The Limiting Reactant: Lecture 4 /course2 Reactor Design Design Equations For Reactors

Lecture 4 /course2 Reactor Design Design Equations for Reactors
We develop the stoichiometric relationships and design equations by considering the general
reaction
The limiting reactant is the reactant that will be completely consumed first after the reactants
have been mixed. Next, we divide the reaction expression through by the stoichiometric
coefficient of species A, in order to arrange the reaction expression in the form
to put every quantity on a “per mole of A” basis, our limiting reactant.
Now we ask such questions as “How many moles of C are formed for every mole of A
consumed?” A convenient way to answer these questions is to define a parameter called
conversion. The conversion XA is the number of moles of A that have reacted per mole of A fed
to the system:
Because we are defining conversion with respect to our basis of calculation, we eliminate the
subscript A for the sake of brevity and let X=XA. For irreversible reactions, the maximum
1
conversion is 1.0, i.e., complete conversion. For reversible reactions, the maximum conversion is
the equilibrium conversion Xe (i.e., X max = Xe).
Batch Reactor Design Equations

In most batch reactors, the longer a reactant stays in the reactor, the more the reactant is converted
until either equilibrium is reached or the reactant is exhausted. Consequently, in batch systems
the conversion X is a function of the time the reactants spend in the reactor. If NA0 is the number
of moles of A initially present in the reactor (i.e., t = 0), then the total number of moles of A that
have reacted (i.e., have been consumed) after a time t is [NA0X].
For batch reactors, we are interested in determining how long to leave the reactants in the reactor
to achieve a certain conversion X.
2
Design equations for flow reactors:
3
Continous Stirred Flow Reactors(CSTR):
4
Plug Flow Reactors(PFR):
Packed Flow Reactor(PBR):
Sizing of Continous Flow Reactors:

The rate of disappearance of A, –rA, is almost always a function of the concentrations of the
various species present.
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For this first-order dependence, a plot of the reciprocal rate of reaction (1/–rA) as a function of
conversion yields a curve similar to the one shown in Figure 2-1, where:
We can use Figure 2-1 to size CSTRs and PFRs for different entering flow rates. By sizing we
mean either determine the reactor volume for a specified conversion or determine the conversion
for a specified reactor volume. If a reaction is carried out isothermally, the rate is usually greatest
at the start of the reaction when the concentration of reactant is greatest (i.e., when there is
negligible conversion [X ≅ 0]). Hence, the reciprocal rate (1/–rA) will be small. Near the end of
the reaction, when the reactant has been mostly used up and thus the concentration of A is small
(i.e., X is large), the reaction rate will be small. Consequently, the reciprocal rate (1/–rA) is large.
For all irreversible reactions of greater than zero order, as we approach complete conversion
where all the limiting reactant is used up, i.e., X = 1, the reciprocal rate approaches infinity as
does the reactor volume, i.e.
6
Consequently, we see that an infinite reactor volume is necessary to reach complete conversion,
X = 1.0. For reversible reactions (e.g., A↔ B), the maximum conversion is the equilibrium
conversion Xe. At equilibrium, the reaction rate is zero (rA ≡ 0). Therefore,
and we see that an infinite reactor volume would also be necessary to obtain the exact equilibrium
conversion, X = Xe.
7
CSTR ,2-13 2-16, PFR
8
However, for a given FA0, rather than use Figure 2-2A to size reactors, it is often more
𝐹𝐴0
advantageous to plot ( ) as a function of X, which is called a Levenspiel plot. We
−𝑟𝐴
are now going to carry out a number of examples where we have specified the flow
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𝐹𝐴0
rate FA0 at 0.4 molA/s. Plotting ( ) as a function of X using the data in Table 2-2
−𝑟𝐴
we obtain the plot shown in Figure 2-2B.
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11
12
13
14
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Analysis:
We see that the reason the isothermal CSTR volume is usually greater than the PFR volume is
that the CSTR is always operating at the lowest reaction rate (e.g., –rA = 0.05 mol/ m3 . s in Figure
E2-3.1(b)). The PFR, on the other hand, starts at a high rate at the entrance and gradually
decreases to the exit rate, thereby requiring less volume because the volume is inversely
proportional to the rate. However, there are exceptions such as autocatalytic reactions, product-
inhibited reactions, and nonisothermal exothermic reactions.
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The Limiting Reactant: Lecture 4 /course2 Reactor Design Design Equations For Reactors

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Lecture 4 /course2 Reactor Design Design Equations for Reactors

to put every quantity on a “per mole of A” basis, our limiting reactant.

Batch Reactor Design Equations

Design equations for flow reactors:

Continous Stirred Flow Reactors(CSTR):

Packed Flow Reactor(PBR):

Sizing of Continous Flow Reactors:

CSTR ,2-13 2-16, PFR

we obtain the plot shown in Figure 2-2B.

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