1) Determine the catalyst weight necessary to achieve 50% conversion when ethylene oxide is to

be made by the vapor-phase catalytic oxidation of ethylene with air:

C​2​H​4​ + 0.5O​2​ → CH​2​OCH​2

A + 0.5B → C

Ethylene and oxygen (in air) are fed in stoichiometric proportions to a packed-bed reactor
isothermally at 260​o​C. Ethylene is fed at a rate of 0.30 lbmol/s at a pressure of 10 atm. It is
proposed to use 10 banks of 1.5 in-diameter schedule 40 tubes packed with catalyst with 100
tubes per bank. Consequently, the molar flow rate to each tube is to be 3×10​-4 lbmol/s. The
properties of the reacting fluid are to be considered identical to those of air at this temperature
and pressure. The density of the 0.25 in catalyst particles is 120 lb/ft​3 and the bed void fraction is
0.40. The rate law is

− ​r'​A​ = ​k​(​P​A​)​1/3​(​P​B​)​2/3​ lbmol/(lb cat⋅hr),

with ​k​ = 0.0141 lbmol/(atm⋅lb cat⋅hr) at 260​o​C.

2) ​Triphenyl methyl ether is produced from the reaction of triphenyl methyl chloride with
methanol, both dissolved in benzene, according to the following reaction:

CH​3​OH + (C​6​H​5​)​3​CCl → (C​6​H​5​)​3​COCH​3​ + HCl

The reaction is second-order for methanol and first-order for triphenyl methyl chloride with a
rate constant of 4.48×10​-3 (m​3​/kmol)​2​/s at 298​o​K, 101 kPa. Feed concentrations are 0.11 kmol/m​3
for the triphenyl methyl chloride and one-half that concentration for the methanol.
a) For 50 percent conversion of methanol utilizing a singl CSTR, calculate the required reactor
space time.
b)​ What reactor type, CSTR, PFR, or batch, would you recommend for this reaction?

3) ​The fresh feed to an ammonia production process contains 24.75 mole% N​2​, 74.25
mole% H​2 a ​ nd the balance inerts. The feed is combined with a recycle stream
containing the same species​a ​ nd the combined stream is fed to a reactor in which a
25% single pass conversion of nitrogen​i​ s achieved. The products pass through a
condenser in which all of the ammonia is removed and the remaining gases are
recycled. To prevent buildup of the inerts, a purge stream must be taken off. The
recycle stream contains 12.5 mole% inerts.
(a)You may identify the four separate process units around which material balances can
be written. Assume the purge ratio is ​α​, the flow rates of N​2,​ H​2 ​and inerts at the
entrance of the reactor (location (a) in Figure 1) are x, y and z respectively (unit is mol
per unit time). Calculate the flow rate of each component at locations (b), (c), (d) and (a)
and complete the following table. You may assume the flow rate in the fresh feed is 100
mol per unit time.
Location (a) (b) (c) (d) (a)
N​2 x
H​2 y
inerts z
NH​3 0

(b) Write down four equations to solve the four variables x, y, z and ​α​.
(c) Calculate the overall conversion efficiency of N​2 ​to NH​3.​

4) ​Study and run the Matlab code in the share folder for steam reforming of methane for
hydrogen generation.