KMM312E

CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING I Spring2016

Homework 8

1. The elementary, reversible, liquid phase reaction A ↔ B is to be carried out in an adibatic CSTR. Pure
A is fed to the reactor. If the reactor volume is 500 L, what conversion and temperature can be
achieved?

Additional Data:
Feed concentration of A: 8 moles/L Feed temperature: 300 K
Density of A & B: 1.04 g/cm3 Feed flow rate: 100 L/h
Heat of reaction: - 41.6 kJ/mol Specific heat of A & B: 2 J/g.K
⎛ −5000 ⎞ ⎛ −10000 ⎞
⎜ ⎟ −1 ⎜ ⎟
Forward rate constant: 1× 108 e⎝ T ⎠
h Reverse rate constant: 1× 105 e⎝ T ⎠
h −1



2) The elementary, reversible, gas phase reaction 2A ↔ B is carried out in a packed bed reactor. There is
a heat exchanger surrounding the reactor, and there is a pressure drop along the length of the
reactor.
a) Plot the conversion, pressure drop parameter and temperature along the reactor from W = 0 kg
up to W = 20 kg catalyst.
b) Plot the concentration profiles for the same catalyst weight.

Additional Data:
k (450 K) = 0.5 dm6/kg.min.mol KC (450 K) = 25000 dm3/mol
CPA = 40 J/mol.K CPB = 80 J/mol.K ΔHRX = -40000 J/mol E = 41800 J/mol.K
CA0 = 0.271 mol/dm 3 T0 = 450 K FA0 = 5 mol/min UA = 0.8
J/kg.min.K
Ta = 500 K α = 0.015 kg-1 P0 = 10 atm yA0 = 1 (pure A feed)

3) The adiabatic equilibrium conversion for the reaction A + B ↔ C + D is carried out in a series of
staged packed bed reactors with interstage cooling. The lowest temperature to which the reactant
stream may be cooled is 270C. The feed is equal molar in A and B, the catalyst weight in each reactor
is sufficient to achieve 99.9 % of the equilibrium conversion. The feed enters at 270C and the reaction
is carried out adiabatically. If four reactors and three coolers are available what conversion may be
achieved?

Additional Data:
ΔHR = -30000 cal/mol FA0 = 10 mol/min. Ke (500C) = 500000
CPA = CPB = CPC = CPD = 25 cal/mol.K

Due Date: May 11, 2016