CHEMICAL RECATOR DESIGN

6th Semester
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering

Delivered by:
Usman Ali
usmanali@uet.edu.pk

Department of Chemical Engineering

University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore
• Heat of reaction and temperature

• Temperature and energy effects in chemical

reactor
Numerical
 Numerical
Reagent A undergoes 1st order reaction as A → B where both A and
B are liquids. Determine the reactor volume necessary to produce 2
million lb of B in 7000 hr of operation, (i) isothermally at 163 C (ii)
adiabatically.
Data: -ra = kCa k(at 163 C) = 0.8 hr-1 E = 28960 cal/gmol
Heat of reaction = -83 cal/g mol. wt. = 250
Heat capacity of A and B are identical = 0.5 cal/gC
Density are also equal = 0.9 g/cm3
The time required to full and drain the reactor may be 10 to 12 min,
and negligible reaction occurs during 14 mins, the time to heat the
feed from 25 C to 163 C. After 97 % of the product has been
converted the hot product mixture is discharged to cooling tank.
Extent of Reaction & Conversion
• Temperature and energy effects in chemical
reactor
 Numerical
Consider the previous problem:
If one or more MFR’s are used in operating in series with each
reactor at 163 C. and if the feed stream A is at 20 C. What will be the
reactor volume and heat transfer requirements for
(i) Single MFR
(ii) 3 identical MFR’s.
Adiabatic Operations
 Activity
The liquid phase hydrolysis of dilute aqueous acetic anhydride solutions is
second order and irreversible, as indicated by the reaction
(CH3CO)2O + H2O → 2CH3COOH
A batch reactor for carrying out the hydrolysis is charged with 200 liters of
anhydride solution at 15 C and a concentration of 2.16 x 10-4 gmol/cm3.
The specific heat and density of the reaction mixture are essentially
constant and equal to 0.9 cal/gC and 1.05 g/cm3, respectively. The heat of
reaction may be assumed constant and equal to -50000 cal/gmol. The rate
has been investigated over a range of temperatures, of which the following
results are typical:

T, C 10 15 25 40
r, gmol/cm3min 0.0567C 0.0806C 0.1580C 0.380C
Where C is acetic anhydride concentration, in gram moles
per cubic centimetre.
(a) Explain why the rate expression can be written as
shown in table even though the reaction is second
order.
(b) If the reactor is cooled so that the operation is
isothermal at 15 C, what time would be required to
obtain conversion of 70 % of the anhydride?
(c) Determine the analytical expression for the rate of
reaction in terms of temperature and concentration.
(d) What time is required for a conversion of 70 % if the
reactor is operated adiabatically?
 Activity
Butadiene reacts with ethylene in a gas phase at a temperature
above 500 C as
C4H6 + C2H4 → C6H10
The equimolar mixture of both reactants at 450 C and 1 atm is fed
to a PFR. Determine the τ required to convert 10 % of the butadiene
to cyclohexane for isothermal and adiabatic operations.
Data: k = 107.5 e-27500/RT (lit/mol s)
The cp values remain constant over the temperature range of the
process.
cpC2H6 = 36.8 cal/gmol K cpC2H4 = 20.2 cal/gmol K
cpC6H10 = 59.5 cal/gmol K ΔHr = -30000 cal/gmol
 Activity
Consider the previous activity to determine the
volume required to produce 2 million lb of B per
year in a PFR operating isothermally at 163 C, XA =
0.97 and 7000 hr of yearly operation. Determine
the manner in which heat transfer requirement is
distributed along the length of reactor i.e. what
fraction of the heat evolved must be removed in
1st 10 % of the reactor, 2nd 10 % reactor and 3rd 10
% reactor.
 Activity
Consider the possibility of carrying out the
reaction used in previous activity under adiabatic
operating conditions. How much B will it be
possible to produce from 2.1 million lb/yr of
specie A using a pair of 1000-gal CSTR's operating
in series? Assume that you will be able to operate
7000 hr/yr. Use the data from previous activity.
The feed to the first reactor has a temperature of
20 C.
 Activity
A liquid phase reaction A + B → C is carried out in two CSTR’s in
series. A vast excess of A is used so that the reaction becomes
pseudo 1st order as –r = kCB. The reaction is exothermic and
temperature is maintained by boiling water at 1 atm and 100 C.
The content of the 1st reactor is at 106 C and those of 2nd reactor
comes at 117 C. At these temperatures, the rate constant are k117
= 2.79 ksec-1 and k106 = 0.93 ksec-1. The reactor volume for both
reactors are same at 0.8 m3. The input volumetric flowrate is
1.10 m3/ksec and the overall fraction conversion of initial B is
0.8. Heat capacities of liquid mixtures remain constant at
3.47J/cm3K. If CBo is 5.6 kmol/m3 at it enters at 70 C, determine
the required heat transfer area for each reactor. Additional data:
ΔHR = -69 kJ/mol U = 68 kJ/ksec cm2K
Equilibrium Constants
 Activity
Between 0 C and 100 C determine the equilibrium conversion for
the elementary aqueous reaction: A ↔ R
ΔGo298 = -14130 J/mol ΔHo298 = -75300 J/mol
CpA = CpR = Constant
Present the results in the form of a plot of temperature versus
conversion.
What restrictions should be placed on the reactor operating
isothemally if we are to obtain a conversion of 75 % or higher?