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Introduction

The rate of reaction

Definitions and Terminologies (elementary, reversible, etc.)

Multiple reactions

The General Mole Balance Equation

Batch
CSTR
PFR
PBR
Todays Lecture
Review the general mole balance

equations for ideal reactors:

Batch
CSTR
PFR
PBR

Examples
 The general mole balance equation
Input Rate
Output Rate

Control Volume = V

Rate of INPUT Rate of OUTPUT + (Rate of GENERATION Rate of CONSUMPTION)

= Rate of ACCUMULATION

The general mole balance equation is the foundation of reactor design

dN j
Fj 0 Fj G j
dt
M
G j rj1 V1 rj 2 V2 ..... rjM VM rji Vi
i 1
V
Taking the limits as M and V=0, G j rj dV
V
dN j
F j 0 F j rj dV
dt
Common reactor types
Batch reactor
Flow reactor
Continuous-stirred tank reactor
Plug-flow or Tubular reactor
Packed-bed reactor

Other reactor types

Fluidized-bed reactor
Trickle-bed reactor
 Batch reactor

Key Characteristics
unsteady-state operation
no spatial variation of concentration or
temperature (well-mixed)
mainly used for small scale operation or
high value products
suitable for slow reactions
mainly (not exclusively) used for liquid-
phase reaction
charge-in/clean-up times can be large
The general mole balance for an ideal Batch reactor

Batch
Reaction: A Products

The general mole balance equation for Batch Reactor

may be written as V
dN
FA0 FA rA dV A
dt
0 0

Since well-mixed, so no spatial variation:

V

r A dV rA V

dN A
in differential form as rA V
dt
NA
NA
in integral form as t
r V
N A0 A
Continuous-Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR)

steady state operation

used in series
no spatial variation of
concentration or temperature,
(well-mixed)
mainly used for liquid phase
reaction
suitable for viscous liquid
The general mole balance for an ideal CSTR

Reaction: A Products

The general mole balance equation for a CSTR is of

algebraic form and may be written as CSTR
FA0
V
dN A
FA0 FA rA dV
dt
0

Since well-mixed, so no spatial variation:

V

r A dV rA V
FA
So,
FAo FA
V
rA
Plug Flow Reactor (PFR)

Key Characteristics
Steady-state operation
Spatial variation in axial direction but not
in radial direction + no variation with
time
suitable for fast reaction mainly used for
gas phase reaction
temperature control may be difficult
there are no moving parts
The general mole balance for an ideal PFR
Reaction: A Products
The general mole balance equation for
Plug Flow Reactor may be written as
V V PFR
dN A
FA V FA V V rA dV
V
dt
0
spatial variation along the reactor:
V V
V
r
V
A dV rA V

FA V V FA V
Hence, rA By taking the limit as V approach zero,
V
Differential Form Integral Form
FA
dFA dFA
dV
(rA ) V
FAO
(rA )
The general mole balance for an ideal PBR

Reaction: A Products

The general mole balance PBR

equation for Packed-Bed Reactor
may be written as

dN A
FA0 FA rA W W
dt
0

Similarly to PFR,
Integral Form
Differential Form
FA
dFA dFA
dW
(rA' ) W
FAO
(rA' )
W = Weight of the packing
Summary - Design Equations of Ideal Reactors
Reactor Differential Algebraic Integral Remarks
Equation Equation Equation
Nj
dN j Conc. changes with time
dN j
Batch (rj )V t (rj )V
but is uniform within the
dt N jO reactor. Reaction rate
varies with time.

CSTR F jo F j Conc. inside reactor is

V uniform. (rj) is constant.
(rj ) Exit conc = conc inside
reactor.
Fj
dF j dFj Concentration and
PFR
dV
rj V
F jO
(rj )
hence reaction rates
vary spatially.

Fj
dF j dFj Concentration and
r

'
PBR j W hence reaction rates
dW ( r '
j ) vary spatially.
F jO
 Example 1:
Calculate the volume of the reactor
configuration shown in the Figure 1?
You may assume its a first order reaction CA = 0.1 CA0
rate. (The reaction rate constant is equal
to 0.23 1/min)
= 0, FA= 0CA

Figure 1.

(1) Mole balance

FA FA
CA

Example 2:
Since it is tubular (plug-flow)
reactor,

First order reaction rate, Taking the integration from

entrance of the reactor at V=0 to
the exit of the reactor or V,
Rewrite the equations in term of
concentration,
By integration,

Substituting for the reaction rate

and rearranging,