Code No: R05320802 Set No.

1
III B.Tech Supplimentary Examinations, Aug/Sep 2008
CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING-II
(Chemical Engineering)
Time: 3 hours Max Marks: 80
Answer any FIVE Questions
All Questions carry equal marks
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1. Hydrogen sulfide is removed from coal gas by contact with a moving bed of iron
oxide particles which convert to the sulfide as follows:
Fe2 O3 → FeS
In our reactor the fraction of oxide converted in any particle is determined by its
residence time t and the time needed for complete conversion of the particle τ and
this is given by

3
1 − X = 1 − τt when t < 1 hr and with τ = 1 hr and X = 1 when t ≥1 hr.
Find the conversion of iron oxide to sulfide if the RTD of solids in the contactor is
approximated by the curve shown in the figure 1. [16]

Figure 1
2. (a) Write about dispersion model and mention its applications and limitations
(b) An injected slug of tracer material flows with its carrier fluid down a long,
straight pipe in dispersed plug flow. At point A in the pipe the spread of
tracer is 16m. At point B, 1 kilometer downstream from A, its spread is 32m.
What do you estimate its spread to be at a point C, which is 2 kilometers
downstream from point A? [8+8]

3. A reactor has flow characteristics given by the non-normalised C curve in the given
table and by the shape of this curve we feel that the dispersion or tanks-in-series
models should satisfactorily represent flow in the reactor.

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Code No: R05320802 Set No. 1
Time Tracer Time Tracer
concentration concentration
0 0 10 67
1 9 15 47
2 57 20 32
3 81 30 15
4 90 41 7
5 90 52 3
6 86 67 1
8 77 70 0
Find the number of tanks in series which will represent the reactor and the conver-
sion expected, assuming that the tanks-in-series model holds. Data: The elemen-
tary liquid-phase reaction taking place is A + B → products, with a large enough
excess of B so that the reaction is essentially first order. In addition, if plug flow
existed, conversion would be 99% in the reactor. [16]

4. Consider a second-order reaction being can-led out in a real CSTR that can be
modeled as two different reactor systems: In the first system a CSTR is followed
by a PFR, in the second system the PFR precedes the CSTR. Let τs and τp each
equal 1 min, let the reaction rate constant equal 1.0 m3 /kmol.min and let the initial
concentration of liquid reactant, CAO , equal 1 kmol/m3 . Find the conversion in each
system. [16]

5. What are the important physical properties of catalysts? Describe a method for
determining the surface area. [16]

6. Discuss the spectrum of kinetic regimes in a porous catalytic reaction system and
explain the factors that influence the rate of reaction of particles. [16]

7. A solid catalyzed first-order reaction ε = 0, takes place with 50% conversion in

a basket type mixed reactor. What will be the conversion if the reactor size is
trebled and all else-temperature, amount of catalyst, feed composition, and flow
rate remains unchanged. [16]

8. Derive a rate equation for instantaneous reaction of any order between A from gas
and B from liquid i.e A+bB →P, visualizing two-film theory. [16]

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Code No: R05320802 Set No. 2
III B.Tech Supplimentary Examinations, Aug/Sep 2008
CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING-II
(Chemical Engineering)
Time: 3 hours Max Marks: 80
Answer any FIVE Questions
All Questions carry equal marks
⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

1. A large tank (860 liters) is used as a gas-liquid contactor. Gas bubbles flows up
through the vessel and out at the top, liquid flows in at one part and out the other
at 5 liters/s. To get an idea of the flow pattern of liquid in this tank a pulse of
tracer (M = 150 gm) is injected at the liquid inlet and measured at the outlet, as
shown in figure 1.
(a) Is this a properly done experiment?
(b) If so, find the liquid fraction in the vessel.
(c) Determine the E curve for the liquid.
(d) Qualitatively what do you think is happening in the vessel? [4+4+4+4]

Figure 1
2. (a) Write about dispersion model and mention its applications and limitations
(b) An injected slug of tracer material flows with its carrier fluid down a long,
straight pipe in dispersed plug flow. At point A in the pipe the spread of
tracer is 16m. At point B, 1 kilometer downstream from A, its spread is 32m.
What do you estimate its spread to be at a point C, which is 2 kilometers
downstream from point A? [8+8]
3. Aqueous A (CAO = 1 mol/m3 ) with physical properties close to water ( ρ = 1000
kg/m3 , D = 10 - 9 m2 /s) reacts by a second-order reaction ( k = 10 - 3 m3 /mol.s)
as it flows at 10 mm/s through a tubular reactor (dt = 10 mm, L = 20 m). Find
the conversion of reactant A from this reactor. [16]
4. (a) Find the expression for conversion of a macrofluid in two equal-size mixed
reactors for a zero-order reaction. If conversion is 99% for the microfluid,
what is it for a macrofluid having the same reaction rate?

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Code No: R05320802 Set No. 2
(b) Discuss about mixing of two miscible fluids. [10+6]

5. What is a catalyst? Explain its role in a chemical reaction with suitable examples.
Describe about the homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic processes. [16]

6. Calculate the effectiveness factor of a single catalyst pore and of a catalyst slab for
Zeroth - order kinetics. [16]

7. Find the activation energy of the first-order reaction from the following data.
dp (mm) CA (mol/lit) -r′A T(K)
1 20 1 480
2 40 1 480
2 40 3 500
A → R and CAo = 50 mol/lit. [16]

8. Two small samples of solids are introduced into a constant environment oven kept
there for one hour. Under these conditions the 4mm particles are 58% converted.
The 2mm particles are 87.5% converted.

(a) Find the rate controlling mechanism for the conversion of solids.
(b) Find the needed for complete conversion of 1mm particles in this oven.

[16]

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Code No: R05320802 Set No. 3
III B.Tech Supplimentary Examinations, Aug/Sep 2008
CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING-II
(Chemical Engineering)
Time: 3 hours Max Marks: 80
Answer any FIVE Questions
All Questions carry equal marks
⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

1. A reactor with a number of dividing baffles is to be used to run the reaction

A → R with -rA = 0.05 CA mol/liter. min.
Time, min 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Concentration reading 35 38 40 40 39 37 36 35

(a) Find the E versus t curve.

(b) Calculate the variance of the E curve.
(c) Calculate XA directly from the data. [4+4+8]

2. (a) Write about dispersion model and mention its applications and limitations
(b) An injected slug of tracer material flows with its carrier fluid down a long,
straight pipe in dispersed plug flow. At point A in the pipe the spread of
tracer is 16m. At point B, 1 kilometer downstream from A, its spread is 32m.
What do you estimate its spread to be at a point C, which is 2 kilometers
downstream from point A? [8+8]
3. A reactor has flow characteristics given by the non-normalised C curve in the given
table and by the shape of this curve we feel that the dispersion or tanks-in-series
models should satisfactorily represent flow in the reactor.
Time Tracer Time Tracer
concentration concentration
0 0 10 67
1 9 15 47
2 57 20 32
3 81 30 15
4 90 41 7
5 90 52 3
6 86 67 1
8 77 70 0
Find the number of tanks in series which will represent the reactor and the conver-
sion expected, assuming that the tanks-in-series model holds. Data: The elemen-
tary liquid-phase reaction taking place is A + B → products, with a large enough
excess of B so that the reaction is essentially first order. In addition, if plug flow
existed, conversion would be 99% in the reactor. [16]
4. (a) Find the expression for conversion of a macrofluid in two equal-size mixed
reactors for a zero-order reaction. If conversion is 99% for the microfluid,
what is it for a macrofluid having the same reaction rate?

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Code No: R05320802 Set No. 3
(b) Consider a single reacting macrofluid being processed in turn in batch, plug
flow and mixed flow reactors. How does the degree of segregation affect the
conversion in each case? [10+6]

5. What is a catalyst? Explain its role in a chemical reaction with suitable examples.
Describe about the homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic processes. [16]

6. What is meant by effective diffusivity. How it is estimated. Explain with a neat

sketch for a spherical porous catalyst pellet. [16]

7. We plan to run an isomerization of A to R in a packed bed reactor (pure A feed,FAo

= 5kmol/hr, W = 1 ton catalyst, P = 3atm, T =730 k). The catalyst deactivates
so we plan to make 120 day runs. Then regenerate the catalyst .the rate of reac-
tion with CA in mol/m3 is -r′A = 0.2 CA2 a molA/kg.catalyst .hr and the rate of
deactivation is -da/ dt = 8.3125×10−3 day−1 . Plot conversion and activity verses
time for the run. [16]

8. Gaseous A absorbs and reacts with B in liquid according to

A (g - l) + B (l) → R(l), - rA = k CA CB in a packed bed under conditions
where KAg a = 0.1 mol/hr. m2 of reactor.Pa, KAL a = 100 m3 liquid/ m3 reactor
.hr,
a = 100 m2 / m3 reactor. fL = 0.01 m3 liquid /m3 reactor. DAL = DBL = 10−6
m2 /hr.
At a point in the reactor where PA = 100 Pa and CB =100 mol/m3 liquid. Calculate
the rate of reaction in mol/ hr.m3 of reactor. [16]

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Code No: R05320802 Set No. 4
III B.Tech Supplimentary Examinations, Aug/Sep 2008
CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING-II
(Chemical Engineering)
Time: 3 hours Max Marks: 80
Answer any FIVE Questions
All Questions carry equal marks
⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

1. A pulse test on a piece of reaction equipment gave the following results: The output
concentrations rose linearly from zero to 0.5 µmol/dm3 in 5 min, then fell linearly
to zero in 10 min after reaching the maximum value.

(a) Calculate in tabular form the values of E(t) and F(t) at 1 min intervals
(b) What is the mean residence time? If the flow rate were 150 gal/min, what
would be the total reactor volume? A second order reaction with kCA0 = 1.2
min - 1 is carried out in the system. [16]

2. (a) Using the dispersion model calculate the conversion for a closed vessel for the
first order isomerization A→ B with k = 0.18 min−1 . The results of a tracer
test carried out on this reactor are as follows:

t (s) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14
C (mg/liter) 0 1 5 8 10 8 6 4 3 2.2 1.5 0.6 0
(b) Compare your result in part (a) with the conversion calculated from a PFR.
[12+4]

3. (a) Give a brief account of the tanks-in-series model

(b) Fit the tank-in-series model to the following mixing cup output data to a pulse
input. [8+8]

t 0-2 2-4 4-6 6-8 8 - 10 10 - 12

C 2 10 8 4 2 0

4. (a) For a first-order reaction with ε = 0 show that the performance equations for
a macrofluid in plug flow and a microfluid in plug flow are identical.
(b) Discuss about mixing of two miscible fluids. [10+6]

5. What is the basis for classification of catalyst? Explain about the type of catalysts
used in hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions of commercial importance.
[16]

6. Develop an equation describing diffusion and reaction in a catalyst pellet. As-

sume that the surface reaction is of nth order in the gas phase concentration of A
within the pellet. Write the boundary conditions to solve the resulting differential
equation. [16]

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Code No: R05320802 Set No. 4
7. What are the experimental devices used for collecting experimental data to estimate
the kinetic parameters of a catalytic reaction. Explain the strategy of applications
of those devices for different reactions. [16]

8. What is a fluid-fluid reaction? How it differ from fluid-solid reaction? Give some
examples of fluid-fluid reactions of industrial importance, gas-liquid and liquid -
liquid reactions. [16]

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