of A, the rate constant k, and the volumetric flow rate v0 .
3. Determine the reactor volume necessary to reduce the exiting
concentration to 10% of the entering concentration when the volumetric
flow rate is 10 dm3/min (i.e., liters/ min) and the specific reaction rate, k,
is 0.23 min
 Example 1 - Solution
A -> B, (-rA = kCA) and is carried out in a tubular reactor in which the volumetric flow rate, v, is
constant, i.e., v = v0.
1. Sketch the concentration profile.
2. Derive an equation relating the reactor volume to the entering and exiting
concentrations of A, the rate constant k, and the volumetric flow rate v 0 .
Example 1-Solution
A -> B, (-rA = kCA) and is carried out in a tubular reactor in which the volumetric flow rate, v, is
constant, i.e., v = v0.
3. Determine the reactor volume necessary to reduce the exiting concentration to 10% of the
entering concentration when the volumetric flow rate is 10 dm 3/min (i.e., liters/ min) and the
specific reaction rate, k, is 0.23 min
Example 2
Example 3
Example 3- Solution
Example 4
Example 4-Solution

• Graphical Intergration
 Example 4-Solution

• Numerical Intergration:

• Analytical Intergration:
Example 5
Example 5-Solution
 Exercise 1
A 200-dm3 constant-volume batch reactor is pressurized to 20 atm with a
mixture of 75% A and 25% inert. The gas-phase reaction is carried out
isothermally at 227°C.
(a) Assuming that the ideal gas law is valid, how many
moles of A are in the reactor initially? What is the
initial concentration of A?
(b) If the reaction is first order: -rA = kCA with
Calculate the time necessary to consume 99% of
A.
(c) Repeat (b) assuming the reactor contents initially
are 100% A.
(d) If the reaction is second order:

Repeat (c) to calculate the time to consume 80% of A. Also, calculate the
pressure in the reactor at this time if the temperature is 227°C.
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
 Exercise 4, 5
4.

5.
 Exercise 6, 7
6.

7.

Repeat the calculation for mixed flow reactor.

 Exercise 8,9
8.

9. An aqueous feed of A and B (400 liter/min, 100 mmol A/liter, 200 mmol B/liter) is
to be converted to product in a mixed flow reactor. The kinetics of the reaction are
represented by

Find the volume of reactor needed for 99.9% conversion of A to product.

 Exercise 10,11
10.

11.
 Exercise 12,13
12.

13. An aqueous feed containing A (1 mol/liter) enters a 2-liter

plug flow reactor and reacts away (2A ->R, -rA = 0.05 CA2,
mol/liter. s). Find the outlet concentration of A for a feed
rate of 0.5 liter/min.