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University of Mauritius University of Mauritius University of Mauritius University of Mauritius
University of Mauritius University of Mauritius University of Mauritius University of Mauritius
University of Mauritius University of Mauritius University of Mauritius University of Mauritius
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
PROGRAMME
BEng
(Hons)
Chemical
and
Renewable
Energy
Engineering
MODULE NAME
DATE
Reaction Engineering
Thursday
MODULE CODE
CHE 2005Y(3)
14 May 2009
TIME
NO. OF
QUESTIONS SET
DURATION
NO. OF
QUESTIONS TO BE
ATTEMPTED
2 Hours
4
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Answer Question 1 (COMPULSORY ) and Any other THREE (3) questions.
Question 1 carries 40 marks and Question 2 5, each carries 20 marks.
A( g ) + 2 B( g ) C ( g ) + D( g ,l )
The feed contains only A and B in stoichiometric amounts. The reaction is first-order
with respect to both A and B.
(a)
Showing all your calculations, set up the stoichiometric table for the reaction
in terms of molar flow rates.
[16 marks]
(b)
(c)
Using the stoichoimetric table set up in (a) above and the ideal gas law,
express the volumetric flow rate () as a function of initial volumetric flow
rate (o) and conversion (X) only before and after condensation.
[12 marks]
(d)
[4 marks]
Question 2
The table below shows the data obtained from a laboratory experiment of the
following reversible isothermal gaseous decomposition reaction A 3B. The
reaction was carried out at a temperature of 149 0C and a total pressure of 10 atm.
The initial charge was an equimolar mixture of A and inerts.
X
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.85
-rA
(mol/dm3.s)
0.0053
0.0052
0.0050
0.0045
0.0040
0.0033
0.0025
0.0018
0.00125
0.00100
[continued next page]
Page 1 of 3
Question 2 [continued]
1
(a)
Plot a graph of
rA
v/s X.
[7 marks]
X2
(b)
f (x )dx =
X0
x
[ f (x 0 ) + 4 f (x1 ) + f (x 2 )] , determine the
3
volumes V1 and V2 of two plug flow reactors arranged in series when the
intermediate conversion is 40% and the final one is 80%. The initial molar
flow rate of A is 0.867 mol/s.
[6 marks]
(c)
What will be the volumes of two CSTRs in series to achieve the same
intermediate and final conversions in (b) above?
[4 marks]
(d)
Sketch in your plot obtained in (a) above the area which when multiplied by
the initial molar flow rate will represent the volumes necessary for the
following arrangement of reactors.
One CSTR
One PFR
One CSTR
C2
rA = k 1 C A C B C
Ke
The reaction takes place isothermally at 2600 oK in a batch reactor of volume 0.4 dm3
under a pressure of 20 atm. The feed consists of 77% A, 15% B and 8% inerts. The gas
constant R = 0.082 atm.dm3/mol.K and the equilibrium constant Ke is 0.01. If 80% of
equilibrium is reached in 151 s, determine the forward rate constant using the
Simpsons rule. The equilibrium conversion Xe is 0.02.
[20 marks]
Page 2 of 3
Question 4
A first-order liquid-phase reaction A B is carried out isothermally in 3 CSTRs of
unequal size connected in series.
C A0
(a)
Show that C A3 =
.
(1 + 1k1 )(1 + 2 k 2 )(1 + 3 k 3 )
[14 marks]
(b)
(c)
Question 5
(a)
(b)
(1 + X )2 dX
0 (1 X )2
X
(1 + )
= 2 (1 + ) ln (1 X ) + 2 X +
1 X
Page 3 of 3