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Plug Flow Reactor
Plug Flow Reactor
2) INTRODUCTION
Plug flow conditions means that all the material processed through the reactor must have
the same residence time so that the chemicals exiting the reactor have witnessed the same
reaction conditions of reactive species contact-time aging-temperature history.
3) OBJECTIVE
2
4) THEORY
rate constant
CA
concentration of A species
CB
concentration of B species
3
stoichiometric coefficient of A
stoichiometric coefficient of B
4.2 Conversion
Taking species A as the basis, the reaction expression can be divided through the
stoichiometric coefficient of species A, hence the reaction expression can be arranged as
follows:
b
c
d
A + B+ C + D
a
a
a
Conversion is an improved way of quantifying exactly how far has the reaction
moved, or how many moles of products are formed for every mole of A has consumed.
Conversion XA is the number of moles of A that have reacted per mole of A fed to the
system. As seen below:
X A=
moles of A reacted
moles of A fed
In an ideal tubular flow reactor, which is called plug flow reactor, specific
assumptions are made regarding the extent of mixing:
1. No mixing in the axial direction
2. Complete mixing in the radial direction
3. A uniform velocity profile across the radius.
Tubular reactors are one type of flow reactors. It has continuous inflow and outflow
of materials. In the tubular reactor, the feed enters at one end of a cylindrical tube and the
product stream leaves at the other end. The long tube and the lack stirring prevent
complete mixing of the fluid in the tube.
5.1
APPARATUS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
5.2
MATERIALS
1.
2.
3.
4.
6) PROCEDURE
6.1
solution.
Water jacket B4 and pre-heater B5 was filled with clean water.
The power for the control panel was turned on.
Valves V2, V4, V6, V8, V9, and V11 were opened.
Both pumps P1 and P2 were switched on. P1 an P2 were adjusted to obtained flow
of approximately 200 mL/min at both flow meters F1-01 and F1-02. Both flow
6.2
Experimental procedure
1. General start-up procedure is performed as in Section 6.1.
2. Valves V9 and V11 were opened.
3. Both NaOH and Et(Ac) solution is allowed to enter the plug reactor R1 and was
emptied into the waste tank B3.
4. P1 and P2 were adjusted to give a constant flow of 300 mL/min at flow meters FI01 and FI-02. Both flow rates are made sure to be the same and the flow rates are
recorded.
5. The inlet (QI-01) and outlet (QI-02) conductivity values were monitored until they
do not change over time. This ensures that the reactor has reached steady state.
6. Both inlet and outlet steady state conductivity values were recorded. The
concentration of NaOH exiting the reactor and extent of conversion from the
calibration curve was found.
7. Sampling valve V15 was opened and a 50 mL sample was collected for back
titration procedure.
8. Experiment was repeated from step 4 to step 7 with different residence time by
reducing the feed flow rates of NaOH and Et(Ac) to 250, 200, 150, 100, and 50
mL/min. Both flow rates are made sure the same.
6.3
6.4
6.5
7.2
Conversion
0.1M NaOH
(mL)
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Solution Mixtures
0.1M
H2O (mL)
Na(Ac)
Concentratio
Conductivity
n of
(mS/cm)
NaOH(M)
(mL)
100
100
0.0500
75
25
100
0.0375
50
50
100
0.0250
25
75
100
0.0125
100
100
0.0000
Table 7.1 Table of preparation of calibration curve
6.39
4.24
1.397
0.615
0.00191
Conductivity vs Conversion
7
6
f(x) = - 1.64x + 7.45
R = 0.92
4
Conductivity vs Conversion
Conductivity (mS/cm) 3
2
1
0
0
25
50
100
100
Conversion (%)
Result of experiment
Flowrate of
Flowrate of
Total inlet
NaOH
Et(Ac)
flowrate
(mL/min)
(mL/min)
(mL/min)
300
250
200
150
100
50
300
250
200
150
100
50
Vo
600
500
400
300
200
100
Outlet Conductivity
Q1
Q2
Volume of
NaOH titrated
(mL)
7.6
8.0
8.1
7.2
6.5
6.2
6.7
7.0
6.8
5.7
5.0
4.2
23.50
16.87
17.37
20.23
21.03
23.07
Residence time,
Conversion, X,
, (min)
6.6667
8.0000
10.0000
13.3333
20.0000
40.0000
(%)
94.00
67.48
69.48
80.80
84.00
92.40
(L.mol/min)
23.5000
2.5938
2.2765
3.1563
2.6250
3.0395
(mol.L/min)
8.460 x 10-4
2.743 x 10-3
2.121 x 10-3
1.164 x 10-3
6.720 x 10-4
1.756 x 10-4
75
70
65
60
6.6666999999999996
10
13.333299999999999
10
20
40
7.3
Sample of calculation
Vol of sample, Vs
: 50 mL
: 0.1 mol/L
: 10 mL
: 0.25 mol/L
: 0.1 mol/L
= 23.50 mL = 0.02350 L
C NaOH ,std
C HCl ,std
0.1mol / L
0.25mol / L
x (B)
x 0.02350L
= 9.4 x 10-3 L
(D) Volume of HCl reacted with NaOH in = VHCl (C)
sample
= 10 mL 9.4 mL
= 0.6 mL
= 0.6 x 10-4 L
= (E)
= 1.5 x 10-5 mol
11
s
V
(E)
1.5 10 mol
0.05 L
= 3 x 10-3 mol/L
(H) Steady state fraction conversion of
NaOH (XA)
CA
1
=
C AO
3 103 mol/ L
= 1 0.05 mol/ L
= 0.94
Ethyl Acetate
= 0.047 mol/L
(J) Mole of NaOH reacted with Ethyl = (I) x Vs
Acetate in sample
(J )
Vs
2.35 10 mol
0.05 L
= 0.047 mol/L
(L)
Concentration
unreacted, CB
of
Ethyl
12
V CSTR
F0
4.0 L
0.6 L /min
= 6.6667 min
For reaction rate constant number 1,
V0 = Total inlet flow rate = 600 mL/min = 0.6 L/min
VTFR = Volume for reactor = 4 L
CAO = Inlet concentration of NaOH = 0.1 M
V0
X
(
)
V TFR C A 0 1X
0.6 L/min
0.94
(
)
(4 L)(0.1 M ) 10.94
= 23.5 M.L/min
= k(CA0)2 (1 X)2
= 23.5 (0.1)2 (1 0.94)2
= 0.0141 M.L/min
The calculation steps above were repeated for all data and the graph was plotted.
8) DISCUSSION
In this experiment, two substances have been used in the plug flow reactor which is
sodium hydroxide, NaOH, and ethyl acetate, Et(Ac). The residence time and conversion of
NaOH are calculated and tabulated in table 7.2. For the residence time,
, of 6.6667
min, the conversion of NaOH is 94%. At the 8 th minute of residence time, the conversion
of NaOH dropped to 67.48%. As for the 10.0000 minute of residence time, the conversion
of NaOH increased for 2% from 67.48% at 8.0000 minute to 69.48% at 10 th minute. As the
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residence time increases to 13.3333 min, conversion of NaOH has a sudden increase to
80.80%. The conversion of NaOH was further increased to 84% at the residence time of
20.0000 minute. Lastly, at 40.0000 min of residence time, the final conversion of NaOH
obtained was at 92.40%. All these data was the plotted into graph in figure 7.2 of
conversion versus residence time.
While in titration procedure, when both flowrates are at 300 mL/min, the volume of
NaOH titrated is 23.50 mL. When the flowrates are at 250 mL/min, the volume of NaOH
titrated dropped to 16.87 and later at 200, 150, 100, and 50 mL/min, the volume of NaOH
titrated increases to 17.37, 20.23, 21.03, and 23.07 mL respectively. This follows
accordingly to the theory that whereas concentration is higher at lower flow rate, more
volume of NaOH is used in titration to neutralize the sample.
From the graph 7.2 plotted, initially, it shows a drop of NaOH conversion from
6.6667 minute of residence time to 8.000 minute of residence time. This is being due to
error while performing the experiment. The sample might be exposed to long before
titration is performed on them. As for the rest of the graph chart, the conversion of NaOH
gradually increases with residence time. The data mainly shows that the longer the
residence time, the percentage of conversion increases which abides the expected result
where the longer time left in the reactor, more reaction occurs between NaOH and Et(Ac).
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9) CONCLUSION
10) RECOMMENDATION
11) REFERENCE
Schmidt, Lanny D., The Engineering of Chemical Reactions. New York: Oxford
University Press, 1998.
Plug
Flow
Reactor
Static
Mixer.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
http://www.stamixco-usa.com/plug-flow-reactors
15
April
19,
2015,
from
12) APPENDIX
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