Analysis of Continuous Reactors

Lecture No. 8B

A. Basic Concepts
B. Space Time
C. Graphical Method

At the end of this topic, you

should be able to:
 Apply the mole balance and its
applications to steady state:
 Constant Stirred Tank Reactor
(CSTR) or Mixed Flow Reactor
(MFR)
 Plug Flow Reactor (PFR) or
Tubular Reactor (TR)
 Combination of CSTR and PFR

 Use both graphical and numerical or

analytical methods to solve the
applications 2
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 Review of Continuous Reactors
 Mixed Flow Reactor (MFR)/Constant Stirred
Tank Reactor (CSTR)
 Contents are well mixed so uniform
concentration inside the tank, and equal to
product concentrations
 May be connected in series to increase
the conversion
 Plug Flow (PFR)/Tubular Reactor (TR)
 Concentration varies with length of the
reactor, but not radially
 Has higher conversion per volume than
the MFR or CSTR
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MFR or CSTR

MFR or CSTR Reactants are

continuously fed to a well
mixed tank and the products
are also withdrawn
continuously. At steady state,
the concentration of any
material in the tank is also
the same as that in the
product stream.

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TR or PFR

Reactants are continuously fed

to a tube so that what goes in
first also comes out first.
Reaction proceeds across the
reactor length and
concentrations vary from
entrance to exit as there is no
lateral mixing. Radial
concentrations are however
assumed constant.

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Common Nomenclatures
FJo = input molar rate of specie J = voCJo
FJf = output molar rate of specie J = vfCJf
vo, vf = volumetric feed & exit rates
Cjo, CJf = inlet & outlet concentrations
-rJ = rate of reaction of J
XJ = (FJo – FJf)/FJo = fract. conv. of J
τ = Space Time = time to process one
reactor volume of feed = V/vo
V = reactor volume
θ = residence time = V/vf
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MFR or CSTR

Steady State Flow:

No Spatial Variation:
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Plug Flow Reactor (PFR)

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Plug Flow Reactor (PFR)

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Covered Applications
Determination of Reactor Volume
 Single MFR or CSTR
 Equivalent PFR
 Combination of Reactors
Determination of Over-all Conversion
 Single MFR or CSTR
 Equivalent PFR
 Combination of Reactors
Determination of Reaction Kinetics
 Unknown Order and Rate Constant

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Solution Methods
 Graphical
 Applicable if data of –rJ and CJ or XJ are
available
 Uses:
 Levenspiel plots - Plot of 1/-rJ vs CJ or XJ
 or Walas Plot - Plot of -rJ vs CJ
 Numerical or Algebraic Methods
 Applicable if the kinetics of the reaction is
known or unknown, meaning the order,
rate constants are available or unknown

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Graphical Method
By Levenspiel
Volume of a CSTR is represented partly by
the area of rectangles bounded by the plot
of 1/-rJ vs XJ, with height equal to 1/-rJm
and width as ΔXJm
Volume of a PFR is represented partly by
the area under the curve bounded by a
plot of 1/-rJ vs XJ between 0 and XJ.

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Graphical Method
By Walas (For CSTR only)
A plot of -rJ vs CJ is used
Each CSTR is represented by a straight line
with an x-intercept of CJm-1 and slope of -1/τm
For multiple CSTRs of same size, the slopes of
each line must be the same.

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Graphical Method
 Given the following –rA and CA data:
CAi -rAi

CAo = 0.5 vo = 25

FAo = vo CAo = 12.5

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Levenspiel Plot

1
Yi or
- rA i

XAi 15
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Walas Plot

-rAi

CAi
16
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Examples:
1. Find the volume of a single CSTR needed to achieve
80% conversion of A.
2. Determine the volume of a PFR to achieve the same
conversion in (1).
3. Suppose 2 equal sized CSTRs are connected in series.
What total volume is needed for the same
conversion?
4. Suppose equal sized CSTR and PFR are connected in
series. What total volume is needed for the same
conversion if CSTR is ahead and if PFR is ahead?
5. Repeat 1-4 if the total volume is to be 60 ft3 and the
final conversion is unknown.
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Solution: Problem 1
1. Find the volume of a single CSTR needed to achieve
80% conversion of A.

XAi 18
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Solution: Problem 1
1. Find the volume of a single CSTR needed to achieve
80% conversion of A.
1
From Levenspiel plot: XA=0.8  12 .5
 rA
and FAo= 12.5
For CSTR:
FA o - F A
For CSTR: V 
- rA

FA o X A
V
- rA

 1 
V  FA o  X A   V  1 2 5 ft 3
  rA  19
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Solution: Problem 1
1. Find the volume of a single CSTR needed to achieve
80% conversion of A.

1
Yi or
- rA i

XAi 20
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Solution: Problem 2
2. Determine the volume of a PFR to achieve same
conversion in (1)

1
Yi or
- rA i

XAi 21
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Solution: Problem 2
2. Determine the volume of a PFR to achieve same
conversion in (1).
From Levenspiel plot: Y 1  2 .6 a t X  0 .5 5
A 1

Y 2  7 .5 a t X A 2
 0 .8  0 .5 5

and XA=0.8 FAo= 12.5

0 .8
For PFR: dF j V  FAo  dX A i  Yi
 rj 0
dV
d Fj Integral = (2.6)(0.55)+(7.5)(0.8-0.55)
  rj
dV
Integral = 3.305
FA  d FA XA dX
V   FA o  rA
 FAo 
0
A
 rA
V=12.5(3.305)

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V PFR  4 1 .3 1 3 ft 3 22

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Solution: Problem 2
2. Determine the volume of a PFR to achieve same
conversion in (1)
VPFR= FAo*(Area under the curve) Get Area by“Cut & Fill” Method

1
Yi or
- rA i

XAi 23
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Solution: Problem 3
3. Suppose 2 equal sized CSTRs are connected in series.
What total volume is needed for the same conversion?

Trial & Error

1
-rA

XAi 24
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Solution: Problem 3
3. Suppose 2 equal sized CSTRs are connected in series.
What total volume is needed for the same conversion?

FA1
FAo xA1
xAo =0

V1 V2 FA2
xA2 = 0.80

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Solution: Problem 3
3. Suppose 2 equal sized CSTRs are connected in series.
What total volume is needed for the same conversion?

Trial & Error

1
-rA

XAi 26
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 Solution: Problem 3 (Levenspiel Method)
3. Suppose 2 equal sized CSTRs are connected in series.
What total volume is needed for the same conversion?
By T&E Y1  5 a t X  0 .5 7
A
from Levenspiel plot: 1

Y 2  1 2 .5 a t X A 2
 0 .8
XA=0.8 FAo= 12.5

A re a 1  X A 1
 Y1 Area1 = 2.85 Am 
A re a 1  A re a 2
2
A re a 2  X A Y2 Area2 = 2.875
2 Am=2.863

Vm=FAo(Am) = 35.781

VT=2(Am) V T  7 1 .5 6 3 ft 3 27
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Exercises: (Use Levenspiel Plot)

1. Suppose a PFR followed by CSTR are used

whose intermediate conversion is 0.6. What
total volume is needed for the same conversion
(XA=0.8)?
2. Suppose a PFR followed by CSTR of equal size
are used. What total volume is needed for the
same conversion(XA=0.8)?

3. Suppose 2 PFR of equal size are connected in

series. What total volume is needed for the
same conversion(XA=0.8)?
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Exercises: (Use Levenspiel Plot)

4. Suppose 3 equal sized CSTRs are used. What

total volume is needed for the same conversion
(XA=0.8)?

5. Suppose 2 CSTRs of volumes 45ft3 and 20ft3

respectively are connected in series. What %
conversion is expected?

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For CSTR:
Solution by Walas Plot
FA o - F A
For single CSTR: V 
- rA
For CSTRs in series: F jm 1 - F jm v o ( C jm  1 - C jm )
Vm  
- r jm - r jm

Vm C jm 1 - C jm
 m 
vo - r jm

1 C jm 1
Linearizing: - r jm   C jm  Eqn of straight line
m m

1
Y = -rjm X = Cjm m X  in t e rc e p t  C jm  1
m

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 Demonstration of Walas Method

-rAi

-rA1 Slope=-1/1

CAo
CA1 CAi
31
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Space time,  : the time necessary to process

one reactor volume of fluid based on
entrance conditions.

V
 vo = entering volumetric flow rate
vo

Space velocity (SV): number of reactor

volumes of feed at specified conditions
which can be treated in unit time

vo 1
SV  
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 20 m 20 m

Fluid directly
upstream the reactor
REACTOR

* space time is also referred to as “holding

time” or “mean residence time”

* considering the figure above: the time it

takes for the fluid to enter the reactor
completely is referred to as the space
time.
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Example:  = 2 min

A space time of 2 minutes means that every 2 min one

reactor volume of feed at specified conditions
is being treated by the reactor.

Example: SV = 5/hr

Thus, a space-velocity of 5 hr-1 means that five

reactor volumes of feed at specified conditions are
being fed into the reactor per hour.

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Solution: Problem 1(Walas Plot)

1. Find the volume of a single CSTR needed to achieve 80%
conversion of A.

C A 1  C A o (1  X A )
C A 1  0 .5(1  0 . 8 )
 0 . 1M

-rAi
1 0 .081
m   0 .2025
 ( 0 .1  0 .5 )
fr graph: -rA1=0.081
vo
 0.2025
V
V  123.457 ft 3

-rA1
CAo
35
CA1 CAi

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Solution: Problem 3(Walas Plot)

3. Suppose 2 equal sized CSTRs are connected in series. What total
volume is needed for the same conversion?

C A 2  C A o (1  X A 2 )
C A 2  0 . 5(1  0 .8 )
 0 . 1M

-rAi Trial1 Wrong!

CAo
36
CA2 CAi

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 UST Chemical Engineering Dept.

Solution: Problem 3(Walas Plot)

3. Suppose 2 equal sized CSTRs are connected in series. What total
volume is needed for the same conversion?

C A 2  C A o (1  X A )
C A 2  0 .5(1  0 .8 )
 0 . 1M

-rAi Trial 2 Wrong!

CAo
37
CA2 CAi

UST Chemical Engineering Dept.

Solution: Problem 3(Walas Plot)

3. Suppose 2 equal sized CSTRs are connected in series. What total
volume is needed for the same conversion?

C A 2  C A o (1  X A 2 )
C A 2  0 .5(1  0 .8 )
 0 .1M

-rAi Trial 3 Correct!

-rA1
-rA2
CAo
38
CA2 CA1 CAi

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 Calculation for Problem 3 (Walas Method)
3. Suppose 2 equal sized CSTRs are connected in series.
What total volume is needed for the same conversion?
XA=0.8 FAo= 12.5

By T&E  rA 1  0 .2 a t C  0 .2 1 7
A
from Walas plot: 1

 rA 2  0 .0 8 1 a t C A 2
 0 .1
1 0 .2
S lo p e 1      0 . 7 0 6 7 = Slope2
1 0 .2 1 7  0 .5

vo
 0 . 7067
V1
V1 =35.38ft3 = V2

VT=2(35.38) V T  7 0 .7 5 ft 3
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Exercises: (Use Walas Plot)

1. Suppose 3 equal sized CSTRs are used. What

total volume is needed for the same conversion
(XA=0.8)?

2. Suppose 2 CSTRs of volumes 45ft3 and 20ft3

respectively are connected in series. What %
conversion is expected?

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End.

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