Question

CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING I

Please answer it in clear hand writing or any suitable method. thank you.

The reversible liquid phase reaction

A + B <- -> C + D

is being carried out in an adiabatic plug flow reactor (PFR). The reaction follows the elementary rate law. Initially the reactor is at 100 C with initial concentrations of A and B of 4 mol/L each enters the reactor at a total flow rate of 900 L/h. The specific rate constant, k is 0.05 L/mol/h at 100 C and the activation energy is 80 kJ/mol. The value of the equilibrium constant, K, is 500 at 100 C and the heat of reaction, H_Rxn is -160 kJ/mol. At 298K H_Rxn^o is -55 kJ/mol. The heat capacities of A, B, C and D are 4.0, 3.0, 5.0 and 2.0 kJ/mol/K, respectively.

a) Plot equilibrium conversion as a function of temperature.

b) Estimate the outlet temperature of the PFR if the reactor feed enters at 100C to achieve 95% of the equilibrium conversion (X_EB = 0.95X_e).

c) Evaluate the reactor volume to reach the conversion as mentioned in (b).