CHEN 305: Chemical Reaction Engineering I

Introduction to Reactor Design

 Learning Outcomes

• Analyse the three fundamental idea reactor types (plug

flow reactor (PFR), continuous stirred tank reactor
(CSTR), and the perfectly mixed batch reactor)
• Design a simple reactor by suggesting a suitable reactor
type, estimate the volume and/or residence time of the
reactor, and the rate and extent of reaction

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 Reactors
Batch Reactor Flow Reactors

NOTE: Batch Reactor is used whenever possible for obtaining

homogeneous kinetic data 3
Introduction: Classification of Reactor Types

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Introduction: Typical Reactors

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Introduction: Examples of Industrial Reactors

• Multitubular Natural Gas

Steam Reformer (Kellogg)
• Endothermic Reaction
• Heated from 500 to 850oC
depending on catalyst
and heat flux
• About 300 tubes of 10m long
and 10cm inner diameter

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Introduction: Typical Reactors

Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit

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Introduction: Examples of Industrial Reactors

• Haldor Topsoe Multibed Ammonia

Synthesis Reactor
• In conventional reactor this
requires increase in bed depth
• However, radial flow pattern has
been adopted to address this
challenge

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Trickle Bed Reactor

• Multiphase Reactor
• Applied in hydrotreating of
mineral oils; Hydrofinishing
of lubricating oils

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 Batch Reactor
A batch reactor has neither inflow nor outflow of reactants or
products while the reaction is being carried out.

An unsteady-state operation where composition changes with time;

however, at any instant the composition throughout the reactor is
uniform.

Figure 2.1 : Simple Batch Reactor 10

 Batch Reactor
A batch reactor is used
 for small-scale operation.
for testing new processes that have not been fully developed
 for the manufacture of expensive products
 for processes that are difficult to convert to continuous
operations.

Advantages
high conversions that can be obtained by leaving the reactant
in the reactor for long periods of time.

Disadvantages
 high labor costs-per batch,
 the variability of products from batch to batch.
difficulty of large-scale
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Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR)

It is normally operated at steady state and it is

assumed to be perfectly mixed:
No time dependence or position dependence of
the temperature, the concentration, or the
reaction rate inside the CSTR.
Used primarily for liquid phase reactions

Figure 2.2 : CSTR 12

 Plug Flow Reactor (PFR)
It is normally operated at steady state
The flow of fluid through the reactor is
orderly with no element of fluid
overtaking or mixing with any other
element ahead or behind.
Used most often for gas phase
reactions

The necessary and sufficient condition for plug flow is for the
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residence time in the reactor to be the same for all elements of fluid
 Symbols Used for Reactors

For Constant Volume System

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 Symbols Used for Reactors

FA = FA0 (1 - XA)
v = m3 fluid leaving/hr
CA = concentration of A
FA0 = moles fed/hr in the exit stream
vo = m3 fluid entering/hr
CA0 = concentration of A
in the feed stream

V = volume

FA   CA
Measures of extent of reaction: CA and XA 15
 Relationship between CA and XA

For a batch reactor

Moles of A reacted  Moles of A fed  Moles of A reacted 

 Moles of A fed 

Moles of A reacted  N A0 . XA

Moles of A
Moles of A
initially fed to Moles of A
in reactor at = -
reactor at time reacted
time t
t=0

NA = NA0 - NA0 XA

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 Relationship between CA and XA

For a flow reactor

Moles of A reacted  Moles of A fed  Moles of A reacted 

 Moles of A fed 

Moles of A reacted  FA0 . XA

Flow rate of A Flow rate of A Moles of A

at the exit of at the inlet of reacted within
= - the reactor
reactor reactor

FA = FA0 - FA0 XA

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 Relationship between CA and XA

A + (b/a) B (r/a)R

Case 1 Definitions Relationship

Between CA and XA
Constant Density Batch and
Flow Systems Nj C j  C A0  j   j X A 
Cj 
V
• Most liquid reactions
C j0
Fj j 
• Gas reactions at constant Cj  C A0

T and p
b r
 A  1;  B   ;  R 
V X A 1  V X A 0 j = A, B, R or I a a
A  0
VX A 0

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 Relationship between CA and XA

A + (b/a) B (r/a)R

Case 2 Definitions Relationship

Between CA and XA
Batch and Flow Systems
of Gases of Changing Nj  j  j X A 
Cj  C j  C A0
Density but with T and π V 1   A X A 
Constant
j = A, B, R or I
Fj
Cj 
aA  bB  rR ab r  C j0
j 
C A0
j = A, B, R or I b r
VX A 1  VX A 0  A  1;  B   ;  R 
A  0 a a
V X A 0
V  V0 1   A X A 

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 Relationship between CA and XA

A + (b/a) B (r/a)R

Case 3 Definitions Relationship

Between CA and XA

Batch and Flow Systems Ideal gas condition

Nj
for Gases in General Cj   j   j X A  T0 
(varying ρ, T, π) V C j  C A0
1   A X A  T  0
Fj
aA  bB  rR ab r Cj  Non-ideal gas condition

   j X A   z 0 T0  
VX A 1  VX A 0 j = A, B, R or I C j  C A0
j
 
A  0 1   A X A   z T  0 
V X A 0
T 0
V  V0 1   A X A  j 
C j0
T0  C A0
b r
 A  1;  B   ;  R 
a a
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 Performance Measures for Reactors
Batch Reactor

Reaction time:

t = residence time of reactants in the reactor

Flow Reactors

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 Performance Measures for Reactors
Relation between space-time and space-velocity

Relation between space-time at actual conditions and standard conditions (primed)

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 Performance Measures for Reactors
Difference between space-time and holding time for flow reactors

For constant density systems (all liquids and constant density gases)
V
 t 

For variable density systems
V
t  and t 

NOTES
1. The value of holding time depends on what happens in the reactor, while the value of
space time is independent of what happens in the reactor
2. The space time is the proper performance measure for flow reactors. 23
 Material Balance
Starting point for all design

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 Energy Balance
For nonisothermal operations

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Batch Reactor: Performance Equation
System: The whole reactor
Reason: The composition is uniform throughout the volume at any
given time

No flow
0 0
Material balance: Input = Output + Disappearance + Accumulation

Disappearance   rA  V
dN A
Accumulation 
dt
dN A
 rA  V t
NA dN A
dt N A 0 r  V
A

dX A dX A
 rA  V
XA
 N A0 t  N A0 
dt 0  rA  V 26
 Batch Reactor: Performance Equation
For constant density batch reactor
XA dX A C A dC
t  C A0   A
for  A  0
0  rA  C A0  rA 
For variable density batch reactor
XA dX A CA dC A
t  N A0   C A0  for  A  0
0  rA V0 1   A X A  C A 0  r 1   X 
A A A

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 CSTR Reactor : Performance Equation

System: The whole reactor

Reason: The composition is uniform throughout
the volume at any given time
Steady
0 state

Material balance: Input = Output + Disappearance + Accumulation

Input  FA0
Output  FA  FA0 1  X A 
Disappearance   rA  V
FA 0  FA
FA0  FA   rA  V V 
 rA

FA0 X A   rA  V FA 0 X A
V 
 rA
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 CSTR Reactor: Performance Equation
General case (any εA) For constant density CSTR (εA = 0)

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 PFR: Performance Equation
System: A differential element of volume dV
Reason: The composition changes from point to point along a flow path

 dFA   rA  d V

FA0 dX A   rA  dV

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 PFR: Performance Equation
0 Steady
state
Material balance: Input = Output + Disappearance + Accumulation

Input  FA
Output  FA  dFA
Disappearance   rA  dV

FA  FA  dFA  (rA )dV

dFA
 dFA   rA  d V
FA
V 
FA 0 r
A

But dFA  d FA0 (1  X A )    FA0 dX A

FA0 dX A   rA  dV V

X A dX
A

FA 0 0  rA

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 PFR Reactor: Performance Equation
General case (any εA) For constant density system (εA = 0)

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Summary of Performance Equations

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Summary of Performance Equations

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Examples

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Tutorial Questions

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