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Ryerson University Faculty of Engineering, architecture & Science

Department of chemical engineering CHE 312 Chemical Reactor Engineering

Assignment # 2 (Due on Oct. 21, 2015)

Question 1

Compound A undergoes a reversible isomerization reaction over a supported metal catalyst.

A⇆B

Under pertinent conditions A and B are liquid, miscible and are of nearly identical density; the

equilibrium constant for the reaction (in concentration units) is 5.8. In a fixed bed isothermal

flow reactor in which back mixing is negligible (i.e. plug flow), a feed of pure A undergoes a net

conversion to B of 55%. The reaction is elementary. If a second identical flow reactor at the

same temperature is placed downstream from the first what overall conversion of A would you

accept if:

a) The reactors are directly connected in series?

b) The products from the first reactor are separated by appropriate processing and only the

uncovered A is fed to second reactor?

Question 2

 

The following reversible gas phase reaction follows an elementary rate law and is carried out

isothermally at 325 K in a packed bed reactor. The two feed streams to the reactor mix to form a

single feed stream that is equal molar in A and B (5 mol/s) with total volumetric flow rate of 60

dm3/s.

(a) Calculate the maximum conversion that can be accomplished by the reaction.

(b) Calculate the weight of catalyst required to achieve a conversion of 80%.

A + B                    2Ck1

k2

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(c) Calculate the conversion with catalyst of total weight of 125 kg. What is the catalyst weight

you would recommend to use for this process?

Giving that: FA0 = 5 mol/s

E = 25 kcal/mol

k1= 0.4 dm6/mol.kg.s @310K

Ke= 10,000 @ 325 K

α = 0.012 /kg