UNIVERSITI

TEKNOLOGI
PETRONAS

COURSE CDB2043 - REACTION ENGINEERING

DATE 29TH DECEMBER 2017 (FRIDAY}
TIME 9.00 AM - 12.00 NOON (3 HOURS}

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

1. Answer ALL questions from the Question Booklet.

2. Begin EACH answers on a new page in the Answer Booklet.
3. Indicate clearly answers that are cancelled, if any.
4. Where applicable, show clearly steps taken in arriving at the solutions and
indicate all assumptions.
5. Do not open this Question Booklet until instructed.

Note There are SIX (6} pages in this Question Booklet including the cover
page and appendix.

Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS

 COB 2043

1. The irreversible gas-phase non-elementary reaction is to be carried out

isothermally in a constant-pressure batch reactor. The feed is at a
temperature of 227°C, a pressure of 1013 kPa, and its mole composition is
33.3% A and 66.7% B. Laboratory data in TABLE Q1 taken under
identical conditions are as follows (at X=O, rA=0.00001 molldm 3 -s):

TABLE Q1
-rA (mol/dm 3 -s) x 103 0.010 0.005 0.002 0.001
X (conversion) 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6

a. Determine the volume of a PFR (plug-flow reactor) required to

achieve 30% conversion of A for an entering volumetric flow rate of
2m 3/min.
[5 marks]

b. Calculate the volume of a CSTR required to take the effluent from

the plug-flow reactor (PFR) above and achieve 50% total
conversion (based on species A fed to the PFR).
[5 marks]

c. Determine the volume of a single CSTR necessary to achieve 50o/o

conversion.
[5 marks]

d. Calculate the volume of a second CSTR necessary to raise the

conversion from 50% to 60%.
[5 marks]

e. Analyze the result obtained from Q1 a - Q1 d and propose the best

configuration.
[5 marks]

2
 COB 2043

2. a. The liquid-phase irreversible reaction A ~ 8 + C is carried out in a

CSTR. To evaluate the rate law, the volumetric flow rate, va is
varied and the effluent concentrations of species A are recorded as
a function of the space time, r (TABLE Q2a). Pure A enters the
reactor at a concentration of 2 mol/dm 3 . Steady-state conditions
exist when the measurements are recorded.

TABLE Q2a

Run 1 2 3 4 5
r(min) 15 38 100 300 1150
CA (mol/dm 3) 1.5 1.25 1.0 0.75 0.5

Determine the reaction order and specific reaction rate constant (k).
[12 marks]

b. Evaluate and sketch 2 types of reactor system and conditions to

maximize the selectivity of D for the following reaction set:

(1) A+B~D -riA= 10 exp (-1 OOOK/1) CA Cs

(2) B+D~U -r2A = 109 exp (-10000K/1) Cs CD

The rates are in (mol/dm 3 ·s) and concentration are in (mol/dm 3).
[8 marks]

c. Evaluate extra time needed to achieve 75% conversion if the time

needed to decompose 50% liquid A based on second-order kinetics
is 5 minutes.
[5 marks]

3
 CDB 2043

3. The following elementary gas-phase reaction

(CH3)3COOC(CH3)3 ~

di-terl-butyl peroxide ethane acetone

is carried out isothermally in a flow reactor with no pressure drop. The

specific reaction rate at temperature of sooc is 1o-4 min- 1 and the activation
energy is 85 kJ/mol. Pure di-fert-butyl peroxide enters the reactor at a
pressure of 10 atm and 127°C and a molar flow rate of 2.5 mol/min.

a. Evaluate the reactor volume and space time to achieve 90o/o

conversion in a PFR and CSTR.
[10 marks]

b. Draw and analyze conversion (X), y (y=P!Po), as a function of the

PFR volume when pressure drop factor, a=0.001 dm-3 . Evaluate
the value of X andy at V=50 dm 3 .
[10 marks]

c. Estimate reactor size that would be required to process 3600 moles

of di-fert-butyl peroxide per day, if this reaction is to be carried out
isothermally at 127°C and an initial pressure of 10 atm in a
constant-volume batch mode with 90% conversion.
[5 marks]

4
 COB 2043

4. Substance A in the liquid phase produces R and S by the following parallel

reactions:
rR = k1 C~
rs = k2CA
The feed (CAo=1.0, CRo=O, Cso=0.3) enters two mixed flow reactors (CSTR)
in series (n=2.5 min, r2=1 0 min). Knowing the composition in the first
reactor (CAJ=0.4, CR1=0.2, Cs1=0. 7),

a. Evaluate the composition of all substances leaving the second

reactor. All concentration unit is in molldm 3 .

CAo= 1 CAl= 0.4

CRo=O CRJ = 0.2
Cso= 0.3 Cs1 = 0.7

t'J = 2.5 min

FIGURE 4a
· [10 marks]

b. Design and evaluate the performance of CSTR reactors in series

with equal volume to achieve higher conversion than the reactor
system in FIGURE 4a.
[15 marks]

-END OF PAPER-

5
 COB 2043

APPENDIX
..
Reactor Differential Algebraic Integral Integration General Formula

Batch
dN
___..A_= r V
NA dN
f= f-A f xn dx = ____!__._
n+1
xn+l + c (n '* 1)
dt A N rAV
AO

Trapezoid Rule Formula

V= FAO- FA
CSTR

rl_
-rA
FAo dF
dFA
PFR -=rA V= f-A
dV FAl
-rA a b'

dFA
-=r
,
FAo dF
W=f-A f f(x)dx ~ (b- a)f(a) + f(b)
b

PBR -r' A a 2
dW A FA!

Reactor Differential Algebraic. Integral Quadratic Formula

Batch

v = FAO (Xout - xin)

CSTR (-rAtut
Diff. Ergun Eqn. in PBR
dy aTFr
-=-----
dJ{ 2y To Fro
J-- dW
. Xout

PFR V=FAO
dy a T
Xm -rA -=--(1+&.¥)-
dW 2y 1'a
xout dX
PBR W=FAO J-,-
x,n - r A

Relation between FA, NA, and CA

FA= CA. v
Conversion
XA = moles of A reacted I moles of A fed
NA = NAo - NAoX = NAo(i-A)
FA = FAo (1-A) CA = CAo (1-Aj
Space time (average residence time) and Space velocity (SV)
r =VIvo SV=llr
Ideal Gas Law P V=nRT
Gas Constant R = 8.314 J K- 1 mol- 1
R = 8.314 L kPa K- 1 mol- 1
R = 0.08205 L atm K- 1 mol- 1