Fractional amount of reactant species (A) converted into Design Equations in terms of Conversion
product(s) or consumed by reaction. Batch Reactor
Indicates extent of reaction.
dNA
moles of A reacted From mass balance: = rA V
XA = dt
moles of A fed
Express NA in terms of XA:
Expressed in terms of limiting reactant.
differentiate 3 w.r.t. t
dNA dX A
= 0 NA 0
dt dt
1 2
2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2- 3 2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2- 4
dX A
NA 0 = rA V
dt CSTR
N A 0 dX A Express FA in terms of XA
dt = (Analogous to above for Batch Reactor)
V - rA
if volume constant Molar flow rate Molar flow rate Molar flow rate
of A leaving = of A fed - of A consumed
NA 0 XA
dX A
t= the reactor to reactor by reaction
V X A0 - rA
For constant pressure: V = (1-X)V0 + 2XV0 Note: -rA is evaluated at the conditions inside the reactor,
V = V0(1+X) which are the same as the exit conditions.
N A0 XA dX A
Then t =
V0
X A0 rA (1 + x)
3 4
2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2- 5 2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2- 6
Tubular Flow Reactor or PFR (Plug Flow Reactor)
Reactor capacity
dFA
From mass balance = rA To use sizing equations rA must be expressed in terms of
dV
conversion.
Differentiate (4) w.r.t. V
Consider a 1st order irreversible reaction:
dFA dX A
= 0 FA 0 -rA = kCA (rate equation)
dV dV
dX A FA 0 FA
FA 0 = rA XA =
dV FA 0
Alternatively, for a Packed-Bed Reactor (PBR) with solid rearranging CA = (1 - XA) CA0
catalyst:
Substitute into the rate equation:
XA f
dX A
W = FA 0
XA0 r'A
W = catalyst weight (kg) -rA = k(1 - XA) CA0 (-rA in terms of XA)
5 6
2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2- 7 2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2- 8
FA0 XA dX A 1
V=
kC A0 0 1 X A
(1st order, =0) V = FA 0
( rA )exit
XA CSTR
X Af 1
Alternatively, the sizing equation can be expressed in terms
V = FA 0
X A0 rA
dX A PFR
of CA rather than XA since =0 in this case.
Consider a 1st order irreversible reaction:
CA dC A
XA = 1 gives dX A = 0
CA 0 CA 0 1
A B, -rA = kCA0(1-XA) Plot versus XA
rA
FA 0 CA
dC A (Levenspiel plot)
then for a PFR V=
kC A 0 CA 0 CA
1 1 1
- = (1st order, =0)
CA rA kC A 0 1 - X A
0 dC A st
or V=
k
CA 0 CA
(1 order, =0)
1
At XA= 0 minimum largest reaction rate
rA
1
as XA 1 reaction rate 0, reactant A
rA
is depleted.
7 8
2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2- 9 2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2 - 10
Compare the volume of a PFR and a CSTR required for a Levenspiel plots can off course be used to compute the
given conversion X: volume of a CSTR or PFR:
V = FA Area Levenspiel
0
Example:
9 10
2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2 - 11 2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2 - 12
Reactors in series
Consider following cases for first order irreversible reaction:
XA0 XA1 XA2 XA3 XAn Case 1: Total volume of one CSTR versus two CSTR:s in
V1 V2 V3 Vn series to reach given conversion.
FA0 FA1 FA2 FA3 FAn
X is the total number of moles of A that have reacted per 1 CSTR:
mole of A fed to the first reactor (will simplify calculations).
FA 0 FA1
X A1 =
FA 0
FA 0 FA 2
XA 2 = i.e. X A2 is conversion over reactors 1 and 2
FA 0
2 CSTRs: Area FA0 = Vtotal
FA 0 FA n
XAn =
FA 0
11 12
2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2 - 13 2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2 - 14
Case 2: Total volume of one PFR versus two PFR:s in Case 3: Total volume of PFR and CSTR in series versus
series to reach given conversion. one PFR or CSTR to reach given conversion.
13 14
2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2 - 15 2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2 - 16
Does it matter in what order the reactors are placed? Space time and space velocity
V time
= = [volume ]
0 volume
XA
dX A
= CA 0
XA0
rA
PFR
CA 0 X A
= CSTR
rA
In this case, lower total volume if CSTR first. Why?
Space velocity (SV) defined as:
The answers really depend on the intermediate conversion.
What if the intermediate conversion was higher?
SV =
0
=
1 [volume ] = 1
V [volume ] [time ]
15 16
2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2 - 17 2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2 - 18
1
tbatch = ln(1 x)
Other forms: k
17 18
2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2 - 19 2. Conversion and Reactor Sizing 2 - 20
x
CSTR =
k (1 x)
Consider:
CSTR VCSTR x
= =
PFR VPFR (1 x)ln(1 (1 x ))
VCSTR
is even larger for higher order reactions.
VPFR
Cj
Can be shown = exp( k ) (PFR)
C j0
Cj 1
= (CSTR)
C j0 k + 1
19 20