CHE 314

Chemical Reaction Engineering

Lecture 3
Conversion and Reactor Sizing
Fall 2015

Slides adapted from Foglers PowerPoint slides

Outline:
Definition of Conversion
Design Equation of Reactors
Batch Reactor (BR)
Continuously Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR)
Plug Flow Reactor (PFR)
Reactors in Series
Space time and Space Velocity
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Definition of Conversion
Consider the generic reaction:

a A+bB
c C + d D
Chose limiting reactant A as basis of calculation:
c
d
b
A+ B
C + D
a
a
a
Define conversion, X
moles A reacted
X=
moles A fed
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Batch Reactor Design Equation

Moles A Moles A Moles A
remaining = initially reacted

NA
= N A0
N A0 X
dN A = 0 N A0 dX

dX
dN A
= N A0
= rAV
dt
dt

N A0

dX
= rAV
dt

Time necessary to achieve conversion X:

X

dX
t = N A0
rAV
0
4

CSTR Design Equation (steady-state)

Moles A Moles A Moles A
leaving = entering reacted

=
FA0 X
FA
FA0
Mole balance:

FA0 FA + rAV = 0

FA 0 X

FA0 X
V=
rA
CSTR volume necessary to achieve conversion X.
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PFR Design Equation (steady-state)

Moles A Moles A Moles A
leaving = entering reacted

=
FA0 X
FA
FA0
dFA = 0 FA0 dX
dX
dFA
= rA = FA0
Mole balance:
dV
dV

dX
FA0
= rA
dV

PFR volume necessary to achieve conversion X.

X

FA0 dX
V =
rA
0

Levenspiel Plots
Graphical representation to determine the volume of a
CSTR or PFR to reach a given conversion, X

Reactors in Series
Reactors can be run/connected in series.
Heat exchange
Separation
Pressure drop issues
Series reaction
Better selectivity to products
Higher overall rates
The design equations we have for the individual reactors
still apply for each reactor in the system. The inlet to the
2nd reactor is the outlet of the 1st
X may not start at 0 and CA0 will not be the original CA0.
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Reactors in Series (Contd)

Given rA as a function of conversion, one can also
design any sequence of reactors in series by defining
X:
total moles of A reacted up to point i
Xi =
moles of A fed to first reactor

Only valid if there are no side streams.

Molar Flow rate of species A at point i:

F=
FA0 FA0 X i
Ai
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Reactors in Series (Contd)

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CSTR in Series
FA0, XA0

V1

FA1, XA1

FA2, XA2

V2

FA3, XA3

V3

V4

FA4, XA4

Consider general case of CSTR i.

,1 ,
Mole balance: ,1 , +, = 0 or =
,
By definition of Xi: ,1 = 0 1
, = 0
11

,1 , = 1
= 1

1
=
,

PRF in Series
FA0, XA0

FA1, XA1

PFR 1

FA2, XA2

PFR 2

For PFR 1:

1 =

For PFR 2:

= 1 + 2 =

12

2 =

+
=

Overall, having one PFR of volume V is the same as multiple PFRs

whose summed volume is V. [Think of graphical representation]

Space Time and Space Velocity

Space time (or holding time or mean residence time):

V
(reactor volume)
= =
v 0 (volumetric feed rate)
vo is specified at the entrance of the reactor conditions
Space time is the time necessary to process one reactor
volume of fluid based on entrance conditions.
v0 1
Space velocity: SV = =
V
Most common space velocities in industries:
Gas Hourly Space Velocity:
Liquid Hourly Space Velocity:
13

GHSV =
LHSV =

v0

STP

V
v0

liquid @ 60 F or 75 F

Practice Problem

A 400 L CSTR and 100 L PFR are available to

process 1.0 L of feed per second.
The feed contains 41% A, 41% B and 18% inerts.
The reaction, A + B C + D, is in gas phase and
irreversible. It is carried out at 10 atm and 227C.
The rate of reaction (in mol/(L.min)) has been
measured at different conversions (see Table)

What is the maximum conversion that can be attained?

Find FA0:
= 1 L/s = 60 L/min

that is

FA0 = 0.41 FT = 6 mol/min

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XA
0

-rA
0.2

0.1

0.0167

0.4

0.00488

0.7

0.00286

0.9

0.00204

10 60 (/min )
=
= 14.6 /
0.082 (227 + 273)()

Practice Problem (Contd)

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