Lecture 5.

2 – March 4, 2019
Mixed Flow Reactors

C* C-star

CFSTR constant flow stirred tank reactor 1

 REACTION RATE IN A MIXED FLOW REACTOR

One liter per minute of liquid containing A and B

𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝐶𝐴0 = 0.10 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 , 𝐶𝐵0
= 0.01 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟
flow into a
mixed reactor of volume V = 1 liter. The materials
react in a complex manner for which the
stoichiometry is unknown. The outlet stream
from the reactor contains A, B, and C ቀ𝐶𝐴𝑓 =
𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑙
0.02 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 , 𝐶𝐵𝑓= 0.03 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 , 𝐶𝐶𝑓
= 0.04 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟ቁ.
Find the rate of reaction of A, B, and C for the
conditions within the reactor. Interpret the
solved rates of reactions.
2
Solution:
For the liquid in a mixed flow reactor 𝜀𝐴 = 0 and
eq. (13) applies to each reacting components
3
Solving the rate of disappearance of A...

𝐶𝐴0 − 𝐶𝐴
−𝑟𝐴 =
𝜏

𝐶𝐴0 − 𝐶𝐴
=
𝑉ൗ
𝑣

0.10 − 0.02
=
1/1
−𝑟𝐴 = 0.08 𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟

4
Solving the rate of disappearance of B...

𝐶𝐵0 − 𝐶𝐵
−𝑟𝐵 =
𝜏

𝐶𝐵0 − 𝐶𝐵
=
𝑉ൗ
𝑣

0.01 − 0.03
=
1/1
−𝑟𝐵 = −0.02 𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟

5
Solving the rate of disappearance of C...

𝐶𝐶0 − 𝐶𝐶
−𝑟𝐶 =
𝜏

𝐶𝐶0 − 𝐶𝐶
=
𝑉ൗ
𝑣

0 − 0.04
=
1/1
−𝑟𝐶 = −0.04 𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟

6
 Summarizing the answers...

−𝑟𝐴 = 0.08 𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟

−𝑟𝐵 = −0.02 𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟

−𝑟𝐶 = −0.04 𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟

Interpretation...
Species A is disappearing while
species B and C are being formed!
7
 KINETICS FROM A MIXED FLOW REACTOR

Pure gaseous reactant A (CA0 = 100 millimol/liter)

is fed at a steady rate into a mixed flow reactor
(V = 0.1 liter) where it dimerizes (2A → R). For
different gas feed rates the following data are
obtained:

Run Number 1 2 3 4
𝑣0 , 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟/ℎ𝑟 10.0 3.0 1.2 0.5
𝐶𝐴𝑓 , 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 85.7 66.7 50 33.4

Find the rate equation.

8
Solution:
For this stoichiometry, 2A → R, the expansion
factor is 1−2 1
𝜀𝐴 = =−
2 2
and the corresponding relation between
concentration and conversion is
𝐶𝐴
1−
𝐶𝐴 1 − 𝑋𝐴 𝐶𝐴0
= 𝑋𝐴 =
𝐶𝐴0 1 + 𝜀𝐴 𝑋𝐴 𝜀𝐴 𝐶𝐴
1+ 𝐶
𝐴0
or
𝐶𝐴 1 − 𝑋𝐴 𝐶𝐴
= 1−𝐶
𝐶𝐴0 1 − 1 𝑋 𝑋 = 𝐴0
𝐴
2 𝐴 𝐶𝐴
1 + 2𝐶
𝐴0 9
 The conversion for each run is then calculated
and tabulated in column 4 of the table.

From the performance equation, Eq. 11, the rate

of reaction for each run is given by
𝑣0 𝐶𝐴0 𝑋𝐴 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑙
−𝑟𝐴 =
𝑉 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 ∙ ℎ𝑟

These values are tabulated in column 5 of the table.

10
 Having paired values of 𝑟𝐴 and 𝐶𝐴 , we are ready
to test various kinetic expressions.
To test nth order kinetics, we take the logarithms of
−𝑟𝐴 = 𝑘𝐶𝐴 𝑛

𝑙𝑜𝑔 −𝑟𝐴 = 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑘 + 𝑛𝑙𝑜𝑔𝐶𝐴

For nth-order kinetics this data should give a

straight line on a 𝑙𝑜𝑔 −𝑟𝐴 𝑣𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝐶𝐴 plot.

The values of the logarithms are given on

the 6th and 7th column of the table.
11
𝑙𝑜𝑔 −𝑟𝐴 𝑣𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝐶𝐴 plot

12
The four data points are reasonably
represented by a straight line of slope 2, so
the rate equation for this dimerization

𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑙
−𝑟𝐴 = 0.36 𝐶𝐴 2
ℎ𝑟 ∙ 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 ∙ ℎ𝑟

or
−𝑟𝐴 = 0.36𝐶𝐴 2

13
 MIXED FLOW REACTOR PERFORMANCE

The elementary liquid-phase reaction

𝑘1
𝐴 + 2𝐵 𝑅
𝑘2
with rate equation
1
−𝑟𝐴 = − 𝑟𝐵
2
−𝑟𝐴 = 12.5 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 2 /𝑚𝑜𝑙2 ∙ 𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝐶𝐴 𝐶𝐵 2 − 1.5𝑚𝑖𝑛−1 𝐶𝑅

𝑚𝑜𝑙 is to take place in a

6-liter steady-state
𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 ∙ 𝑚𝑖𝑛
mixed flow reactor.
14
 Two feed streams, one containing 2.8 mol A/liter
and the other containing 1.6 mol B/liter, are to be
introduced at equal volumetric flow rates into the
reactor, and 75% conversion of limiting component
is desired. What should be the flow rate of each
stream? Assume a constant density throughout.

15
 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑥𝑒𝑑
𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 …
𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑓 1 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝐴 𝑎𝑛𝑑 1 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝐵 …
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 2 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠!
𝑆𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐴 𝑖𝑛
𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑥𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑖𝑠
2.8 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝐶𝐴0 = = 1.4 .
2 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐵 𝑖𝑛
𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑥𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑖𝑠
1.6 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝐶𝐵0 = = 0.8 .
2 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟
16
 Solution:
With the concentration of components in
the mixed feed stream as;
𝐶𝐴0 = 1.4 𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟
𝐶𝐵0 = 0.8 𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟
𝐶𝑅0 = 0

these numbers show that B is the limiting component,

1
𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝐵, 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐴 𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑!
2
17
So for 75% conversion of B and 𝜀 = 0,
the composition in the reactor and in
the exit stream is
𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝐶𝐵 = 0.8 − 0.6 = 0.2 𝑜𝑟 75% 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟
0.8 × 75%
0.6
𝐶𝐴 = 1.4 − = 1.1 mol/liter
2

𝐶𝑅 = 0.3 𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟

0.6
2
18
Writing the rate and solving the problem in terms of B
we have at the conditions within the reactor
−𝑟𝐵 = 2 −𝑟𝐴 = 2 × 12.5 𝐶𝐴 𝐶𝐵 2 − 2 × 1.5 𝐶𝑅
2
𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 2 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑙 −1
𝑚𝑜𝑙
= 25 1.1 0.2 − 3 𝑚𝑖𝑛 0.3
𝑚𝑜𝑙 2 ∙ 𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟

𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑙
= 1.1 − 0.9 = 0.2
𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 ∙ 𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 ∙ 𝑚𝑖𝑛
For no density change, the performance
equation of Eq. 13 gives
𝑉 𝐶𝐵0 − 𝐶𝐵
𝜏= =
𝑣 −𝑟𝐵
19
 The volumentric flow rate into and out of the
reactor is
6-liter steady-state
𝑉 −𝑟𝐵 mixed flow reactor
𝑣=
𝐶𝐵0 − 𝐶𝐵

6 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 0.2 𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 ∙ 𝑚𝑖𝑛

𝑣=
0.8 − 0.2 𝑚𝑜𝑙/𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟

𝑣 = 2 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠/𝑚𝑖𝑛

or 1 liter/min of each of the two feed streams

20
Problems:
1. In an isothermal batch reactor 70% of a liquid
reactant is converted in 13 min. What space-
time and space-velocity are needed to effect this
conversion in a mixed flow reactor?
2. A stream of aqueous monomer A (1 mol/liter, 4
liter/min) enters a 2-liter mixed flow reactor, is
radiated therein, and polymerizes as follows:
+𝐴 +𝐴 +𝐴
𝐴 𝑅 𝑆 𝑇
In the exit stream CA = 0.01 mol/liter, and for a
particular reaction product W, CW = 0.0002 mol/liter.
Find the rate of reaction of A and the rate of
formation of W.
21
3. We plan to replace our present mixed flow reactor
with one having double the volume. For the same
aqueous feed (10 mol A/liter) and the same feed
rate. Find the new conversion. The reaction kinetics
are represented by
1.5
𝐴 𝑅 −𝑟 𝐴 = 𝑘𝐶𝐴 and present conversion is 70%.
4. A mixed flow reactor (2 m3) processes an aqueous
feed (100 liter/min) containing reactant A (CA0 =
100 mmol/liter). The reaction is reversible and
represented by
𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝐴 ⇆ 𝑅, −𝑟𝐴 = 0.04𝐶𝐴 − 0.01𝐶𝑅
𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 ∙ 𝑚𝑖𝑛
What is the equilibrium conversion and the actual
conversion in the reactor? 22
5. Enzyme E catalyses the fermentation of
substrate A (the reactant) to product R.
Find the size of mixed flow reactor
needed for 95% conversion of reactant in
a feed stream (25 liter/min) of reactant
(2 mol/liter) and enzyme. The kinetics of
the fermentation at this enzyme
concentration are given by

enzyme
𝐴 𝑅

0.1𝐶𝐴 𝑚𝑜𝑙
−𝑟𝐴 =
1 + 0.5𝐶𝐴 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 ∙ 𝑚𝑖𝑛
23
6. An aqueous feed of A and B (400 liter/min, 100
mmol A/liter, 200 mmol B/liter) is to be
converted to product in a mixed flow reactor.
The kinetics of the reaction are represented by

𝐴+𝐵 →𝑅

𝑚𝑜𝑙
−𝑟𝑎 = 200𝐶𝐴 𝐶𝐵
𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 ∙ 𝑚𝑖𝑛

Find the volume of reactor needed for 99.9%

conversion of A to product.

24
7. A gaseous feed of pure A (1 mol/liter) enters a
mixed flow reactor (2 liters) and reacts as
follows:
2𝐴 → 𝑅
2 𝑚𝑜𝑙
−𝑟𝐴 = 0.05𝐶𝐴
𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 ∙ 𝑠𝑒𝑐

Find what feed rate (liter/min) will give an

outlet concentration CA = 0.5 mol/liter.

25
8. Gaseous reactant A decomposes as follows:
𝐴 → 3𝑅
−𝑟𝐴 = 0.6 𝑚𝑖𝑛−1 𝐶𝐴
Find the conversion of A in a 50% A-50% inert
feed (v0 = 180 liter/min, CA0 = 300 mmol/liter)
to a 1 m3 mixed flow reactor.

26
End of Lecture 5.2

27
For quiz
5.19, 5.20, 5.23, 5.24, 5.26, 5.29

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