Tutorial - 2 Tubular Reactors: 3 3 in Out 6 - 2 - 1
Tutorial - 2 Tubular Reactors: 3 3 in Out 6 - 2 - 1
Tutorial – 2
Tubular Reactors
1. A B+C
the reaction is carried out in a plug flow reactor operated at steady state. The exit
concentration of A is 40 % of the entering concentration. Entering volumetric flow rate and
inlet concentration of A are 15 dm3/min and 6 mol/dm3, respectively (Volumetric flow rate
is constant, vin=vout). The rate of reaction is given by r = −kC and rate constant is 0.12
dm6mol-2min-1
i. Derive an equation for PFR volume relating volumetric flow rate, concentrations of
A and rate constant.
ii. Calculate the required PFR volume.
iii. Determine a CSTR volume required to achieve same exit concentration (Entering
conditions are same).
2. 𝐴 + 𝐵 → 𝐶 is an irreversible gas phase non elementary reaction. The feed stream to the
reactor at 1013 kPa and 500 K contains 33.3 mole% of A and 66.7 mole% of B. Each of
following reaction rates, measured in units of is observed at a particular conversion,
.
x.
Reaction rate (-rA) 0.010 0.005 0.002 0.001
Conversion (x) 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6
i. Derive the equation for volume of a PFR relating flow rate, reaction rate and
conversion.
ii. Determine the volume of PFR required to achieve 30% conversion of A for an
entering volumetric flow rate of 2 m3/min.
iii. Estimate volume of a CSTR which takes the effluent from above PFR as inlet and
achieve 50 % total conversion.
3. N 2O5 vapour under goes the reaction 2 N 2O5 4 NO2 O2 and this is first order and
essentially irreversible. The N 2O5 vapour passes through a tubular reactor in which the
pressure and temperature are constant. The flow rate at the inlet is n0 mole per unit time. If
there is plug flow in the vessel, show that the fraction, F, of the N 2O5 which decomposes
during passage is given by:
CH3143 – Reactor Engineering
KV r 1
2.5 ln 1 .5 F
V0 n 0 (1 F )
Where, Vr is the volume of the reactor, V0 is the molar volume at the prevailing temperature
and pressure and K is the rate constant for the reaction. Neglect the presence of N 2 O 4 .
The rate constant for forward reaction: 𝑘 = 2.5 and equilibrium constant: 𝑘 = 3.4.
.
The products will be discharged from the reactor when fractional conversion of A is 40 %
mole. Estimate the required reactor volume.
Note :
Molar mass of A and B are 52 g/mol and 85 g/mol respectively.