Distributions of

Residence Times for

Chemical Reactors
Chapter 4

BKF3472

Objectives

Define a residence time distribution RTD [E(t), F(t)] and the mean
residence time.

Determine E(t) form tracer data.

Write the RTD functions (E(t), F(t), I(t)) for ideal CSTRs, PFRs,
and laminar flow reactors.

Predict conversions from RTD data using the segregation and

maximum mixedness models.

Predict effluent concentrations for multiple reactions using the

segregation and maximum mixedness models.

Topics to cover

General characteristics

Measurement of the RTD

Characteristics of the RTD

RTD in Ideal Reactor

Reactor modeling with the RTD

Zero parameter models

Using software packages

RTD and multiple reactions

General Characteristics

Analyze non ideal reactor system

3 concepts to describe non-ideal reactor

Residence Time Distribution

Mixing quality
Model used to describe the system

Residence Time Distribution

(RTD)

Residence time

Residence Time Distribution (RTD)

time of atoms have spent in the reactor

Characteristic of the mixing that occurs in the chemical

reactor. i.e. plug flow and thoroughly-mixed flow show
different RTD

RTD purposes

To diagnose problems of reactors in operation

To predict conversion or effluent concentrations in
existing/available reactors when a new reaction is used

RTD determination via

Inject tracer, colored or radioactive material,

Time tracer have spent I the reactor is recorded

2 method of injection
Pulse input

Step input

Measurements of the
RTD

Pulse Input

N C (t )vt
Integrating of
resulting to

dN vC(t )dt

N o vC(t )dt
0

resulting to

N o vC(t )dt
0

Residence-time distribution function,

E (t )

C (t )

C (t )dt
0

Fraction of matrial leaving

the reactor that has resided t 2

E (t )dt
in the reactor for times
t1

between t1 and t 2

See example 13-1!

Step Input

Drawbacks
Difficult to maintain a constant tracer
concentration in the feed
Large error
expensive

Characteristics of the
RTD

E(t) - exit age distribution function

Characteristics

Integral relationship
Mean Residence Time
Variance
Skewness
Normalized RTD function
Internal Age Distribution

Integral Relationship
fraction of effluent

t
spending in reactor for
0 E (t )dt less than time t @ from F (t )

t 0 to t t

Graph plotting

F (t)

t (min)

Cumulative
distribution
function

Mean Residence Time tm

when v=v0 and in the absence of dispersion effect, =tm

(proof is at pg 880-881 4th edition and only for closed
system). = space time
Give the average time the effluent molecules spent in the
reactor
Commonly used in analysis. Identified also as first moment

t m tE (t )dt
0

Variance

Also known as square of standard deviation

To indicate the spread of the distribution. The
magnitude measures how spread is the data.
Commonly use in analysis
Also identified as the 2nd moment

(t tm) 2 E (t )dt
0

Skewness

To measure the extent that a distribution is

skewed to one direction or another in reference to
the mean.
Also identified as Third-moment

s
3

3
2

(t t m )3 E (t )dt

Normalized RTD Function

To compare directly the flow performance inside reactors

of different sizes.
Example, CSTR:

1
E (t ) e t /

E () E (t ) e

where

Internal Age Distribution

To identify the reaction mixture condition in the reactor

Internal Age Distribution,
I( )d = Fraction of molecules inside the reactor that
have been inside the reactor between a time () and
(+d )

Example
From our experimental data of the exit tracer concentration from pulse trace test
t(min)

C(mg/m3)

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.1

RTD in Ideal Reactor (Pulse Inj.)

RTD for Ideal PFR
PFR- Inject a pulse at t=0

Dirac Delta Function

F(t)

RTD in Ideal Reactor (Pulse Inj.)

Ideal CSTR

C (t ) Co e

E (t )

Co

C(t)

e t

F (t ) 1 e

RTD for Diagnose

Faulty Operation

(Ideal CSTR)

Model as PFR with recycle and some dispersion

Modelling Using
Ideal RTD

Perfect Operation

Passing (BP)

Dead Volume

Tubular Reactor
Perfect Operation
of PFR (P)

PFR with Channeling

(Bypassing, BP)

PFR with Dead

Volume (DV)

Model to Calculate the

Exit Concentrations and
Conversions

Combination of Ideal and Real Reactor involves:

Zero Parameter Model

Segregation model
Maximum Mixedness Model

One Parameter Models

Tanks-in series model
Dispersion model

Two Parameter Models

Bypassing
Dead Space
Recycling

Segregation Model

Mixing of the globules of different ages occurs here

Little batch reactors (globules) inside a CSTR.
X3>X2>X1

Mixing occurs at the latest possible moment. Each little batch reactor (globule) exiting

the mean conversion for the segregation model is

PFR

Detail description of segregation

A B
Apply the segregation model to an ideal PFR
Solve for X(t) for a first order reaction in a batch reactor. The
conversion-time relationship is

Calculate the mean conversion

LFR
For a Laminar flow reactor the RTD function is

The mean conversion is

The last integral is the exponential integral and can be

evaluated from Tabulated values

Fortunately, Hilder developed an approximate formula (

=Da).

CSTR
Mean Conversion of CSTR

Mean Conversion of Multiple

Reactions

For multiple reactions use an ODE solver to couple the mole

balance equations, dCi/dt=ri, with the segregation model
equations: d /dt=Ci(t)*E(t), where C i is the concentration of
i in the batch reactor at time t and is the concentration of i
after mixing the batch reactors at the exit.

Example:
The second order reaction
occurs in the liquid phase. The RTD function for the reactor in which it is to be carried
out is given by
E(t)=0 for 0 < t < 10
E(t) = 0.01 (t10) for 10 < t < 20
E(t) = 0.01 (30t) for 20 < t < 30
E(t) = 0 for t > 30
This RTD function is the same one we previously studied in these lectures. The
entering concentration is 2 molar and the specific reaction rate is 0.06 dm3/mols.
(a) What is the conversion after 30 seconds in a batch reactor?
Solution
(b) What conversion would be achieved in a PFR with the same mean residence time?
Solution
(c) What conversion would be achieved in a CSTR with the same mean residence time?
Solution
(d) What is the conversion predicted by the segregation model?
Solution
Continue Lec

Maximum Mixedness Model

Mixing occurs at the earliest possible moment.

Note E(l)=E(t)
E(l)dl =Fraction of molecules that have a life expectancy between
l+dl and l.

Modeling maximum mixedness as a plug flow reactor with side

entrances

Dividing by and taking the limit as goes to zero

Substitute

Differentiating the first term and recalling

We obtain

We need to integrate backwards from = (the entrance) to = 0

(the exit). In real systems we have some maximum value of (say
= 200 minutes) rather than = minutes.
Consequently we integrate backward from = 200. However,
because most ODE packages will not integrate backwards, we have
to use the transfer
z = T - to integrate forward
Thus,

In terms of conversion

The End
ruzinah@ump.edu.my