1

CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

DETERMINATION OF A TUBULAR REACTOR
VOLUME




DECEMBER 11, 2013

ENG3101M
DETERMINATION OF A TUBULAR REACTOR VOLUME 11028630
1

PROBLEM

A homogeneous gas phase reaction 2NO + O2 --> 2NO2 is to be carried out in a tubular
reactor in isothermal conditions of 20C and one atmosphere pressure. Gas feed flow rate to
the reactor is 6500 m3/h measured at 0C and 1 atmosphere pressure. Inlet gas composition
is,
NO= 0.099 N2=0.0845 O2=0.82

Reaction order corresponds to its stoichiometry and the overall order of reaction is 3.0. The
reaction rate constant k = 1.4 x 10
4
sec-1.
At the reactor outlet NO2/NO = 5:1
Determine the reactor Volume.

SOLUTION
The volume occupied by one mole of a gas (molar volume) for an ideal gas at STP is:
S =

This gives 22.414 L/mol
Therefore gas flow rate to the reactor, F
T
= 6 500 m
3
/h = 6 500 * 10
3
L/h
=



= 290 Kmol/h
The chemical reaction taking place in the PFR is:
2NO + O
2
2NO
2
NO = A
O
2
= B
NO
2
= C
N
2
= I
NO is the limiting reactant.
2A + B 2C
A +

B C

X
0
X
1

F
T
= 290 Kmol/h
k = 1.4 x 10
4
sec-1.

Feed Concentration
A = 0.099
B = 0.82
C = 0
I = 0.0845

DETERMINATION OF A TUBULAR REACTOR VOLUME 11028630
2

Using the mole fractions; F
A0
= 0.099 * 290 Kmol/h
= 28.71 Kmol/h
C
A0
=

= 4.42 * 10
-3
mol/L

Stoichiometric Table
Species In Change Remaining Concentration
A F
A0
-F
A0 .
X F
A
= (1-X) C
A0
(1-X)
B 8.28 F
A0
-0.5 F
A0 .
X
F
B
= F
A0
(8.28-0.5X)
C
A0
(8.28-0.5X)
C 0 F
A0 .
X F
C
= F
A0
(0-X) C
A0
.X
I 0.854 F
A0
0 F
I
= F
A0
. 0.854 C
A0
.0.854
Total 10.134 F
A0
-0.5 F
A0 .
X
F
T
= F
A0
(1.134-0.5X)


Determination of Conversion, X
At the reactor outlet: NO2/NO = 5:1
Using the equations from the stoichiometric table:
F
A
= (1-X) ...[1]
F
C
= F
A0
.X ......[2]
= 28.71 X
X = (F
A0 -
F
A
) / F
A0
...[3]
F
A
=

F
C
..[4]
=

(28.71) X
= 5.742 X
By substituting eguation [4] into equation [3] :

X =

X = 0.83
DETERMINATION OF A TUBULAR REACTOR VOLUME 11028630
3

Determination of Concentration
At the reactor outlet the concemtrations of A and B, C
A
and C
B
are obtained thus:
C
A
= C
A0
(1-X)
= 4.42 * 10
-3
mol/L (1- 0.83)
= 7.514 * 10
-4
mol/L
C
B
= C
A0
(8.28-0.5X)
= 4.42 * 10
-3
mol/L (8.28 - 0.5*0.83)
= 3.476 * 10
-2
mol/L

Determination of Reaction Rate
-r
A
= k C
2
A
C
B

= (1.4 x 10
4
sec-1) (7.514 * 10
-4
mol/L)
2
(3.476 * 10
-2
mol/L)
= 2.75 * 10
-4
mol/L.s

Determination of the Reactor Volume
The volume of a PFR is obtained using the following relationship:
V =

dX
The above integral can be solved using Simpsons three point formula.
The relationship between conversion, X and the rate of reaction, -r
A
is given by the following
formula:
-r
A
= k
A
C
2
A
C
B

= k
A
[C
A0
(1-X)]
2
[C
A0
(8.28-0.5X)]
= k
A
C
A0
3
(1-X)
2
(8.28-0.5X)
= (1.4 x 10
4
sec-1) (7.514 * 10
-4
mol/L)
3
(1-X)
2
(8.28-0.5X)
-r
A
= f (X)

X 0 0.415 0.83
-r
A
0.01 3.34*10
-3
2.75*10
-4




DETERMINATION OF A TUBULAR REACTOR VOLUME 11028630
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Using Simpsons three point formula, the volume of the reactor is obtained thus:
V
PFR
= F
A0 .

]

X = (X
1
X
2
) / 2 = 0.83 / 2 = 0.415

V
PFR
= (28710/3600)
.

]


= 5443.195 L
= 5.443 m
3