ChE471

1.

Exam2
(Closedbook,closednotes)

Fall2000

ChemicalsA&Breactinanisothermalcontinuousflowstirredtankreactor(CSTR)asfollows:
2A=U
A+B=D
2B=W

RU 1CA mol / L min

2

RD 10CAC B(mol / L min)

RW 4 CB mol / L min
2

ProductDisthedesiredproductandyouneedtomaximizetheoverallselectivity
S=CD//(CU+CD+CW).
a)

b)
c)
2.

WhatistheoptimalratioCB/CAthatyoushouldmaintaininyourCSTRtoachievemaximum
selectivityS?[Hint:Writetheexpressionforpointselectivitys=RD/(RU+RD+RW)andrelate
ittooverallselectivity,S.UseCB/CAastheindependentvariable].Whatistheoptimal
selectivity?
IfthefeedcontainsCAo=1(mol/L)andnoU,D,orW,andyouoperateatconversionofAofxA
=0.98,whilemaintainingtheoptimalCB/CAratiodeterminedinparta),whatistheconcentration
ofD,CD.thatwillbeproduced?
HowmuchshouldthefeedconcentrationofBbe(CBo=?)sothatyoucanattainandmaintain
theconditionsinthereactordeterminedinpartaandb?

AreversiblefirstorderexothermicreactionA=Rtakesplaceinacontinuousflowstirredtankreactor
(CSTR).Therateis
RR=k1CAk2CR(mol/Lmin)
with

k1 e17.2 e11,600/ RT (min 1 );

k2 e 41.9 e 29,600/ RT (min 1 )

whereactivationenergiesarein(cal/mol).HenceR=1.987(cal/molK).
ThefeedisatCAo=5(mol/L)andTo=300K.Wewanttomaximizetheproductionrateof
RfromaV=2000(L)CSTRwhenthereactoroperatesat70%conversionofA.
a)
b)
c)
d)

3.

AtwhattemperatureshouldtheCSTRoperateforoptimalperformance?
WhatisthereactionrateattheseoptimalconditionsandwhatistheproductionrateofR?
Whataretheheatingorcoolingrequirementsforthisreactor?( Cp 1, 000 (cal / L C).)
Youwouldliketooperateaplugflowreactor(PFR)adiabaticallyforthisreactionandgetthe
exitconversionof70%.SketchonaxAvsTdiagramwhatsuchadiabaticoperationwouldlook
like.Describeclearlyinwhatrangeoftemperaturewouldyousearchforanoptimumfeed
temperatureforyourPFR..Documentyouranswer.
[Note:Thekineticparametersfortheabovereactionarealmostidenticaltotheonesforthe
reactionforwhichtheenclosedchartfromyourbookisappended.Youcanusethecharttoget
youranswers].

Anirreversibleliquidphasedimerizationisconductedunderpressure.Thestoichiometryis:
1

2A=D
andthesecondorderrateofdisappearanceofAisgivenby

RA 2.7 x 108 e 25, 000/ RT CA2 mol / L swhereR=1.987(cal/molK).Theheatofthisexothermic

reactioniswrittenas Hr 10,000 cal / mol andtheliquidheatcapacityis Cp 500 (cal / L K) .The

feedratetobeprocessedisQ=1.3(L/s)andthefeedconcentrationisCAo=16(mol/L).
Wewouldliketooperateacontinuousflowstirredtankreactor(CSTR)adiabaticallyataconversionof
xA=0.9.
a)
b)
c)
4.

Ifthefeedispreheatedto39C(312K)findtheneededoperatingadiabatictemperatureforthe
reactor.
Findtherequiredreactorvolumeneededtoprocesstheabovefeedtothedesiredconversion.
WhatistheproductionrateofD?
Isyouroperatingconditionabovetheonlypossiblesteadystateinthereactorofthe
sizedeterminedinpartb?Explainclearlyhowyouwouldcheckandsketchyouranswer.

ThedesiredproductRisproducedbytheautocatalyticliquidphasereactionofreactantA
A+R=R+R
withtherateofproductionofRgivenby:
RR=k1CACR(mol/Lmin)
InparallelacompetitivereactionoccursresultinginunwantedproductW:
2A=W
withtherateofproductionofWgivenby:
RW=k2CA2(mol/Lmin).
ThefeedisavailableatCAo=1(mol/L)CWo=CRo=0andweneedtoprocess
Q=10,000(L/min)ofthefeed.AttheselectedtemperatureforisothermaloperationofT=60Cthe
rateconstantsarek1=1(L/molmin)andk2=0.5(L/molmin).Wearetoldtolimitourreactorsizesto
V=100,000(L)ifchoosingaCSTR,andto1000(L)ifselectingaPFR,sinceforlargersizesthan
thosethecapitalcostsareprohibitive.
a)
b)
c)

YourgoalistomaximizetheoverallselectivityCR/CW!Whatreactortype(contactingflow
pattern)wouldyouchoose?Explainyourreasoning.
Whatreactorsizewouldyouneedandwhatisyouroverallselectivity,conversionofAand
productionrateofR?
Ifyouknowthattheactivationenergyforthefirst(desired)reactionis
E1=20,000cal/molandtheactivationenergyfortheundesiredreactionis
E2=40,000cal/mol,andyoucanoperateisothermallyatanytemperatureintherangefrom40C
to80C,whichtemperatureofoperationwouldyoupickifyourmaingoalis:i)tofurther
2

increasetheoverallselectivity,ii)toincreasetheproductionrateofR.Explainanddocument
youranswerfully.