CHAPTER 4

L E C TU RE 2

Isothermal Reactor Design

G I V E A M A N S O M E F I S H , Y O U F E E D H I M F O R A D A Y, T E A C H A
MAN HOW TO CATCH FISH, YOU FEED HIM FOR LIFE
-UNKNOWN-

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Engineering

Topics
Lecture 1:

Lecture 2:

Design structure for isothermal reactors

Scale up of liquid phase batch reactor
data to the design of CSTR
Design of CSTR

Lecture 3:

Design of tubular reactors

Lecture 4:

Recycle reactors

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Design of CSTR
Recap single reactor:
Design equation for CSTR
V

FA0 FA FA0 X

rA
rA

Constant volume system,

C A0 C A

v
v=v0
0

rA

C CA
V
A0
v0
rA

C A0 C A
C
, C A A0
kCA
1 k

X
where: FA0=CA0v0

k
1 k

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Design of CSTR
Damkohler number, Da
Gives quick estimate on the degree of conversion
rA0V
in CSTR
Da

FA0

Da < 0.1, then X < 0.1

Da > 10, then X > 0.9

1st order irreversible

reaction:

Da k

2nd order irreversible

reaction:

Da kCA0

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Engineering

Design of CSTRs - CSTR in series

CA1,X1

CA0
-rA1
V1

-rA2
V2
CA2,X2

Information:
1. First order reaction with no volume change

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Design of CSTRs - CSTR in series

C A1

C A2

C An

C A0
1 1k1

C A0
C A1

1 2 k 2 1 2 k 2 1 1 k1

C A0
1

, X 1
n
1 k
1 k n

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Design of CSTRs - CSTR in series

C An

n
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

C A0
1
,
X

1 k n
1 k n
X
0.50
0.75
0.88
0.94
0.97
0.98
0.99
1.00
1.00
1.00

X
0.33
0.56
0.70
0.80
0.87
0.91
0.94
0.96
0.97
0.98

X
0.09
0.17
0.25
0.32
0.38
0.44
0.49
0.53
0.58
0.61

Conversion X versus number of tanks, n for different Da= tk

tk=1
tk=0.5
tk=0.1

Number of tanks, n
Conversion as a function of the number of tanks in series for first order reaction

10

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Design of CSTRs - CSTR in parallel

-rA1
V1

-rA2
V2

Assume:
1. Equal reactor size
2. Similar operating
temperature & feed
rate

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Design of CSTRs - CSTR in parallel

Identical feed rate, size &
temperature, therefore:
X1 X 2 X n X
rA1 rA2 rAn rA

Volume of individual reactor

V
n

Vi
Molar flowrate
FA0 i

FA0
n

Balance on i from
individual reactor volume

Xi

r
Ai

V FA0 X i

n
n rAi

Vi FA0 i

FA0 X
rA

similar to single
volume!!

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Example 4.2: Production of ethylene glycol in a CSTR

It is desired to produce 200 million pounds per year of ethylene
glycol(A). The reaction takes place in an isothermal CSTR and the
following data applies;

FA0 = 58 mol/s
CA0 = 1 mol/dm3 (after mixing)
k = 0.311 min-1

Problem statement:

Find the volume required for 80% conversion in a single

CSTR
The number of 3 m3 reactor required to achieve 80%
conversion if the reactor is arranged in parallel?
The number of 3 m3 reactor required to achieve 80%
conversion if the reactor is arranged in series?

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THE END