CHE 4151 Chemical Reactor Design

Fall, 2013 Jennings

HOMEWORK # 7 B Alternative Rate Expressions

( due Friday, 10 / 4 )

1. We have a catalyst 1/8-in in diameter in a slurry reactor that gives 90% conversion. Which step is rate limiting, surface reaction or mass transfer under each of the following conditions: a) The conversion increases when we double the stirring rate but do esnt change further when we double it again. b) The conversion is unchanged when we replace the catalyst by pellets 1/4-in in diameter, holding the total weight of catalyst the same. c) The conversion decreases when we replace the catalyst by pellets 1/4-in in diameter, holding the total weight of catalyst the same. d) The reaction rate increases by a factor of 10 when the temperature is increased by 10 K. e) The reaction rate is unchanged when the temperature is increased by 10 K.

2. The liquid-phase esterification of acetic acid (A) with isobutanol (B) to form isobutyl acetate (P) and water (W), using Amberlite IR-120 ion exchange resin as a catalyst, has been studied in a batch reactor, in which mass transfer effects are negligible. The rate equation was found to be C A CB CP C W /K eq rA = k mol.A / g.cat-hr 1 K B CB K W C W At 333 K, k = 0.00384 L2/g.cat-mol-hr, Keq = 4, KB = 0.460 L/mol.B, and KW = 3.20 L/mol.W. The initial concentrations of acetic acid and isobutanol are both 1.50 mol/L, and there is no water or isobutyl acetate initially. What concentration of ion exchange resin (g/L) is required to reach a fractional conversion of acetic acid of 0.40 in 100 hr?

3. The elementary irreversible gas-phase reaction, A > R + S, is carried out isothermally in a packed-bed (plug-flow) catalytic reactor. Pure A enters the reactor at a volumetric flow rate of 20 L/s at a pressure of 10 atm and a temperature of 450 K. At that temperature, the value of the specific rate constant is 1.33 L/kg.cat-s. Calculate the mass of catalyst required to achieve 90 percent conversion of A.

4. The decomposition of cyclohexane to benzene and hydrogen is mass transfer limited at high temperatures. The reaction is carried out at 2 atm and 500 oC in a plug-flow packedbed catalytic reactor, 50 cm in internal diameter. The reactor is packed with spherical catalyst pellets that are 1 cm in diameter. The bed porosity is 40%. The feed entering the reactor is 20% cyclohexane and 80% hydrogen at a volumetric flow rate of 60 liters per minute. You may assume that the value of the mass transfer coefficient, k G, is 0.40 cm/min. Calculate the length of reactor necessary to achieve 90% conversion of cyclohexane.