WELCOME

TO

CL 308: CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING - II

(Jan – May 2015)

INSTRUCTOR
Dr. Vaibhav V Goud & Dr.Nageswara Rao Peela
(email: vvgoud, peelanr@iitg.ernet.in, Phone: 2272/3526)

Teaching Assistants

1
Summary of Diffusion Resistance in Pores

Here we summarize our finding for first order isothermal surface reaction as
follows
 • - = ... rate accounting pore diffusion resistance (actual rate)

• - = ...........rate without diffusion effects

• =...effectiveness factor, ranges from 0 to 1

&Indicates the utilization of the internal surface of a catalyst

actual average reaction rate within pore


reaction rate at external condition
or
actual average reaction rate within pore

reaction ratethat would result of entire pore surface were exposed
to condition at the external surface/pore mouth C As , TS

2
 = 1 ………….....for no pore diffusion resistance
 = tanh .... for flat plates/slabs with sealed edges

 = L ... Thiele modulus –useful to predict reactor behaviour from known

 = = L2 ... Wagner modulus, useful to interpret experiment, as it only includes observable

MT < 0.4 and =1 ...reactant is evenly distributed throughout the pellet, no pore
diffusion resistance and surface reaction controls.

MT > 4 and <1 ...strong pore diffusion resistance, reaction is diffusion limited
in the pellet i.e. pore diffusion controls.

3
Determining controlling resistances and the rate equations

For many of the process in catalytic Rxn. the controlling factor is

• Mass transfer through the pores
• Heat transfer through the film

• For catalyst particle assume that the particle is ISOTHERMAL because HEAT
TRANSFER is not controlling other way (mass transfer control is more
important inside the pore)
D (C  C )( Hr )
Tparticle  (Tcentre  Ts )  e As A centre o C
keff

• While, external film heat transfer is more important than the mass transfer.

L( rA''' obs )( H r )

T film  (Tg  Ts )   0 C
h

4
Film diffusion resistance
To find whether the resistance to film mass transfer/film resistance to
mass transfer is important, we compare the observed first order rate
constant based on the volume of particle with the mass transfer
coefficient for that type of flow:
Using data available,
calculate: k '''obs Vp .... observed rate, mole A/s

k g S ex ... rate if film resistance controls

( film masstran sfer rate ),mol  A / s

4 π
Forsphericalparticle:Vp = πR 3 = d 3p ,S ex = 4πR 2 = πd p2
3 6
'''
kobs V p is much smaller than k S then the resistance to film mass transfer does not
g ex

affect/influence the rate of reaction

kobs V p
'''
If & kg Sex are of the same order of magnitude we may suspect that the film
5
resistance affects the rate of reaction.
Pore Diffusion Resistance:

The effectiveness factor in the rate equation accounts for this resistance. The rate
based on unit volume of catalyst is thus given by
rA'''  k '''C As
1
where
MT

• We can determine the existence of the pore diffusion resistance by calculation if De is

given, calculate MT or MW

• comparing rates for pellets of different sizes, etc.

• For run 2 & 3 different
spinning rate have same rate
(film resistance is not imp.)
• For 1 & either 2 or 3 shows
that rate indicate
strong pore resistance
6