CHE 430 Fall 2021

Homework #1
rd
Due: Friday, September 3 at 11:59 PM EST through Canvas as a single pdf

1. Derive your own design equation. Consider the single liquid-phase reaction
A + B → products
which takes place in an ideal, semi-batch reactor. The initial volume of liquid in the reactor
is V0 and the initial concentrations of A and B in this liquid are CA0 and BA0 respectively.
Liquid is fed continuously (assume linearly) to the reactor at a volumetric flow rate ν. The
concentration of A and B in this feed are CAf and CBf respectively.
a. Draw a schematic of the semi-batch reactor labeled with all relevant variables.
b. Derive a design equation for this system by carrying out a material balance on “A”. I
suggest working in terms of CA.
c. Ultimately, we would like to determine CA as a function of time. Under what conditions
is the design equation that you derived sufficient to do this? Assume that the rate law is
known.
2. CSTR containing catalyst. When reactions are run in a CSTR containing a solid catalyst,
the catalyst is typically held in a basket that is attached to the shaft of the impeller. This set-
up is typically referred to as a Berty reactor, named after the scientist who invented the
reactor.

In this CSTR, the heterogeneous catalytic reaction occurs

2A → R + S
The reactor will operate at 200°C and 1 atm pressure. The feed to the reactor consists of A,
R and N2 in a 4:1:5 molar ratio. The feed gas flow rate is 5.0×106 ft3/h at 200°C and 1 atm.

The rate equation is given as

-rA (lbmol/lbcat-h) = kACA where kA = 275 ft3/(lbcat-h)
Calculate the weight of catalyst required to achieve a conversion of 95% of A.

3. Rates and stoichiometry. Consider the reaction

C2H3Cl3 + 3H2 → C2H6 + 3HCl
If the rate of formation of HCl (rHCl) is 25×10-6 gmol/gcat-min.

a. What is the rate of disappearance of trichloroethane (C2H3Cl3)?

b. What is the rate of formation of ethane?
4. Multiple reactions in a catalytic reactor. The overall reaction for the catalytic
hydrodechlorination of 1,1,1-trichloroethane is
C2H3Cl3 + 3H2 → C2H6 + 3HCl
On certain catalysts, this overall reaction appears to take place via the following sequence of
simpler reactions:
C2H3Cl3 + H2 → C2H4Cl2 + HCl (1)
C2H4Cl2 + H2 → C2H5Cl + HCl (2)
C2H5Cl + H2 → C2H6 + HCl (3)
A mixture of 1,1,1-trichloroethane, H2 and N2 was fed to a continuous, steady-state catalytic
reactor operating at 523 K and 1 atm total pressure at a rate of 1200 L (STP)/h. The feed
contained 10 mol % H2 and 1 mol % 1,1,1-trichloroethane.

It is not possible to accurately measure the outlet concentrations of H2 and HCl. The flow
rates of C2H3Cl3, C2H4Cl2, C2H5Cl and C2H6 out of the reactor were 0.074 mol/h, 0.111
mol/h, 0.050 mol/h and 0.301 mol/h, respectively.

a. Are these data consistent with the hypothesis that the overall reaction takes place via
Reactions (1), (2) and (3) (and only Reactions (1), (2) and (3))? Justify your answer.
b. What is the molar flow rate of H2 leaving the reactor?
c. What is the molar flow rate of HCl leaving the reactor?