CHE 471 FALL 2004

EXAM 2
(Closed Book, Closed Notes)
(2 Crib Sheets Allowed)

PROBLEM #1

Consider the following competitive reactions:

P RP  1  mol L hr 
A R RR  2 C A  mol L hr 
S RS  1 C A2  mol L hr 

The feed concentration is C Ao  5  mol L  . For this reaction system and feed concentration
your task is to optimize (maximize) the concentration of P, C p .

a) What reactor type (or reactor combination) do you recommend and why? Clearly explain
your answer and illustrate it graphically.

b) What is the maximum achievable C p ?

c) What is the volume of the reactor(s) required if you are processing 10,000 (L/h) of the feed?

Hint: Examine the point yield y  R p   R A  as a function of CA .

PROBLEM #2

Consider a system of consecutive first order reactions

A 
k1
R 
k2
S

 
with k1  k 2  0.01 min 1 . You are asked to maximize the concentration of the intermediate
R and have two equal size stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) at your disposal V1  V2  .

a) In order to maximize C R do you want to operate the two CSTRs in parallel or in series?
Explain your answer.

b) What is the maximum C R that you can produce?

1
c) If the reactors are V  10,000 L in size each, what flow rate Q of the feed can you
process in order to reach maximum C R and what is your maximum production rate of R,
FR  Q C R , if the feed concentration is C Ao  1  mol L  ?

Hint: Use CSTR design equations for A and R .

PROBLEM #3

A reversible, first-order exothermic reaction is carried out in a continuous flow stirred tank
reactor (CSTR). The stoichiometry is A R  S and the reaction rate in  mol L min  is given
as:

 R A  8.8  10 4 e 12,500 / RT C Ao 1  x A   4.2  1015 e 30, 000 / RT C Ao x A

with activation energies in  cal mol  . Thus R  1.987  cal mol K  .

We want to produce FR  1  mol min  at the conversion of A of x A  0.9 .

a) Find the optimal operating temperature for the reactor (i.e., the temperature that minimizes
the needed reactor volume).

b) Find the necessary reactor size (volume).

c) If the feed is available only at 300K, calculate the required rate of heating (or cooling) for
the reactor. Clearly specify whether the reactor is being heated or cooled.

Data : H r   17,500  cal mol 

 Cp  500  cal L K 
C Ao  10  mol L 

Hint: Use the equation for the Tm line or derive it by taking    R A  T  0 .

PROBLEM #4

A plug flow reactor with recycle shown below is used for an irreversible exothermic reaction
A  P.
C Ao M To (R+1) Q
T T
PFR
To x Ain xAf xAf
Q RQ Q
To T
xA  0
x Af  xAf
q

2
The rate of reaction is second order and is given by:

 R A  2.7  108 e 10,000 / RT C A  mol L min  where the activation energy is given in
2

 cal mol  so that R  1.987  cal mol  K  . The heat of reaction is

 H r   20,000  cal mol  . The feed is at To  350  K and C Ao  1  mol L  . The
physical properties of the mixture are such that C p  500  cal C  K  . We want to achieve

95% conversion x A f  0.95 . 
The plug flow reactor section of the recycle reactor operates adiabatically but heat is removed
from the recycle loop via a heat exchanger so as to reduce the temperature of the reaction
mixture back to feed temperature as shown in the diagram. Your task is to operate the plug flow
reactor close to isothermally. You are told that you can consider the adiabatic plug flow reactor
section to be approximately isothermal if the value of the rate constant  2.7  10 8 e 10, 000 / RT 
at the exit adiabatic temperature T does not differ by more than 10% than the rate constant
evaluated at the inlet temperature To  350  K .

a) Find the exit temperature T that satisfies this requirement (and round it off to the nearest
degree).

b) Calculate the recycle ratio R that you must use in order to satisfy this requirement (i.e., not
exceed the desired exit temperature T).

Hint: Make a mass balance around mixing point M to relate x A to recycle ratio, R. Then make
in

the adiabatic energy balance around the plug flow section of the recycle reactor.

c) Find the required reactor space time.

[Hint: use the rate constant evaluated at the mean temperature between To and T and the
isothermal formula for the recycle reactor].

d) If we need to process Q  1000  L min  find the required reactor size.

e) Find the cooling requirement for the heat exchanger (i.e., the required rate of heat
removal in the recycle loop).