PRACTICE ROBLEMS SET-2

CLL733
Q1 (RTD in 2nd Order Liquid Phase reaction):
The second-order liquid phase reaction A→ B + C is to be carried out isothermally.
The entering concentration of A is 1.0 mol/dm3. The specific reaction rate is 1.0 dm3/
mol.min. A number of used reactors (shown below) are available, each of which has
been characterized by an RTD. There are two crimson and white reactors and three
maize and blue reactors available.

(a) You have $50,000 available to spend. What is the greatest conversion you can
achieve with the available money and reactors?
(Ans.: Orange & Blue or Silver & Black both which approximate to 3 tanks in series give
the greatest conversion ~ 0.72)

(b) How would your answer to (a) change if you had $75,000 available to spend?
(Ans.: Orange & Blue or Maize & Blue give the greatest conversion ~ 0.83)

Q2 (RTD with Step input and conversion in a continuous reactor using different
models):
The following data were obtained from a step tracer input to a reactor:
(a) Develop a model that is consistent with the experimental data.
(b) Evaluate all the model parameters. (Ans.: Vr1 = 0.26Vtot, Fr1 = 0.37Ftot)
For the second-order reaction, 2A→ B + C with kcAo = 0.1 min-1, a reactor volume of
1m3, and a volumetric flow rate of 0.06 m3/min, determine the conversion of A:
(c) Using the model developed in part (a). (Ans.: X = 0.62)
(d) Using the segregation model.
(e) Using the maximum mixedness model.
(0 Using the dispersion model.
(g) Using the tanks-in-series model.
(h) Using both an ideal PFR and ideal CSTR.

Q3 (Age Distribution and Reactors):

The flow through a reactor is 10 dm3/min. A pulse test gave the following concentration
measurements at the outlet:

0 0 15 238
0.4 329 20 136
1.0 622 25 71
2 812 30 44
3 831 35 25
4 785 40 14
5 720 45 8
6 650 50 5
8 523 60 1
10 418
(a) Plot the external age distribution E(t) as a function of time.
(b) Plot the external age cumulative distribution F(t) as a function of time.
(c) What is the mean residence time t?
(d) What fraction of the material spends between 2 and 4 min in the reactor?
(e) What fraction of the material spends longer than 6 min in the reactor?
(0 What fraction of the material spends less than 3 min in the reactor?
(g) Plot the normalized distributions E(Ѳ) and F(Ѳ) as a function of 0.
(h) What is the reactor volume?
(i) Plot internal age distribution I(t) as a function of time.
(j) What is the mean internal age aI?
(k) Plot the intensity function, ᴧ(t) as a function of time.
(l) The activity of a “fluidized” CSTR is maintained constant by feeding fresh catalyst
and removing spent catalyst at constant rate. Using the RTD data above, what is the
mean catalytic activity if the catalyst decays according to the rate law
-da/dt = kD a2
with kD = 0.1 s-1? (Ans: a ~ 0.0725)
(m) What conversion would be achieved in an ideal PFR for a second-order reaction
with kCAo = 0.1 min-1 and CAo = 1 mol/dm3? (Ans: X ~ 50%)

(n) Repeat (m) for a laminar flow reactor. (Ans: Xbar ~ 44.3%)

(0) Repeat (m) for an ideal CSTR.

(p) What would be the conversion for a second-order reaction with kCAO =0.1 min-1 and
CAo = 1 mol/dm3 using the segregation model? (Ans: Xbar ~ 14.3%)

(q) What would be the conversion for a second-order reaction with kCAO = 0.1 min-1 and
CAo = 1 mol/dm3 using the maximum mixedness model? (Ans: Xbar ~ 40.4%)

(r) If the reactor is modelled as tanks in series, how many tanks are needed to
represent this reactor? What is the conversion for a 1st-order reaction with k = 0.1min-1?
(Ans: X ~ 52.4%)

(s) If the reactor is modelled by a dispersion model, what are the Peclet numbers
for an open system and for a closed system? What is the conversion for a first-order
reaction with k = 0.1 min-1 for each case? (Ans: Da~ 0.995, q ~ 2.24, X ~ 52.75%;
q~ 1.35)

(t) Use the dispersion model to estimate the conversion for a second-order reaction with
k = 0.1 dm3/mol.s and CAo = 1 mol/dm3. (Ans: q~ 2.34, X ~ 52.8%)
(u) It is suspected that the reactor might be behaving as shown in Figure below, with
perhaps(?) V1= V2 What is the “backflow” from the second to the first vessel, as a
multiple of vo ?
Q4 (Fluidization):

Ans.: Fraction of the solids converted equals 93.2%

Q5 (Fludization):
Ans.: Mean conversion solids converted equals 77.8%