TUTORIAL 4 SOLUTIONS

Lecturer: Miss Anis Atikah Ahmad

Tel: +604 976 3245

Email: anisatikah@unimap.edu.my

QUESTIONS

The liquid phase reaction

A+B C
follows an elementary rate law and is carried out isothermally in a flow system.
The concentrations of A & B feed streams are 2 M before mixing. The volumetric
flow rate of each stream is 5 dm3/min, and the entering temperature is 300 K. The
streams are mixed immediately before entering. Two reactors are available. One is
gray 200 dm3 CSTR that can be heated to 77C or cooled to 0C, and the other is a
white 800 dm3 PFR operated at 300 K that cannot be heated or cooled but can be
painted red or black. Note k = 0.07 dm3/mol.min at 300 K and E = 20 kcal/mol.
(a)

Select type of reactor that could be used by showing appropriate calculations.

(b)

Calculate time taken to achieve 90% conversion in a 200 dm3 batch reactor with
CA0 = CB0 = 1 M after mixing at a temperature of 77C.

(c)

Repeat part (b) if the reactor were cooled to 0C

(d)

Calculate the conversion if the CSTR and PFR were operated at 300 K and
connected in series. The entering volumetric flow rate is 10 dm3/h.

(e)

Repeat part (d) if CSTR and PFR are connected in parallel with an entering
flow rate of 5 mol/min to each of the reactor.

(a)Select type of reactor that could be used by showing appropriate

calculations.
CSTR

FA0 X
1. Design equation: V
rA
2. Rate Law:

rA kC AC B

3. Stoichiometry:

C A C AO 1 X

C B C AO 1 X

4. Combine:

FA0 X
V 2
2
kC A0 1 X

3
VCSTR 200dm 3 C A0 1 mol dm

FA0 C A0 v0 1mol / dm 3 5 dm 3 min 5 dm 3 min 10mol / min

k T 350 K ?

(a)Select type of reactor that could be used by showing appropriate

calculations.
CSTR

Using Arrhenius eq, find k at T=350K

20000 1
1
k (350 K ) 0.07 exp

1.987 300 350

k (350 K ) 8.45 dm 3 mol min

Solving for X,

FA0 X
V 2
2
kC A0 1 X

X 0.925

200dm 2

10 mol min X

8.45 dm 3 mol min 1 mol dm3

1 X
2

(a)Select type of reactor that could be used by showing appropriate

calculations.
PFR
X

dX
1. Design equation: V FA0
rA
0
2. Rate Law: rA kC AC B
3. Stoichiometry:

C A C AO 1 X

C B C AO 1 X

4. Combine:

FA0
V 2
kC A0

dX
0 1 X 2

5. Solving for X:
X= 0.85

VkC A2 0
X

1 X
FA0

VPFR 800dm 3
C A0 1 mol dm 3
FA0 10mol / min
k 0.07 dm 3 mol min

(a)Select type of reactor that could be used by showing appropriate

calculations.

200dm3 CSTR gives higher conversion than

800dm3 PFR
Thus, CSTR is chosen.

(b) Calculate time taken to achieve 90% conversion in a 200 dm 3

batch reactor with CA0 = CB0 = 1 M after mixing at a temperature
of 77C.
Batch

1. Design equation:
2. Rate Law:

N A0

dX
rAV
dt R

rA kC AC B

3. Stoichiometry:

C A C AO 1 X

C B C AO 1 X

4. Combine:

dX
2
1 X 2V
N A0
kC AO
dt R
5. Solving for t:

dX
2
1 X 2
C A0
kC AO
dt R

dX
2
kC AO 1 X
dt R

R
dX
0 1 X 2 kC AO 0 dt R

(b) Calculate time taken to achieve 90% conversion in a 200 dm 3

batch reactor with CA0 = CB0 = 1 M after mixing at a temperature
of 77C.

5.

Solving for t:

dX
2
kC AO 1 X
dt R
tR

R
dX
0 1 X 2 kC AO 0 dt R

1 X kC AO

0.9

1 0.9 8.45 dm3 mol min 1 mol dm3

1.065 min

(c) Repeat part (b) if the reactor were cooled to 0C

Using the same equation in part (b), except the

value of k is used at T= 273K.
tR

1 X kC AO

From Arrhenius eq,

k (273K ) 8.45 exp

20000 1
1

1.987 350 273

2.54 10 3 dm 3 mol min

Thus, t R

1 X kC AO

3543 min 2.5days

(d) Calculate the conversion if the CSTR and PFR were operated at 300 K
and connected in series. The entering volumetric flow rate is 10 dm3/h.
v0=10 dm3/h.

X ?

VCSTR

FA0 X
2
2
kC A0 1 X

VCSTR kC A2 0 1 X
VCSTR kC A2 0 1 X
X

FA0
C A0 v0
2

200dm 3 0.07 dm 3 mol min 1 mol dm 3 1 X

X
10 dm 3 min

X 0.44

(d) Calculate the conversion if the CSTR and PFR were operated at 300 K
and connected in series. The entering volumetric flow rate is 10 dm3/h.
v0=10 dm3/h.

X 0.44

FA0
V 2
kC A0

dX
0.44 1 X 2

X ?

FA0 1
1
V 2

kC A0 1 X 1 0.44

C A0 v0 1

800dm
1.7857
2
kC A0 1 X

3
10 dm min
1

3
800dm
1.7857
3
3
0.07 dm mol min 1 mol dm 1 X

X 0.865
3

(e) Repeat part (d) if CSTR and PFR are connected in parallel with an
entering flow rate of 5 dm3/h to each of the reactor.
5 dm3/h.

X ?

10 dm3/h.
5 dm3/h.

VCSTR kC A2 0 1 X
VCSTR kC A2 0 1 X
X

FA0
C A0 v0
2

200dm 3 0.07 dm 3 mol min 1 mol dm 3 1 X

X
5 dm 3 min

X 0.56

(e) Repeat part (d) if CSTR and PFR are connected in parallel with an
entering flow rate of 5 dm3/h to each of the reactor.
5 dm3/h.

X 0.56

10 dm3/h.
5 dm3/h.

X ?

FA0
V 2
kC A0

dX
0 1 X 2

VkC A2 0
X

1 X
FA0

800dm 3 0.07 dm 3 mol min 1 mol dm

X

3
1 X
5 dm min
X 0.91