RTD in LFR

Aim: To determine the mean residence time distribution,to plot exit age distribution curve in
the laminar flow reactor, to compare experimental and theoretical E curves.

Apparatus:
1. An overhead tank in order to maintain constant flow rate
2. Laminar flow reactor
3. Stopwatch
4. NaOH pellet
5. Conductivity meter
6. Syringe
7. 100ml measuring cylinder
8. Beaker

Procedure:
Calibration
1. Make a known aqueous NaOH solution using graduated cylinder
2. Place probe in solution. Avoid probe contact with walls or bottom of container
3. Press CAL, fix standard then press conductivity
4. Note down value of conductivity
5. Repeat for multiple known solution concentrations
6. Plot known concentration versus conductivity to obtain calibration
Experimental Procedure
1. Fill the overhead tank with water and adjust the input and output flow rate in the tank
so that its level remains constant.
2. From the overhead tank start the supply of water into the LFR.
3. Adjust the flow rate of water into the LFR until it comes equal to 1ml/s.
4. Now inject the tracer NaOH into the reactor from the bottom and as soon as the tracer
is injected start the stopwatch.
5. Note down the conductivity values of solution with time at the interval of 0.5 mS drop
in the conductivity. The time span can be eventually increased when the change in
conductivity is not rapid.
6. Note down the readings until the steady state.
 7. Find out the unknown concentration of exit tracer using concentration v/s
conductivity plot.
8. Plot concentration v/s time.
9. Tabulate E(t), plot exit age distribution curve experimental and theoretical.

Theory:
Laminar flow reactor is a type of reactor that uses laminar flow to control reaction rate and/or
reaction distribution. LFR is generally a long tube with constant diameter that is kept at
constant temperature. Reactants are injected at one end and products are collected and
monitored at the other.

Consider fluid being pumped through a LFR at constant velocity from the inlet, and
the concentration of the fluid is monitored at the outlet. The minimum time fluid may spend
in the reactor is t = τ/2.
The graph of the residence time distribution is modelled by the function:
E(t)=0 if t is smaller than τ/2;
𝜏𝜏 2
E(t)= if t is greater than or equal to τ/2.
2𝑡𝑡 3

𝐶𝐶(𝑡𝑡)
𝐸𝐸𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒(𝑡𝑡) = ∞
∫0 𝐶𝐶(𝑡𝑡)𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
The residence time distribution of a chemical reactor is a probability distribution
function that describes the amount of time that a fluid element could spend inside the
reactor.It is evident that elements of fluid taking different routes through the reactor may
take different lengths of time to pass through the vessel. The distribution of these times
for the stream of fluid leaving the vessel is called the exit age distribution E, or the
residence time distribution RTD of fluid. E has the units of time-l. We find it convenient to
represent the RTD in such a way that the area under the curve is unity, or
∞
� 𝐸𝐸(𝑡𝑡)𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = 1
0
Observations:

Parameter Value Unit

Temperature, T
Reactor volume, V
Volumetric flowrate, v

Observation Table:

Time Conductivity Concentration Eexpt(t) t*E (t-tm)2 E*(t-tm)2

(sec) (mS) (mol/min)

Calculation:

𝑉𝑉
Space Time,𝜏𝜏 =
𝑣𝑣

𝐶𝐶(𝑡𝑡)
Exit age distribution,𝐸𝐸(𝑡𝑡) = ∞
∫0 𝐶𝐶(𝑡𝑡)𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

∞
Mean Residence Time (tm) = ∫0 𝑡𝑡 ∗ 𝐸𝐸(𝑡𝑡)𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

∞
Variance, 𝜎𝜎 2 = ∫0 (𝑡𝑡 − 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡)2 𝐸𝐸(𝑡𝑡) 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

Plot Eexp(t) vs. t

Result:

• The mean residence time for LFR is observed to be =

• Standard Deviation of LFR =

Conclusion:
Expectations
1. Make an observation and result table
2. Plot RTD and C Vs time curves
3. Plot Experiment and Theoretical values of E vs time

Things to ponder about

• Why such a segregation model for reactor conversion prediction is needed?
• Why have we run the experiments in isothermal conditions?
• How the kinetics found in batch reactors can be useful in this experiment?