CHL 702: Tutorial Sheet 02 for Reaction Engineering:

28.09.2017
Read ALL solved examples included in the handouts extracts from Levenspiels book.

Problems to be attempted:

From Handout 4B (pages 83-119 of Levenspiel's book):

1. Levenspiel problem 4.1

2. Levenspiel problem 4.2

3. Levenspiel problem 4.3

4. Levenspiel problem 4.4

5. Levenspiel problem 5.2

6. Levenspiel problem 5.3

7. Levenspiel problem 5.7

8. Levenspiel problem 5.8

9. Levenspiel problem 5.9

10. Levenspiel problem 5.17

11. Levenspiel problem 5.20

12. Levenspiel problem 5.24

13. Levenspiel problem 5.27

14. Levenspiel problem 5.30

Additional Problems:
Derive the following relationships for reaction time in a batch reactor as a function of
concentration of unreacted reactant A (problems 15-19).

15. Second order reaction (single reactant): A products

CA 1
1 X A
C A0 1 kC A0t

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16. First order reversible reaction: A rR

C
M r 1 Ae
kt C A0 ln C A0 C Ae M rX Ae ln X Ae
M r C C M r X X
A Ae Ae A

17. Second order reaction (two reactants):

A bB products rA kC ACB

C Bo CB
M 1 ktbC Ao ( M 1) ln
bC Ao bMC A
M XA
ln
M (1 X A )

C Ao XA
For M 1... ktC Bo 1
CA 1 X A
CA 1
or
C Ao 1 ktC Bo

What happens when CBo bC Ao (M 1) ?

How to interpret it physically?

18. Third Order Reaction:

A B C products rA kC ACBCC

(a) For C Ao CBo CCo

1 C Ao 1 C
kt ln ln Bo
C Ao C Bo C Ao CCo C A C Bo C Ao C Bo CCo C B
1 C
ln Co
CCo C Ao CCo C Bo CC

(b) For C Ao CCo CBo

kt2CBo C Ao
2

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2C Bo C Ao C Ao C A ln C Bo C A
C Ao C A C B C Ao

(c) For C Ao CBo CCo

1 1
2kt 2
2
C A C Ao

CA 1

C Ao 1 2ktC Ao
2

19. Reactions of shifting order:

A products
kC A (1st order at low C A
rA
M CA
0 order at high C A )

C Ao
kt M ln C Ao C A
CA
C CA t
Ao M k
ln C Ao / C A ln C Ao / C A

Problem 20:
Consider a long PFR of length L in which a fluid with reactants is flowing with linear velocity
u. Thus the space time is vessel is = L/u. Consider a first order reaction (with rate
constant k) taking place in the PFR.
a. Write the governing design equation (differential equation) for steady state operation.
b. Now lets say you wish to discretize this equation into N segments, so that you have a
equivalent finite difference equation. The segments are all equal and of length z, and
the end nodes are labelled j =0, 1, 2, N. Thus, N.z = L. Let the space time in each
segment, be a = z/u.
c. Write an explicit finite difference scheme for the concentration of the reactant species at
the end of the (j+1)st node in terms of concentration at the jth node (i.e, over the jth
segment).
d. Let the conversion in the jth segment be xj. Simplify the expression in c. to get xj, a, k and
c j.
e. From d., what do you conclude about the behavior of sub-segments that make up a PFR.

Problem 21:

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Now consider a CSTR with space time is vessel is a. Consider a first order reaction (with rate
constant k) taking place in the CSTR.
f. Write the governing design equation (now a difference equation) for steady state
operation. Let the incoming concentration be c0 and the outgoing concentration be c1.
g. Now lets say you add a second identical CSTR in series to the first one. Now the
incoming concentration in this is c1 and the outgoing concentration is c2. Write now first
the design equation for the second CSTR, and then express the concentration at the end
of the second CSTR in terms of the incoming concentration c0.
h. Repeat this exercise for N such identical CSTRs all connected in series, i.e., express the
concentration at the end of the Nth CSTR in terms of the incoming concentration c0.
i. Simplify the expression obtained in part c. when N . Use mathematical limits as
appropriate.
j. The expression obtained in part d. is a solution to which first order ODE with what
initial/boundary conditions? What physical system does such a ODE represent? What do
you conclude (mathematically, and physically)?

22. Refer to Table 5.1 of Levenspiel's book.

Derive the following expressions from first principles:

(a) PFR and CSTR (MFR) expressions for Damkohler number as a function of conversion
for n-order irreversible reaction (row 4 in the Table)
(a) PFR and CSTR (MFR) expressions for Damkohler number as a function of conversion
for first order reversible reaction (row 5 in the Table).

23. A quantity of ethyl ethanoate (A) is reacted in a batch with an excess of sodium hydroxide
(B) at 25 C. 100 cc of the reaction mixture required 68.2 cc of 0.05 mol/l HCl for
neutralization at the beginning of the reaction. After 30 minutes, 100 cc of the mixture
similarly required 49.7 cc of the acid, and when the reaction was complete, 100 cc of the
mixture required 15.6 cc of the acid. The reaction is not reversible. Find the rate constant,
assuming the reaction to be elementary.

24. The reaction A + B products is conducted in a three-stage CSTR battery of equal-

sized vessels. Specific rate constant is k = 25 l/mol-hr. Inlet concentrations are CA0 = 0.15
mol/l, CB0 = 0.20 mol/l. Net conversion of A of 90% is required, i.e., CA3 = 0.015 mol/l.
Find the residence time in each vessel.

25. It is sometimes stated as a rule of thumb that the rate of a chemical reaction doubles for
a 10 K increase in T. Is this in accordance with the Arrhenius equation? Determine the
value of the energy of activation, EA if this rule is applied for an increase from (a) 300 to
310 K, and (b) 800 to 810 K. What do you conclude from the relative values of energy
of activation?

26. A reaction with rate equation r kC 2 is carried out in a four stage reactor with
Damkhler number of 1.2 (for each stage). Find the fractional conversion at the end of
each stage.

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27. A homogeneous liquid phase reaction has the rate equation:

2 (2.2 C ) 2
r dC
dt
k1 C
Ke
Initial concentration is C0 = 1.5, initial rate is r0 = 1.076, and equilibrium concentration
is Ce = 0.6798. Find the constants.

28. A first order liquid phase reaction is taking place in a mixed reactor with 92% conversion.
It has been suggested that a fraction of the product stream is to be recycled, with a recycle
ratio of 0.75. If the fresh feed rate remains unchanged, what will be the effect on
conversion?

Derive your result.

29. A liquid phase reaction with rate equation r kA2 takes place with 50% conversion in a
CSTR.
(a) What will be the conversion if the reactor is replaced with one that is six times as
large?
(b) What will be the conversion if the original reactor is replaced by a PFR of the same
size?

30. A recent report of the Reserve Bank of India states that.. it costs Rs. 15 to print a Rs.
100 note, and that approximately 2 billion of them are currently in circulation, of which
1 billion need to be replaced annually.
Assume that the Rs. 100 notes are put in circulation at a constant rate and continuously,
and that they are withdrawn from circulation at the same constant rate without regard to
their age and condition, in a random manner. The whole exercise is designed by Reserve
Bank so that a constant number of bills (2 billion) are in circulation at any time.

Suppose a new series of Rs. 100 notes are put in circulation today onwards replacing the
older bills that have been in circulation.

(a) How many new Rs. 100 notes will be in circulation at any time in the future?
(b) After 15 years, how many old Rs. 100 notes are still expected to be in circulation?

31. A batch reaction process (A products) has a downtime of 0.5 hours/batch. That is, the
reaction is done for a time trxtr in the batch reactor, which is followed by a downtime (used
for cleaning, etc.) of 0.5 hours. Then a fresh feed is charged into the reactor, and the process
is repeated. The specific reaction rate (rate constant) for the reaction is 0.2 liters/mol-hr and
the starting concentration (in each batch) is 8 mol/liter. Assuming that each reaction cycle
is terminated at the same fractional conversion of feed, what is the fractional conversion
per batch that will maximize the daily production of A? What would be the daily production
for a batch volume of 100 liters?

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32. The first order reversible, liquid phase, reaction A B with forward rate constant k1 and
backward rate constant k2 is carried out in a CSTR, with an inlet concentration of CA0.
Express the effluent ratio, C A , in terms of the rate constants and the space time of the
C A0
CSTR, , when:

(a) Initial concentration of the tank is zero, and feed with concentration CA0 starts coming
into the reactor (volume and volumetric flow rate is however maintained at steady state
throughout, only inlet feed is switched to reactive feed A at t = 0);
(b) When steady state (of concentrations) is attained;
(c) For very rapid reactions, so that equilibrium is attained very quickly.

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