.

Ex.No: 8
Date:

RTD IN A CSTR
AIM:
To study the non-ideality of continuous stirred tank reactor and to find mean
residence time for impulse injection of tracer. To plot exit time distribution of the reactor
and to obtain E curve for experimental results.
THEORY:
The elements of the fluid taking different routes through the reactor may require
different length of time to pass through the reaction vessel. The distribution of these
times for the stream of liquid leaving the vessel is called exit age distribution E or
residence time distribution RTD of the fluid.
The E curve is the distribution needed to account for non-ideal flow. To evaluate
E for any flow, we resort to stimulus response techniques which is the time record of the
tracer leaving the vessel. Any material that can be detected and which does not disturb
the flow pattern in the vessel can be used as tracer.
With no tracer initially present anywhere impose an idealized instantaneous pulse
of tracer on the stream entering the vessel. Such an input is often called a function or
impulse. The normalized response is then called the C curve.
PROCEDURE:

 Prepare 1 lit of 0.1 N HCl and 100 ml of 1N NaOH solutions.

 Standardize NaOH solutions by using standard oxalic acid of 0.1N and

standardize HCl solutions by using known normality of NaOH.

 Transfer water in the overhead tanks provided in the experimental setup.

 FOR IMPULSE INPUT:

 Adjust the flow rate of water stream (5LPH)

 Allow the experiment to reach steady state.

 At time t=0 introduce the tracer of 10 ml (1N NaOH) into mixed flow reactor and
start the stopwatch.

 Collect 10 ml of mixture from the outlet and transfer into a conical flask at every
15 secs interval for about 2 mins and one minute time intervals for next 5 mins
and a time interval of 2 mins for another 8 mins (total time may be 15 mins)

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 Titrate the collected reaction mixture against standard HCl solution using
phenolphthalein as indicator. The end point is disappearance of pale pink colour.

 Tabulate the observations and report the results.

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STANDARDISATION OF NaOH:

Indicator: Phenolphthalein
End point: Appearance of pale pink colour

Volume of Burette Reading Volume of Concordant

S.No oxalic acid. NaOH titre value
ml
ml ml ml
Initial Final

1. 10 0 10 10

2. 10 0 10 10 10

3.

V1N1 = V2N2

Volume of oxalic acid (V1) = 10 ml

Normality of oxalic acid (N1) = 0.1 N
Volume of NaOH consumed (V2) = 10 ml

V1 N 1
Normality of NaOH (N2) =
V2

10 ×0.1
=
10

= 0.1 N

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STANDARDISATION OF HCl:

Indicator: Phenolphthalein
End point: Appearance of pale pink colour

Volume of HCl. Burette Reading Volume of Concordant

S.No NaOH titre value
ml ml
ml ml
Initial Final

1. 10 0 10.1 10.1

2. 10 0 10.1 10.1 10.1

3.

V3N3=V4N4

Volume of NaOH consumed (V3) = 10.1 ml

Normality of NaOH (N3) = 0.1 N
Volume of HCl (V4) = 10 ml

V3 N 3
Normality of HCl (N4) =
V4

10 .1 ×0.1
=
10

= 0.1 N

TABULATION:

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S.NO TIME VOLUME C C∆ t C tC∆ t

∆ t E=
sec OF HCl mol/lit mol-sec/lit ∑C∆t mol-sec2/lit
sec
ml sec-1
1. 0 0 0 - - - -
2. 30 0.5 0.005 30 0.15 0.001938 4.5
3. 60 0.6 0.006 30 0.18 0.002326 10.8
4. 90 0.6 0.006 30 0.18 0.002326 16.2
5. 120 0.6 0.006 30 0.18 0.002326 21.6
6. 150 0.6 0.006 30 0.18 0.002326 27
7. 180 0.7 0.007 30 0.21 0.002713 37.8
8. 210 0.7 0.007 30 0.21 0.002713 44.1
9. 240 0.7 0.007 30 0.21 0.002713 50.4
10. 270 0.6 0.006 30 0.18 0.002326 48.6
11. 300 0.6 0.006 30 0.18 0.002326 54
12. 330 0.6 0.006 30 0.18 0.002326 59.4
13. 360 0.5 0.005 30 0.15 0.001938 54
14. 390 0.5 0.005 30 0.15 0.001938 58.5
15. 420 0.4 0.004 30 0.12 0.00155 50.4
16. 450 0.4 0.004 30 0.12 0.00155 54
∑C∆t = ∑tC ∆t =

2.58 591.3

CALCULATION:
Initial concentration of NaOH, CO = 1 mol / lit

Final concentration

V HCl .N HCl 0.5 × 0.1

C= = = 0.005 mol / lit
V sample 10

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C 0.005
E= = = 0.001938
∑C∆t 2.58

Mean residence time = t =

∑ tC ∆t
=
591 .3
= 229 .19 ≅ 230
∑C∆t 2.58

= 230 sec

GRAPH:

E Curve:

A plot of E (t) Vs time (t) is to be drawn.

RESULT:
The experiment was conducted and the required curve was plotted and the mean
residence time of RTD-CSTR was found to be 230 sec.

Data:
Dia : 100 mm.
Length : 138 mm.

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0.003
RTD in CSTR
0.00275
0.0025
0.00225
0.002
0.00175
E

0.0015
0.00125
0.001
0.00075
0.0005
0.00025
0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360 390 420 450
Time (sec)

Time E
0 0
150 0.00233
240 0.00271
330 0.00233
390 0.00194
420 0.00155

0.003
R TD in C STR
0.00275
0.0025
0.00225
0.002
0.00175
0.0015
E

0.00125
0.001
0.00075
0.0005
0.00025
0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360 390 420
Tim e (s e c)

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