Chemical Reaction Engineering

Chapter 1

Overview of Chemical Reaction Engineering

Dr. Ziad Abuelrub

Introduction

Chemical Reaction Engineering is

concerned with:
• Exploitation of chemical reactions on a
commercial scale
• Design and operation of chemical
reactors
• Selection of a reasonable design from
available alternatives

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 Feed Chemical
Separation
Raw preparation reaction
Products
Materials

Recycle

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• Information needed to predict what a reactor can do
– Kinetics

– Contacting pattern

– Performance equation: Output= f [input, kinetics, contacting]

• With performance equation we can:

– Compare different designs and conditions (find which is best)

– Scale up

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 Performance equation
Relates input to output

Reactor

Contacting pattern Kinetics

• How materials flow through and contact • How fast things happen
each other in the reactor • If very fast, then eqm. tells what will leave
the reactor
• How early or late they mix • If not so fast, the following will determine
what will happen:
• Their clumpiness or state of aggregation
Ø rate of chemical reaction
Ø heat and mass transfer

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Contact patterns

Mixed Flow Reactor Plug Flow Reactor

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Classification of Reactions

• According to number and types of

phases involved:
– Homogeneous system: one phase only
– Heterogeneous system: at least two
phases

• A phase implies uniform

– Temperature
– Pressure
– Composition

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Dr. Ziad Abuelrub 8
Classification of chemical reactions useful in reactor design
Phases Catalyst Existence
Noncatalytic Catalytic
Homogeneous Most gas-phase reactions Most liquid-phase reations

Reactions in colloidal systems

In between Fast reactions
such as burning of a flame Enzyme and microbial reactions

Burning of coal Ammonia synthesis

Oxidation of ammonia to produce
Roasting of ores nitric acid
Heterogeneous Attack of solids by acids Cracking of crude oil

G/L absorption with reaction oxidation of SO2 to SO3

Reduction of iron ore to iron
and steel
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Variables Affecting the Rate of Reaction

• Homogeneous systems
– Temperature
– Pressure
– Composition

• Heterogeneous systems
– Rate of mass transfer
In the burning of coal briquette the diffusion of O2
through the gas film surrounding the particle and ash
layer at the surface of the particle

– Rate of heat transfer

An exothermic reaction taking place at the interior
surfaces of a porous catalyst pellet.
If the heat is not removed fast enough, a severe
nonuniform temperature distribution can occur within
the pellet, which result in differing point rates of reaction

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 Definition of Reaction Rate

Video

𝐶𝑂 + 𝑁𝑂2 → 𝐶𝑂2 + 𝑁𝑂
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Definition of Reaction Rate

• Select one reaction component (𝑖) for consideration and define the rate in terms of this
component.
• If the rate of change in number of moles of this component due to reaction is:
&'!
𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒 = &(
• the rate of reaction in its various forms can be defined.
• Use the form that is more convenient to the particular case

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Definition of Reaction Rate

1- Based on unit volume of reacting fluid

1 𝑑𝑁" 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑖 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑
𝑟" = =
𝑉 𝑑𝑡 (𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑖𝑑)(𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒)

2- Based on unit mass of solid in fluid-solid systems

1 𝑑𝑁" 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑖 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑
𝑟"# = =
𝑊 𝑑𝑡 (𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑)(𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒)

3- Based on unit interfacial surface in two-fluid systems or based on unit surface of solid in gas-
solid systems,
1 𝑑𝑁" 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑖 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑
𝑟"## = =
𝑆 𝑑𝑡 (𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒)(𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒)

4- Based on unit volume of solid in gas-solid systems

1 𝑑𝑁" 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑖 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑
𝑟"### = =
𝑉% 𝑑𝑡 (𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑)(𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒)

5- Based on unit volume of reactor, if different from the rate based on unit volume of fluid
#### 1 𝑑𝑁" 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑖 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑
𝑟" = =
𝑉$ 𝑑𝑡 (𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟)(𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒)

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Homogeneous systems

• Volume of fluid in reactor = volume of reactor

𝑉 = 𝑉𝑟

• Equations below are identical

1 𝑑𝑁! 1 𝑑𝑁! 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑖 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑

𝑟! = = =
𝑉 𝑑𝑡 𝑉" 𝑑𝑡 (𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒)(𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒)

Heterogeneous systems
• All forms of equations are encountered

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Reactions rates are related as follows:

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Speed of Chemical Reaction

• Design of reactor depends on reaction speed

• Speed: from very slow to very rapid

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Overall Plan

• Reactors come in all colors, shapes, and sizes and are used for all sorts of
reactions.

• Such reactions are so different in rates and types that it would be awkward to try
to treat them all in one way.

• So we treat them by type in this book because each type requires developing the
appropriate set of performance equations.

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Batch Reactor

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Continuous stirred tank reactor – lab scale

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Polymerization plug flow reactors

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 Blast furnace (iron making)

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 Polymerization reactor

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Rice alcohol fermenting in earthenware jugs.

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The top of a reactor vessel at the a pharmaceutical plant.

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The nuclear reactor site at Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (India)

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REACTORS IN VARIOUS SHAPES!

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Ex. 1.1 The Rocket Engine

A rocket engine burns a stoichiometric mixture of fuel (liquid hydrogen) in oxidant

(liquid oxygen). The combustion chamber is cylindrical, 75 cm long and 60 cm in
diameter, and the combustion process produces 108 kg/s of exhaust gases. If
combustion is complete:
find the rate of reaction of hydrogen and of oxygen.
H2 O2

Complete combustion O2

60 cm 75 cm
H2

Exhaust
108 kg/s
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Solution Ex1.1

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Solution Ex1.1

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Ex 1.2 The living person

A human being (75 kg) consumes about 6,000 kJ of food per

day. Assume that the food is all glucose and that the overall
reaction is:

Find man's metabolic rate (the rate of living, loving, and

laughing) in terms of moles of oxygen used per m3 of
person per second.

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Solution Ex 1.2

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Solution Ex 1.2

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End of Chapter 1

The distinction between the old

and the new formulations
consisting in the incorporation of
the concept of the rate of
chemical reactions is so great that
it immediately asserted itself in
the objective development of
Wilhelm Ostwald
catalysis. 1853-1932
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1909

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