ABSTRACT

In this continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) in series, we are focused to

determine the concentration response to a step change and pulse input. Other than
that, another aims is to determine the effect of residence time on the response
curve.This experiment involved CSTR that consist 3 agitated, glass reactor placed in
series. The concentration is uniform in each reactor, but as the fluids move from one
reactor to another, there is slightly change in concentration.To start the experiment, both
two tanks are filled with deionised water and sodium chloride that is being diluted. Than
the deionised water from the second tank is flow to fill up the third reactor. Flow rates of
deionised water were set up to 150 mL/min to prevent overflow of deionised water into
the reactor. Initial reading of conductivity was taken after 10 minutes the reading stable.
After that, readings are continuously taken every 3 minutes until the values of
conductivity of all three reactors are closed to each other. Then graph of conductivity
versus time was plotted. From graph plotted, effect of the step change and pulse input
to the concentration can be determined.

INTRODUCTION
Continuous stirred tank reactor system (CSTR) is a typical chemical reactor
system with complex nonlinear characteristic. CSTR can be usually found in most
university process control lab used to explain and teach control system engineering. An
efficient control of the product concentration can be achieved only through accurate
model.
Reactors are widely formed depending on the nature of the feed and products.
Non-steady behaviour process equipment is necessary to design and operation of
automatic control system. This continuous stirred tank reactor in series is important to
determine the system response to a change in concentration. Idealist is depends on the
response between concentration and time.
This experiment is handled by using the Armfield Stirred Tank Reactor in Series.
It is designed accordingly the mixed multi-stage process. The unit required to be
connected to a single phase electrical supply for operation. A self-contained bench
mounted small scale unit fitted with three continuous stirred reactors in series which are
fed from two 5 litre tanks. Each reactor will be tested with conductivity probe and the
readings are taken.
In this experiment, there are three reactor vessels connected in series. The
concentration of the outlet flow of three chemical reactors will be forced to have a
specific response. It is assumed that the overflow tanks are well-mixed isothermal
reactors, and the density is the same in all tanks. Due to the assumptions, the volume in
all tanks can be taken as constant, all flows are equal.
Each reactor is containing a propeller agitator driven by a variable speed electric
motor. In first reactor, there are two reagent vessels, two variable speeds feed pumps
and feed reagents in line. The feed also can be connected through the third reactor and
a dead-time coil, positioned on the vacuum formed plinth. A conductivity probes are
fitted in each reactor and the exit port for monitoring process. Conductivity will be
displayed on a digital meter on the console through selector switch that connected to
the optional Armfield data logging accessory CEX-304IFD.

OBJECTIVES
1. To determine the concentration that response to a pulse input.
2. To determine the effect of pulse input method towards the experiment.
3. To understand the working mechanism of CSTR in series.

APPARATUS

1. Distillation water
2. Sodium Chloride
3. Continuous reactor in series
4. Stirrer system
5. Feed tanks
6. Waste tank
7. Dead time coil
8. Computerize system
9. Stop watch

PROCEDURE
EXPERIMENT 1 : The Effect of Step Change Input
In this experiment, a step-change input be introduced and the progression of the tracer
be monitored via the conductivity measurements in all the three reactors.
1. Tank 1 and tank 2 was filled up with 20 L feeds deionizer water.
2. 300 g of Sodium Chloride (NaCl) was dissolved in tank 1 until the salts dissolve
entirely and the solution is homogenous.
3. Three ways valve (V3) was set to position 2 so that deionizer water from tank 2
will flow into reactor 1.
4. Pump 2 was switched on to fill up all three reactors with deionizer water.
5. The flow rate (F11) was set 150 mL/min by adjusting the needles valve (V4). Do
not use too high flow rate to avoid the over flow and make sure no air bubbles
trapped in the piping. The stirrer 1, 2 and 3 were switched on.
6. The deionizer water was continued pumped for about 10 minutes until the
conductivity readings for all three reactors were stable at low values.
7. The values of conductivity were recorded at t 0.
8. The pump 2 was switched off after 5 minutes. The valve (V3) was switched to
position 1 and the pump 1 was switched on. The timer was started.
9. The conductivity values for each reactor were recorded every three minutes.
10. Record the conductivity values were continued until reading for reactor 3 closed
to reactor 1.
11. Pump 2 was switched off and the valve (V4) was closed.
12. All liquids in reactors were drained by opening valves V5 and V6.

RESULTS
Table of Conductivity values
Time

QT1

QT2

QT3

(min)
0.0
3.0
6.0
9.0
12.0
15.0
18.0
21.0
24.0
27.0
30.0
33.0
36.0
39.0
42.0
45.0
48.0
51.0
54.0
57.0
60.0
63.0
66.0
69.0
72.0

(ms/cm)
0.1368
5.74
9.84
12.84
14.90
16.53
17.80
18.57
19.17
19.69
22.5
22.6
22.8
22.8
23.0
23.3
23.0
23.3
23.3
23.3
23.4
23.4
23.4
23.4
23.3

(ms/cm)
0.776
1.218
2.57
4.85
6.83
9.08
11.19
12.98
14.46
15.80
16.93
17.79
18.20
19.06
19.45
19.87
22.5
22.7
22.9
23.1
23.2
23.4
23.4
23.4
24.0

(ms/cm)
1.357
0.862
0.997
1.605
2.68
4.13
5.79
7.56
8.95
10.91
12.46
13.82
14.89
16.09
16.50
17.65
18.25
18.84
19.32
19.63
22.3
22.5
22.8
23.0
23.2

CALCULATIONS
SAMPLE CALCULATION

Where;
= volume of reactor i
= molal flow rate of A into the first reactor
= fractional conversion of A in the reactor i
= fractional conversion of A in the reactor i-1

For first order reaction,

v = volumetric flow rate of A = 150ml/min = 0.15 liter/min

For the first reactor: (V = 20 liter)

Tank 1

Tank 2

Tank 3

DISCUSSION
A stirred tank is the most fundamental of mixers and many common mixers from
the mixer used in lab to a cup of coffee with a spoon can be considered a stirred tank
under some set of approximation. Mixing in a stirred tank is complicated and not well
described although the use of dimensionless numbers and comparison with literature
accounts can lead to some predictive capabilities. Often stirred tanks are used as
industrial reactors where a chemical component of a flow stream resides for some time
in the tank and then proceeds on to other steps in a chemical process.
In this experiment, Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR) in Series our
objectives are to determine the concentration that response to a pulse input, to
determine the effect of pulse input method towards the experiment and to understand
the working mechanism of CSTR in series. However, our discussion only focusing on
the effect of step change input. First, we can see the difference between these two
methods which is for step-change input means we are continuously feeding the salt
solution NaCl into the reactor throughout the experiment and through the time the salt
solution will fill all three reactors until the first reactor and third reactor will have an equal
value of conductivity. Whereas for the effect of pulse input, we feed the reactor with 3
minutes worth of salt solution and then continuing the experiment feeding the reactors
with deionized water spreading the salt solution equally through all three reactors. For
this experiment, the reading of the conductivity for the 3 different tanks was taken for
every 3 minutes and the graph conductivity versus time was plotted.
For this part of experiment which is step change input, the flow rate was 150
ml/min and we take 24 readings. The experiment ends when the conductivity of the first
reactor and the third reactor are equal and constant for the few last readings. At the 30 th

minute we can see that the conductivity of the reactors are starting to slowly get
decreased and finally after some time at the 69 th minute, the value reads QT1 is 23.4,
QT2 is 23.4, and QT3 is 23.0 mS/cm.
The effect of the step change to the concentration can be seen from the graph.
Step change is a sudden change in a process variable. For this experiment our variable
that been change is the input. Reactor feedstock is suddenly switched from one supply
to another, causing sudden changes in feed concentration, flow, etc.
The concentration can be calculated using electrical conductivity measurements
and calibration supplied as we already know. The concentration is directly proportional
to the conductivity.
The step change gives the same affect to the concentration for the 3 reactors.
When the step change of solute concentration was introduced at the feed of tank 1, the
result shown that the tank experience a transient behavior. The concentration in the
reactor will increase in a period of time until it has reached a constant concentration.
Every reactor has its own concentration. Reactor 1 has the highest concentration
following tank 2 and 3. The concentration if increasing because of the feed rate that
been opened was the tank 1 that contain the dissolve chloride.

CONCLUSION
Based on the results that we have obtained, We can concluded that our experiment
was considered successful based on our objectives which are to determine the
concentration that response to a pulse input, to determine the effect of pulse input
method towards the experiment and to understand the working mechanism of CSTR in
series. For the step change it will increase the concentration until it reaches a constant
value. We can say that the step change-input affected the concentration at the reactor
and this can be proved by the plotted graph. If we compared our graph to the theorized
graph, we can say that our graph almost same to the theorized graph. Maybe some
error occurred during recording the data that cause some difference compared to the
theory and a less smooth graph was obtained. Every reactor has its own concentration,
because of that we conclude that the residence time for each reactor is different. So, the
experiment was considered successful.

REFERENCES

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APPENDIX
1. The entec bio power-CSTR-Digester is
suitable for the treatment of high solid
material, such as bio waste and sludge,
as well as for scum developing material.
2. This digester type has already been

applied for the treatment of all kinds of

degradable organic wastewater or
sludge and waste, such as manure,
Figure

renewable primary products.

Figure