ChE 404

Chemical Reaction Engineering

2nd Semester Final Examination 1428/1429 H
(2007/2008 G)
Instructions: Answer All Questions

Question

Marks

1
2.a
2.b
2.c
2.d
3.a
3.b
4.a
4.b
5
6
7
Total

5
15
5
5
5
20
10
10
5
5
10
5
100

Time
Allowed
(minutes)
10
35
15
30
5
15
15
10
15
10
15
5
180

Question 1
The gas phase reaction
2 A+ B 2 C

is carried out isothermally and isobarically. The reaction is

first order in B and first order in A. The feed is equal
molar in A and B and the entering concentration of A is
0.5 mol/dm3. The specific reaction rate is k = 4.0
dm3/mols. Write the rate of reaction, rA, solely as a
function of conversion, evaluating all parameters.

Question 2
The following reversible, elementary, liquid phase
reaction occurs in a PFR:
A B

The entering flow rate is 10 dm3/s with an entering

concentration of 2 M of A and the feed temperature is
310 K.
a) Complete the following table
T
310
330
350
370
390
410

KC

Xmb

Xeb

-rA

1/-rA

b) What are the adiabatic equilibrium conversion and

temperature?
c) What is the reactor volume necessary to achieve 90%
of the adiabatic equilibrium conversion in one PFR
operated adiabatically?
d) Now consider a series of reactors with interstage
cooling so that the temperature is cooled to 300 K in each
interstage cooler. How many reactors are necessary to
achieve 95% conversion assuming 99.9% of the
equilibrium conversion is achieved in each reactor?

Additional information:
CpA = CpB = 50 cal/mol/K
Hrxn = -10,000 cal/mol A
k and KC are given in Figure 1 and Figure 2, consequently.

Figure 1: k vs. T curve.

Figure 2: KC vs. T curve.

Question 3
The gas phase irreversible reaction
A+BC
is elementary. The entering flow rate of A is 10 mol/min
and is equal molar in A and B. The entering concentration
of A is 0.4 mol/dm3.
a) What is the CSTR reactor volume necessary to
achieve 90% conversion?
b)What PFR volume is necessary to achieve 90%
conversion?

Additional Information:
k = 2 dm3/molmin
T0 = 500 K

Question 4
The irreversible zero order gas phase dimerization
2A A2
is carried out in a packed bed reactor with 5 kg of
catalyst. The entering pressure is 10 atm and the exit
pressure is 1 atm. Pure A enters at a flow rate of 10
mol/min. The reaction is zero order in A.

P0 = 10 atm
FA0 = 10 mol/min

P = 1 atm
X=?

a) What is the exit conversion?

b)What is the pressure drop parameter ?

Additional Information
k = 1.5 mol/kgmin
T0 = 500 K
dy
T
=
(1+ X )
dW 2 y
T0

Question 5
The gas phase reaction
2A B C

is carried out in a PFR. The feed is equal molar in A and B

and the entering temperature is 500K and the entering
pressure is 16.4 atm. If the exit conversion is X, then the
exit concentration of B (in mol/dm3) is
a)
b)
c)
d)

C B 0.4 1 X 1 .5X
C B 0.41 X1 1.5X

C B 0.4
C B 0.4 1 0.5X 1 X

e) None of the above

f) Cannot be calculated without knowing the exit
conversion.

Question 6
The following elementary liquid phase reactions are to be
carried out
A B R
R B S

Species R is the desired product. Which of the following

schemes in Figure 3 should be used?
A

A
B

(b)

(a)
B

(c)
A

t=0

(d)
A

(f)

(e)

(g)

(i)
9

Question 7

Figure 3: Reactors schemes.

There are two reactors of equal volume, one a CSTR and

one a PFR available for your use. The following second
order irreversible reaction
A B

Is to be carried out isothermally. Determine, if possible,

which of the following schemes of equally sized reactors
(V1=V2) would give the
i.
ii.

Lowest conversion?
Highest conversion?

V0
X
A

V1
V2

10

V0
X

V2

V1

V0/2
V0/2

V0

11

12