TUTORIAL 2 SOLUTIONS

Lecturer: Miss Anis Atikah Ahmad

Tel: +604 976 8190

Email: anisatikah@unimap.edu.my

QUESTIONS
The exothermic reaction

A--->B + C

was carried out adiabatically and the following data recorded:

X
-rA

0.2

0.4

0.45

0.5

0.6

0.8

0.9

(mol/dm3.
min

1.0

1.67

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

1.25

0.91

The entering molar flow rate of A was 300 mol/min.

(a) What are the PFR and CSTR volumes necessary to achieve 40 % conversion?
(b) Over what range of conversions would the CSTR and PFR reactor volumes be
identical?
(c) What is the maximum conversion that can be achieved in a 105 dm3 CSTR?
(d) What conversion can be achieved if a 72 dm3 PFR is followed in series by a 24
dm3 CSTR?
(e) What conversion can be achieved if a 24 dm3 CSTR is followed in a series by a
72 dm3 PFR?
(f) Plot the conversion and rate of reaction as a function of PFR reactor volume up
to a volume of 100 dm3.

PART (A) What are the PFR and CSTR volumes

necessary to achieve 40 % conversion?

PFR Volume:
X

VPFR

dX
FA0
rA
0

Using Simpson One-Third Rule;

0.4 0
h
0.2 X
2
X 0 0, X 1 0.2, X 2 0.4,

X
VPFR
3

Recall Simpson OneThird Rule Formula:

X2

f X dX

X0

where h

h
f X 0 4 f X 1 f X 2
3

X2 X0
X1 X 0 h
2

FA0
FA0
FA0
4

r
(
X

0
)

r
(
X

0
.
2
)

r
(
X

0
.
4
)
A
A
A

PART (A)
X
-rA
(mol/dm .min)
3

FA0/-rA
(dm )
3

X
VPFR
3

0.2

0.4

0.45

0.5

0.6

0.8

0.9

1.0

1.67

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

1.25

0.91

300

180

60

60

60

60

240

330

FA0
FA0
FA0
4

rA ( X 0) rA ( X 0.2) rA ( X 0.4)

0.2
300 4180 60

400
300

FA0/-rA

72dm

Levelspiel
Plot

200
100
V
PFR
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

PART (A)

CSTR Volume:

VCSTR

FA0 X

rA

400
300

FA0/-rA

200
100

V0CSTR
0

Substituting the value of FA0/rA at X=0.4;

VCSTR 60dm 3 0.4

24dm 3

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Levelspiel
Plot

PART (B)

Over what range of conversions would the

CSTR and PFR reactor volumes be identical?

From Levelspiel Plot;

350

0.6

VPFR 0.4 VCSTR

300
250
200

0.4

FA0
FA0 0.6 0.4
0.4 rA dX rA
0 .6

FA0/-rA 150
100
50
0

0.6

0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9

The volume of
both reactors
are identical
at X=0.4-0.6,

PART (B)

Over what range of conversions would the

CSTR and PFR reactor volumes be identical?

Proving by calculation;
Using Simpson
One-Third Rule

Volume of PFR

0 . 6 0 .4
h
0.1 X
2

X
VPFR
3

X 0 0, X 1 0.1, X 2 0.2

FA0
FA0
FA0
4

r
(
X

0
.
4
)

r
(
X

0
.
5
)

r
(
X

0
.
6
)
A
A
A

0.1
3

60 4 60 60 12dm
3
Volume of CSTR

VCSTR

FA0 X 2 X 1
FA0
X 2 X 1 60dm3 0.2 12dm3

rA exit
rA exit

PART (C)

What is the maximum conversion that can be

achieved in a 105 dm3 CSTR?

By trial and error, calculate what is X that gives a

CSTR volume of 105 dm3
Trial 1: X=0.6,

VCSTR

FA0 X

60dm 3 0.6 36dm 3

rA

Trial 2: X=0.8,

VCSTR

FA0 X

240dm3 0.8 192dm 3

rA

Trial 3: X=0.7,

VCSTR

FA0 X

150dm 3 0.7 105dm3

rA

400
300

FA0/-rA

200
100
0

0 0.2 0.4X=0.7
0.6 0.8 1

The max conversion can be achieved in 105 dm3 of CSTR is 0.7

PART (D)

What conversion can be achieved if a 72 dm3

PFR is followed in series by a 24 dm3 CSTR?

FA0=300 mol/dm3

VPFR=72 dm

X1=0.4

From part (a)

VCSTR=24 dm3

By trial and error, calculate what is X2

that gives a CSTR volume of 24 dm

Trial 1: X=0.6,

VCSTR

FA0 X 2 X 1

60dm 3 0.6 0.4 12dm3

rA exit

Trial 2: X=0.7,

VCSTR

FA0 X 2 X 1

150dm 3 0.7 0.4 45dm 3

rA exit

X2=?
Now, we know
that the
conversion must
be between 0.60.7.

PART (D)

What conversion can be achieved if a 72 dm3

PFR is followed in series by a 24 dm3 CSTR?

FA0=300 mol/dm3

VPFR=72 dm

X1=0.4

Trial 3: X=0.64,

VCSTR

FA0 X 2 X 1

rA exit
100dm 3 0.64 0.4 24dm 3

VCSTR=24 dm3

X2=?
400
300

FA0/-rA

200
100
0

X=0.64 can be achieved if a 72 dm3 PFR is

followed in series by a 24 dm3 CSTR.

0 0.2 0.4
0.6 0.8 1
X=0.64

PART (E)

What conversion can be achieved if a 24 dm3

CSTR is followed in a series by a 72 dm3 PFR?

FA0=300 mol/dm3
VCSTR=24 dm3

From part (a)

X1=0.4

VPFR=72 dm3

X2=?

By trial and error, calculate what is X2 that gives a PFR volume of 72 dm3
Trial 1: X=0.8,

0.8 0.4
h
0.2 X X 0 0.4, X 1 0.6, X 2 0.8,
2

FA0
FA0
FA0
X
VPFR
4

3 rA ( X 0.4) rA ( X 0.6) rA ( X 0.8)

0.2
60 4 60 240 36dm3

PART (E)

What conversion can be achieved if a 24 dm3

CSTR is followed in a series by a 72 dm3 PFR?

FA0=300 mol/dm3
VCSTR=24 dm3

X1=0.4

VPFR=72 dm3

X2=?

By trial and error, calculate what is X2 that gives a PFR volume of 72 dm3
Trial 2: X=0.9,

0.9 0.4
h
0.25 X
2
X
VPFR
3

X 0 0.4, X 1 0.65, X 2 0.9,

FA0
FA0
FA0
4

r
(
X

0
.
4
)

r
(
X

0
.
65
)

r
(
X

0
.
9
)
A
A
A

0.25
60 4107 330 68.17dm3

PART (E)

What conversion can be achieved if a 24 dm3

CSTR is followed in a series by a 72 dm3 PFR?

Trial 3: X=0.91,

0.91 0.4
0.255 X X 0 0.4, X 1 0.655, X 2 0.91,
2

FA0
FA0
FA0
X
VPFR
4

3 rA ( X 0.4) rA ( X 0.655) rA ( X 0.91)

h

400

0.25
60 4110 346 71.91dm3

3
X=0.91 can be achieved if a 24 dm3
CSTR is followed in a series by a 72
dm3 PFR

300

FA0/-rA

200
100
0

0 0.10.20.30.40.50.60.70.80.9 1

PART (F)

X
-rA
(mol/dm .min)
3

FA0/-rA
(dm3)

VPFR (dm3)

Plot the conversion and rate of reaction as a

function of PFR reactor volume up to a volume
of 100 dm3?

0.2

0.4

0.45

0.5

0.6

0.8

0.9

1.0

1.67

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

1.25

0.91

300

180

60

60

60

60

240

330

48

72

76.5

80

84

104

130.5

PART (F)

Plot the conversion and rate of reaction as a

function of PFR reactor volume up to a volume
of 100 dm3?

0.7
6.00

0.6

5.00

0.5

4.00

0.4
X

0.3

-rA (mol/dm3.min)

3.00

0.2

2.00

0.1

1.00

10

20

30

40

50

60

VPFR (dm3)

70

80

90

100

0.00

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
VPFR (dm3)

THANK YOU