CHAPTER FOUR

STEADY – STATE MIXED FLOW

REACTOR DESIGN

1
4.1 Single continuous stirred tank reactor, CSTR
A CSTR has the following characteristics:
 This type of reactors consists of a vessel into
which there is a continuous flow of reactants
and from which the products are derived.

 The flow not necessarily at a constant rate.

 The contents of the vessel reactor are assumed to

be "perfectly mixed" i.e because of efficient
stirring, conditions in terms of composition and
temperature throughout the reactor remains the
same
2
Characteristics of Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor
 Since the fluid inside the vessel is uniformly mixed (and
hence elements of fluid are uniformly distributed), all fluid
elements have equal probability of leaving the vessel in the
output stream at any time.

 As a consequence of the output stream has the same

properties as the fluid inside the vessel there is a
concentration jump (step-change) across the inlet in any
property of the system that changes from inlet to outlet

 The density of the flowing system is not necessarily

constant; that is, the density of the output stream may
differ from that of the input stream.

 A heat exchanger may be provided in each vessel to

control temperature 3
 Comparisons of CSTR and Batch Reactors
The reactor can make products 24 hours a day for weeks
at a time, whereas for a typical cycle, the batch reactor is
producing only about half the time.
In the CSTR, temperature control is easier because the
reaction rate is constant, and the rate of heat release does
not change with time, as it does in a batch reactor.
 Conversion and selectivity may vary from day to day
with a batch reactor, and they are more likely to be
constant with a CSTR and a good control system 4
 The main disadvantage of continuous operation is that the
reaction rate is nearly always lower than the average
rate for a batch reaction.
In most cases, the batch reaction rate decreases as the
conversion increases, and in the CSTR the reaction rate
is the same as the final reaction rate in the batch reactor.
For high conversions, the final rate may be several-fold
lower than the average rate, and the average residence
time in the CSTR must then be several-fold greater than
the reaction time in a batch reactor. 5
Figure: The three types of ideal reactors:
(a) batch reactor, or BR;
(b) plug flow reactor, or PFR; and
(c) mixed flow reactor, or MFR. 6
7
8
Fig: Tubular Reactors

9
CSTR
10
The batch reactor, reactants are initially charged into a container, are
well mixed, and are left to react for a certain period.
 The resultant mixture is then discharged.
 This is an unsteady-state operation where composition changes with
time; however, at any instant the composition throughout the
reactor is uniform.

Plug Flow reactor, or PFR

 It is characterized by the fact that the flow of fluid through the
reactor is orderly with no element of fluid overtaking or mixing
with any other element ahead or behind.
 Actually, there may be lateral mixing of fluid in a plug flow
reactor; however, there must be no mixing or diffusion along the
flow path.
 The necessary and sufficient condition for plug flow is for the
residence time in the reactor to be the same for all elements of
fluid
11
 The mixed reactor

 The backmix reactor, the ideal stirred tank reactor

( CSTR) is a reactor in which the contents are well
stirred and uniform throughout.
 Thus, the exit stream from this reactor has the same
composition as the fluid within the reactor.
 We refer to this type of flow as mixed flow, and the
corresponding reactor the mixed flow reactor, or MFR.

12
 Q
Reactant

FA,0 ; FV,0
(-rA) =(-rA)exit
(-XA) =(XA)exit
(-rA); XA; CA
(CA) =(CA)exit
Q

Product, FA; FV,f

Figure: - Mixed Flow Reactor 13

4.2 Design of Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor
As always, the reactor design is to find the size of the reactor for
the specified conversion
This is done by taking the material balance equation
dn j V
 Fj,0 - Fj   dV.r (4.1)
dt
In CSTR, the system reaches a steady - state, when the composition
do not vary with time, i.e
dn j
=0
dt
Hence taking rate of reaction out of the integrate, equation (4.1) becomes
Fj,0 - Fj  rjV  0

Fj,0 - Fj F - F
V  (4.2) j,0 j
 rj
or r 
j  V 14
 For disappearance of reactant A, it becomes
F - F
(r )  A,0 A (4.3)
A V

F - F
V  A,0 A (4.4)
(r )
A

Recalling for flow reactors, conversion XA can be given as,

FA,0 - FA
XA  (4.5)
FA,0
and
FA,0 X A  FA,0 - FA (4.5.1)

Substituting to equation (4.4), we obtain the design equation for the

size of a reactor for a specified conversion as
V XA
 (4.6) 15
FA,0 (- rA )
The design equation can be further modified for intermediate conversion

V X A, f - X (4.7)
A,0

FA,0 (- rA )
Using equations (4.6) and (4.7), one can determine the size/volume of
a reactor for known design condition FA,0 provided (-rA) is available

Here it is to note that the size of the reactor in CSTR can be found
without integration as we usually do for other type of reactors.

16
Table 4.1 Design Equation of Different types of reactor

Reactor Differential Algebraic Integral

Batch dX X
A dX A
(r ) C A t C
A,0  (r )
A A,0 dt 0 A
PFR dX A X dX A
(rA )  FA,0 V  FA,0 0 A
dV (rA )
FBR dX A X dX A
(rA )  FA,0 W  FA,0 0 A
dW (rA )
CSTR F X
V  A,0 A
(r )
A

17
To find the size of a reactor, one can compute using analytically,
numerically or graphically.
Graphical representation of the design equation (4.6) is illustrated in
the following Figure

1
(rA ) Area 
V
FA,0

XA

Figure : Graphical representation of the design equation for the CSTR

18
For special case of constant density, the design equation (4.6) can be
rearranged
V XA C A,0 - C A (4.8)
 
FA,0 (-rA ) C A,0 (-rA )

C V C - C
A,0  A,0 A (4.8.1)
F (-r )
1
A,0 A
(rA )
VC A,0
Area   F  t
FA,0

Figure: Graphical
representation of design
CA C A,0 equation for CSTR
19
For constant density Recalling space time,
V V
F   CA,0 (4.9)
FV,0 FA,0

Hence equation (4.8) yields to

CA,0 - CA (4.9.1)
F 
(-rA )
or C X
  V t  A,0 A (4.9.2)
F F (-r )
V,0 A

20
Calculating conversion for higher order of reaction

In the designing of a reactor, the most important

consideration is to find the size of a reactor for a specified
conversion. In order to find the size of a reactor for higher
order of reaction, sometimes, there is a need also to find the
conversion.
Let us consider for the first - order reaction.

(-r )  kC  kC (1-X ) (4.10)

A A A,0 A
Taking the design equation (4.9.2) we obtain

C A,0X A XA
F   (4.10.1)
kC A,0 (1 - X A ) k (1 - X A )
21
or k F
XA  (4.10.2)
1  k F

For the second order reaction,

(-rA )  kC 2A  kC 2A,0 (1 - X A ) 2

and substituting to the design (4.9.2), we get

C A,0X A XA
F   (4.11.1)
kC 2 A,0 (1 - X A ) 2 kC A,0 (1 - X A ) 2

We have a quadratic equation of the solution

4kC A,0 F  1 - 1 (4.11.2)
XA  1 -
2kC A,0 F

22
Hence, calculating conversion, it posses a problem if the
reaction is third-order or above or fraction
To solving the problem we have to use

 numerical or

 graphical method

23
Example 1
One liter per minute of liquid containing A and B (CAo = 0.10 mol/liter,
CBo = 0.01 mol/liter) flow into a mixed reactor of volume V = 1 liter.
The materials react in a complex manner for which the stoichiometry is
unknown. The outlet stream from the reactor contains A, B, and C (CAf
= 0.02 mol/liter, CBf = 0.03 mol/liter, Ccf = 0.04 mol/liter), as shown in
Fig. E5.1. Find the rate of reaction of A, B, and C for the conditions

within the reactor.

24
Solution
For the special case of constant-density systems XA = 1 - CA/CAo in,
which case the performance equation for mixed reactors can also be
written in terms of concentrations

i)

For a liquid in a mixed flow reactor εA, = 0 and Eq.i) applies to each
of the reacting components, giving for the rate of disappearance:

25
 Example 2: Consider a homogenous liquid phase reaction A → R
Where, (–rA) = kCA2
takes place with 50% conversion in a CSTR. What will be the
conversion if this reactor is replaced by one, six times as large
reactor, noting that all the remaining conditions are unchanged?
Solution

26
 1)

Rearranging equation 1 27
28
 Tutorial Questions

1. An aqueous feed of A and B (400 liter/min, 100 mmol A/liter,

200 mmol B/liter) is to be converted to product in a mixed
flow reactor. The kinetics of the reaction is represented by:
𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝐴+𝐵 →𝑅 −𝑟𝐴 = 200𝐶𝐴 𝐶𝐵 ( )
𝐿.𝑚𝑖𝑛
Find the volume of reactor required for 99.9% conversion of A to
product.
2. A gaseous feed of pure A (2 mol/liter,
100mol/min)decomposes to give a variety of products in a mixed
flow reactor. The kinetics of the conversion is represented by
𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝐴 → 2.5 (𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑠) −𝑟𝐴 = 10 min-1 𝐶𝐴 ( )
𝐿.𝑚𝑖𝑛

find the expected conversion in 22 liter of reactor

3. The dimerization irreversible reaction of second order

is carried out in the liquid phase under isothermal condition

in the presence of inert solvent at 80℃.

2A→R

The reaction rate constant, k =2liters/gmol.h; The initial

concentration of A,CA,o =3gmol/liter, and the volumetric
flowrate, FV,0=2liters/h.

Calculate the volume of a CSTR for 75% conversion

30
Heat effect on Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor
The continuous flow reactor is considered to be the Open System

T0

T; XA,f

TS
Here, we consider the application of the energy balance equation for
flow reaction,
F C dT  H (rV ) UA(T T )
T P R S (a)
 Coil

Q
b

Figure : Addition or removal of heat in a CSTR, a) heating or

cooling jacket; b) a coil placed inside the reactor
 Isothermal CSTR
In the case of isothermal,
i.e., when the temperatures of the reacting mixture
entering and leaving the reactor are equal,
T0 = TR,
The energy balance (a) reduces to

UA(T T )  H (rV )
S R

Q  Qg  (H )(r )V  (H )F dX

t R A R A,0 A

Where Qt UA(T T )Qt – Rate of Heat removal /add by

S heat transfer/
Qg  (H )F dX Qg –Heat production /heat
R A,0 A produce by rxn/
 Non isothermal CSTR
For non isothermal operation, the energy balance equation (a)

F C dT  H (rV ) UA(T T )
T P R S
 By assuming the specific heat of the reaction
does not depend on the temperature and the composition, and
 that the heat of reaction is independent of temperature,

(H )F UA(T - T )
(T - T )  R A,0 dX  S
0 F C A F C
R P R P
 (H )F UA(T - T )
(T - T )  R A,0 dX  S
0 F C A F C
R P R P

Qg Qt
T - T  
0 F C F C
R P R P

The reaction temperature T is obtained graphically by

combining heat production and heat removals as a function of
temperature into one graph
 Adiabatic CSTR
Using general energy balance, adiabatic condition gives
F C dT  H (rV ) UA(T T )
T P R S
Since the reactor is operating adiabatically,

F C dT  H (rV )  0
T P R

the reaction temperature changes with conversion,

Finding Adiabatic Operating Temperature for a given
conversion

we must relate conversion from the energy

and material balance
 i. Conversion from energy balance
FRCP (T - T0 )  FA,0 X A (H R )

or FRCP (T - T0 )  CA,0 FV,,0X A (H R )

Rearranging gives F C (T -T )
X  R P 0
A C F (- )
A,0 V ,0 R

Recalling C F (- )
T  A,0 V ,0 R
ad F C
R P
Substituting we get the relation between conversion and
temperature as given by energy balance.
1
XA  ( T - T0 )
Tad
 ii) Conversion from material balance can be expressed by using
material balance design equation of CSTR.

FA,0 X A  (-rA )VR

Recalling
FA,0  FV,0CA,0

Substituting and rearranging gives

X V
C F  A R i
A,0 V ,0 (-r )
A
Recalling

FA,0 - FA C A,0 FV ,0 - C A FV , f C A FV , f
XA   1 
FA,0 C A,0 FV ,0 C A,0 FV ,0
 C F
A V, f X
or X 1 -
A (r )V A
A R
X V (-r ) V (-r )
Substituting eq. (i) gives A R A  R A - X
C F C F A
A V, f A V, f
Taking a first - order reaction
(-rA )  kC A
VR kC A VR kC A
XA  - XA or
C A FV , f C A FV , f

XA 
VR kX A V k
 R or
FV , f FV , f

 

 V 
 V k Recalling holding / residence time
X 1

R k 
  R
A 

F 

F
 V, f  V, f VR
t
 

FV , f
 Substituting, then

X A 1  t k   t k

or tk
XA 
1  tk
knowing -E
k  Ae RT

X  t Ae-E/RT *
A 1  t Ae-E/RT

Equation (*) gives the variation of conversion with

temperature for any flow reaction in the following Figure.
 XA

T
Figure: Conversion and temperature for irreversible rxn from
material balance in an adiabatic CSTR
 XA

T
Figure: Conversion and temperature for reversible rxn from
material balance in an adiabatic CSTR
Thank You!

43