EXERCISE 2 SOLUTION

Lecturer: Miss Anis Atikah Ahmad

Email: anisatikah@unimap.edu.my
 QUESTIONS
The exothermic reaction
A--->B + C
was carried out adiabatically and the following data recorded:
X 0 0.2 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.6 0.8 0.9
-rA
(mol/dm3. 1.0 1.67 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 1.25 0.91
min
The entering molar flow rate of A was 300 mol/min.
(a) What are the PFR and CSTR volumes necessary to achieve 40 % conversion?
(b) Over what range of conversions would the CSTR and PFR reactor volumes be
identical?
(c) What is the maximum conversion that can be achieved in a 105 dm3 CSTR?
(d) What conversion can be achieved if a 72 dm3 PFR is followed in series by a 24
dm3 CSTR?
(e) What conversion can be achieved if a 24 dm3 CSTR is followed in a series by a
72 dm3 PFR?
PART (A) What are the PFR and CSTR volumes
necessary to achieve 40 % conversion?

 PFR Volume:
X
dX
VPFR  FA0 
 rA Recall Simpson One-
0 Third Rule Formula:
Using Simpson One-Third Rule;
X2

0.4  0  f  X dX 
h
 f  X 0   4 f  X 1   f  X 2 
h  0.2  X X0
3
2 X2  X0
where h  X1  X 0  h
2
X 0  0, X 1  0.2, X 2  0.4,

X  FA0 FA0 FA0 

VPFR   4  
3 
 A r ( X  0)  rA ( X  0.2)  rA ( X  0.4) 
 PART (A)
X 0 0.2 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.6 0.8 0.9
-rA 1.0 1.67 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 1.25 0.91
(mol/dm3.min)
FA0/-rA
(dm3) 300 180 60 60 60 60 240 330

X  FA0 FA0 FA0 

VPFR   4  
3 
 A r ( X  0)  rA ( X  0.2)  rA ( X  0.4)  Levelspiel
Plot


0.2
300  4180  60 350
300
3 FA0/-rA
250
200
150
 72dm 3 100
50
VPFR

0
0 0.5 1
X
 350
PART (A) 300
250

FA0/-rA
200
150
 CSTR Volume: 100
50 VCSTR
FA0 X 0
VCSTR  0 0.5 1
 rA X

Levelspiel
Substituting the value of FA0/–rA at X=0.4; Plot

VCSTR  60dm 3 0.4

 24dm 3
 PART (B) Over what range of conversions would the
CSTR and PFR reactor volumes be identical?

From Levelspiel Plot;

350

VPFR 0.4  VCSTR

0. 6 0. 6
300
0. 4
250

FA0 0.6  0.4

FA0/-rA

200 0.6
FA0
150 0.4  rA dX   rA
100

50

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
X
The volume of
both reactors
are identical
at X=0.4-0.6,
 PART (B) Over what range of conversions would the
CSTR and PFR reactor volumes be identical?
Proving by calculation;
Using Simpson
Volume of PFR One-Third Rule

0.6  0.4
h  0.1  X X 0  0, X 1  0.1, X 2  0.2
2
X  FA0 FA0 FA0 
VPFR   4  
3   rA ( X  0.4)  rA ( X  0.5)  rA ( X  0.6) 
 0.1 
 60  460  60  12dm
3

 3 
Volume of CSTR
FA0  X 2  X 1 
VCSTR  
FA0
 X 2  X1   60dm3 0.2  12dm3
 rA exit  rA exit
 PART (C) What is the maximum conversion that can be
achieved in a 105 dm3 CSTR?
By trial and error, calculate what is X that gives a
CSTR volume of 105 dm3

Trial 1: X=0.6,

 60dm3 0.6  36dm3

FA0 X
VCSTR 
 rA
Trial 2: X=0.8, 350
300
 240dm 3 0.8  192dm 3
FA0 X
VCSTR  250

FA0/-rA
 rA 200
150
100
Trial 3: X=0.7, 50
0 X=0.7
 150dm 3 0.7   105dm 3
FA0 X
VCSTR  0 0.5 1
 rA X

The max conversion can be achieved in 105 dm3 of CSTR is 0.7

 PART (D) What conversion can be achieved if a 72 dm3
PFR is followed in series by a 24 dm3 CSTR?

FA0=300 mol/dm3 X1=0.4 From part (a)

VPFR=72 dm3

VCSTR=24 dm3
By trial and error, calculate what is X2
that gives a CSTR volume of 24 dm3 X2=?

Trial 1: X2=0.6,
Now, we know
FA0  X 2  X 1 
 60dm3 0.6  0.4  12dm3
that the
VCSTR 
 rA exit conversion must
be between 0.6-
Trial 2: X2=0.7, 0.7.

FA0  X 2  X 1 
VCSTR   150dm3 0.7  0.4  45dm3
 rA exit
 PART (D) What conversion can be achieved if a 72 dm3
PFR is followed in series by a 24 dm3 CSTR?

FA0=300 mol/dm3 X1=0.4

VPFR=72 dm3

VCSTR=24 dm3

Trial 3: X2=0.64,
X2=?

FA0  X 2  X 1  350
VCSTR  300
 rA exit 250

FA0/-rA
200

 100dm3 0.64  0.4  24dm3

150
100
50
0 X=0.64
0 0.5 1
X=0.64 can be achieved if a 72 dm3 PFR is X
followed in series by a 24 dm3 CSTR.
 PART (E) What conversion can be achieved if a 24 dm3
CSTR is followed in a series by a 72 dm3 PFR?

FA0=300 mol/dm3 From part (a)

VCSTR=24 dm3
X1=0.4
VPFR=72 dm3
X2=?
By trial and error, calculate what is X2 that gives a PFR volume of 72 dm3
Trial 1: X2=0.8,

0.8  0.4 X 0  0.4, X 1  0.6, X 2  0.8,

h  0.2  X
2
X  FA0 FA0 FA0 
VPFR   4  
3 
 A r ( X  0.4)  rA ( X  0.6)  rA ( X  0.8) 


0.2
60  460  240  36dm3
3
 PART (E) What conversion can be achieved if a 24 dm3
CSTR is followed in a series by a 72 dm3 PFR?

FA0=300 mol/dm3
VCSTR=24 dm3
X1=0.4
VPFR=72 dm3
X2=?
By trial and error, calculate what is X2 that gives a PFR volume of 72 dm3
Trial 2: X2=0.9,

0.9  0.4
h  0.25  X X 0  0.4, X 1  0.65, X 2  0.9,
2
X  FA0 FA0 FA0 
VPFR   4  
3 
 A r ( X  0.4)  rA ( X  0.65)  rA ( X  0.9) 


0.25
60  4107   330  68.17dm3
3
 PART (E) What conversion can be achieved if a 24 dm3
CSTR is followed in a series by a 72 dm3 PFR?

Trial 3: X2=0.91,

0.91  0.4
h  0.255  X X 0  0.4, X 1  0.655, X 2  0.91,
2
X  FA0 FA0 FA0 
VPFR   4  
3   rA ( X  0.4)  rA ( X  0.655)  rA ( X  0.91) 
350
300

0.25
60  4110  346  71.91dm3 250
3
FA0/-rA
200
150
100
X=0.91 can be achieved if a 24 dm3
50
CSTR is followed in a series by a 72
dm3 PFR 0
0 0.5 1
X
THANK YOU