CH6701 Chemical Reaction Engineering - II 2016-2017

St. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

UNIT-V (GAS-LIQUID REACTORS)

1. Define Enhancement factor. (NOV/DEC 2014)

The liquid enhancement factor (E) is defined as the ratio of rate of take up of gaseous ‘A’ when reaction
occurs to the rate of take up of gaseous ‘A’ for straight mass transfer, at same C Ai, CA, CBi, CB in the two
cases. Or Enhancement factor E is defined as the ratio between the Sherwood number with chemical
reaction and that without reaction.
2. Define Hatta number. (NOV/DEC 2013)
Hatta number (MH) is defined as the square root of the ratio of maximum possible conversion in the liquid
film to maximum diffusional transport through the liquid film.
3. Explain the significance of Hatta number.
The significance of Hatta number (MH) is;
 If MH>2, reaction occurs in the liquid film and are fast enough.
 If 0.02 < MH < 2, reaction is influenced by all the resistances.
 If MH < 0.02, reactions are infinitely slow.
4. Give examples for absorption with chemical reaction. (NOV/DEC 2013) (NOV/DEC 2014)

5. What do you mean by slow reactions in the gas-liquid operations?

In slow reactions, occurs in the main body of the liquid, mass transfer resistance is negligible and the
composition of liquid phase and gas phase reactants are uniform. Thus, the rate is determined by chemical
kinetics alone.
6. Brief the mechanism of Surface renewal theory. (May 2015) & [Dec 2012]

This approach tries to apply the mathematics of the penetration theory to be more plausible physical picture.
The liquid is pictured as two regions, a large well mixed bulk and an interfacial region that is renewed so
fast that it behaves as a thick film. The surface renewal theory is caused by liquid flow.

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 CH6701 Chemical Reaction Engineering - II 2016-2017
7. Explain Film penetration theory. (May 2015), [Dec 2012] (May/June 2014)

The penetration theory for mass transfer. Here the interfacial region is imagined to be very thick
continuously generated by flow. Mass transfer now involves diffusion in to this film. In this and other
theories the interfacial concentration in the liquid is assumed to be in equilibrium with that in the gas
8. Write short notes on trickle bed reactors.
a. A trickle bed reactor is a three-phase version in which gas and liquid reactants are brought into
contact with solid catalyst particles.
b. In this gas and liquid flow counter-currently downward over a fixed-bed of catalyst particles
contained in a tubular reactor.
c. These reactors are widely used for hydro-desulphurization of liquid petroleum fractions and hydro-
treating of lubricating oils.

PART-B (Questions & Answers)

1. Derive a rate equation for an instantaneous reaction of any order between A and B, fluid-fluid reaction A
(gas ) + bB (liq) → product. And sketch the concentration profiles assuming a two-film theory. (May 2016)
2. Describe briefly on different reactors available for various types of gas-liquid reaction. (May 2016)
3. i) What is Enhancement factor? (May 2015)
ii) Write a note on Absorption with slow and instantaneous reactions.
4. Consider the Gas-Liquid Non-catalytic reaction A (g) + b B (l)  Products. Derive the global rate equation
assuming the reaction to be instantaneous and for the reaction taking place on
(i) Gas-Liquid interface.
(ii) A plane located in the Liquid film.
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