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After this topic, you should be able

to:
 Apply the mole balance and its
applications to steady state:
Analysis of Continuous
• Constant Stirred Tank Reactor
Reactors (CSTR) or Mixed Flow Reactor (MFR)
Topic 6 • Plug Flow Reactor (PFR) or Tubular
Reactor (TR)
Ch.E. 422
Part 1- Basic Concepts and • Combination of CSTR and PFR
Graphical Method  Use both graphical and numerical
or algebraic methods to solve the
applications

Review of Continuous Reactors

MFR or CSTR
 Mixed Flow Reactor (MFR)/Constant
Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR)
Reactants are continuously
• Contents are well mixed so uniform concentration fed to a well mixed tank
inside the tank, and equal to product and the products are also
concentrations withdrawn continuously. At
• May be connected in series to increase the steady state, the
conversion concentration of any
 Plug Flow (PFR)/Tubular Reactor (TR) material in the tank is also
the same as that in the
• Concentration varies with length of the reactor, product stream.
but not radially
• Has higher conversion per volume than the MFR
or CSTR

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PFR or TR
Reactants are continuously
fed to a tube so that what
goes in first also comes out
first. Reaction proceeds
across the reactor length and
concentrations vary from
entrance to exit as there is no
lateral mixing. Radial
concentrations are however
assumed constant.
MFR or CSTR
Steady State Flow:
No spatial variation:
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Common Nomenclature
 FJo = input molar rate of J = voCJo
 FJf = output molar rate of J = vfCJf
 vo, vf = volumetric feed & exit rates
 CJo;CJf = inlet & outlet concentrations
 -rJ = rate of reaction of J
 XJ = (FJo – FJf)/FJo = fract. conv. of J
 τ = Space Time = time to process
one reactor volume of feed = V/vo
 V = reactor volume
 θ = residence time = V/vf
Plug Flow Reactor (PFR)
Steady State Flow:
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Volume Formulas for Steady

Plug Flow Reactor (PFR) State
 Single MFR or CSTR
FJo  FJ1 FJo XJi v 0 (CJo  CJ1 ) CJo  CJ1
V1   V1  1 
rJ1 rJ1 rJ1 rJ1

 Multiple MFR or CSTR in Series

FJm1  FJm FJo (XJm1  XJm ) v (C  CJm ) CJm1  CJm
Vm   Vm  0 Jm1 m 
rJm rJm rJm rJm

 PFR or TR
dFJ CJf dCJ CJf dCJ
Vr  
FJf
Vr  v o  r  
0 rJ
CAo rJ CAo rJ

Covered Applications Solution Methods

 Determination of Reactor Volume
• Single MFR or CSTR
• Equivalent PFR
• Combination of Reactors
 Determination of Over-all Conversion
• Single MFR or CSTR
• Equivalent PFR
• Combination of Reactors
 Determination of Reaction Kinetics
• Unknown Order and Rate Constant
 Graphical
• Applicable if data of –rJ and CJ or XJ
are available
• Uses Levenspiel plots (Plot of 1/-rJ
vs CJ or XJ
 Numerical or Algebraic Methods
• Applicable if the kinetics of the
reaction is known or unknown,
meaning the order, rate constants
are available or unknown

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Graphical Methods
 By Levenspiel
• Volume of a CSTR is represented
partly by the area of rectangles
bounded by the plot of 1/-rJ vs XJ,
with height equal to 1/-rJm and
width as ∆XJm
• Volume of a PFR is represented
partly by the area under the curve
bounded by a plot of 1/-rJ vs XJ
between 0 and XJ.
Graphical Method
 Given the following –rA-CA Data
Fao = vo Cao = 12.5
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Graphical Method
 By Walas (For CSTR only)
 A plot of –rJ vs CJ is used.
 Each CSTR is represented by a
straight line with an x-intercept
of CJm-1 and slope -1/τm
 For multiple CSTRs of same size,
the slopes of each line must be
the same.
Levenspiel Plot (1/-rA vs XA)
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Examples:
Walas Plot
1. Find the volume of a single CSTR needed to
achieve 80% conversion of A.
2. Determine the volume of a PFR to achieve the
same conversion in (1).
3. Suppose 2 CSTRs are connected in series.
What total volume is needed for the same
conversion?
4. Suppose equal sized CSTR and PFR are
connected in series. What total volume is
needed for the same conversion if CSTR is
ahead and if PFR is ahead?
5. Repeat 1-4 if the total volume is to be 60 ft3
and the final conversion is unknown.

Solution: Problem 1 Solution: Problem 1

FJo  FJ1 FJo XJ1 FJo  FJ1 FJo XJ1
V1   V1  
rJ1 rJ1 rJ1 rJ1

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Calculations for Problem 1 Solution to Problem 2:

FAf dFA Xaf dX
Vr    FAo  A
0 rA 0 rA

Solution to Problem 2: Solution to Problem 2:

FAf dFA Xaf dX FAf dFA Xaf dX
Vr    FAo  A
Vr    FAo  A
0 rA 0 rA 0 rA 0 rA

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Calculations for Problem 2 Solution: Problem 3 (Lev Plot)

FJo XJ1 F F F (1  XJ1 )  FJo (1  XJ2 ) FJo (XJ2  X j1 )
V1   V2  J1 J2  Jo 
rJ1 rJ2 rJ2 rJ2

Solution: Problem 3 (Lev Plot) Solution: Problem 3 (Lev Plot)

F X F F F (1  XJ1 )  FJo (1  XJ2 ) FJo (XJ2  X j1 ) FJo XJ1 F F F (1  XJ1 )  FJo (1  XJ2 ) FJo (XJ2  X j1 )
V1  Jo J1  V2  J1 J2  Jo  V1   V2  J1 J2  Jo 
rJ1 rJ2 rJ2 rJ2 rJ1 rJ2 rJ2 rJ2

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Calculations (Levenspiel Method): Another Method (by Walas)

Another Method (by Walas) Another Method (by Walas)

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Another Method (by Walas) Calculations (Walas Method)

Solution: Problem 4a(CSTR to PFR) Solution: Problem 4a(CSTR to PFR)

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Solution: Problem 4a(CSTR to PFR) Calculations (Problem 4a)

Solution: Problem 4b(PFR to CSTR) Solution: Problem 4b(PFR to CSTR)

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Solution: Problem 4b(PFR to CSTR) Solution: Problem 4b(PFR to CSTR)

Solution Algorithm for Prob 5

Calculations (Problem 4b) (For application and
submission)
 Prob 1: Assume Xa1, get -ra1 from curve;
check: Xa1=V1(-ra1)/Xa1
 Prob 2: Assume Xa1, get area under curve of
Levenspiel plot from 0 to Xa1. Check if
V1=Area(Fao), adjust Xa1 accordingly if trial is
not correct.
 Prob 3:V1=V2=V/2=30 . Solve slope of line =
-vo/V1. Using Walas Plot, from Cao at X axis,
draw 2 lines with same slope to get Ca2. Solve
SAME as CSTR to PFR! Xa2.
 Prob 4: Knowing V1=V2=30, find appropriate
Xa1 and Xa2 so that Area1=Area2 depending
on which reactor comes first.

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