DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Classroom Exercise Questions

Question 1: The following irreversible gas phase reaction is taking place in a batch reactor
operated isothermally.

A 2B

The reaction rate equation is − rA = k C A , where k = 0.2 sec-1. Pure A is put to the reactor before
reaction is started. The gas inside the reactor is uniformly mixed and also behaves as ideal gas
during the reaction.
a) If the batch reactor has a moving piston and is operated a constant pressure of 1 atm, please
find the necessary time (in second) to achieve 80% conversion of species A and also the
final volume of the batch reactor at this conversion. The initial volume of the reactor is
0.005 m3.
b) If the batch reactor is a constant volume reactor with volume of 0.005 m3, please find the
necessary time (in second) to achieve 95% conversion of species A and also the final
pressure in the batch reactor at this conversion. The initial pressure in the reactor is 1 atm.

Question 2: A gas phase catalytic reaction, A→ B, to be carried out in a flow reaction system has
𝑘𝐶 2
the following rate law, −𝑟𝐴′ = (1+𝐾 𝐴𝐶 where k = 1 min–1 and KA = 1 dm3/mol. The inlet
𝐴 𝐴)
concentration of A is 2 mol/dm3. What type of reactor or combination of reactors would have the
smallest volume to achieve 50% conversion?

Question 3: We have a CSTR reactor containing a basket filled with catalysts which is attached
to CSTR propeller. When shaft rotates, basket filled with catalyst rotates too. Please write the
design equation for this catalytic CSTR reactor operating at steady state. Clearly state your
assumption.
Catalysts A → B occurring on the
FAo, υo filled in a catalyst pellets; please ignore
meshed basket effect of any transfer processes
on the reaction rate.
FA, υ

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 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Classroom Exercise Questions

Question 4: The reactor setup shown below consists of three plug flow reactors in two parallel
branches. Branch 1 has a reactor volume 50 liters followed by a reactor of volume 30 liters. Branch
2 has a reactor of volume 40 liters. What fraction of the feed should go to branch 1 to obtain the
same conversion in each branch?

Question 5: The following reaction takes place in a CSTR:

Pure A is fed to the reactor under the following conditions:

FAo = 10 mol/min

CAo = 2 mol/dm3

At T=350 K

X=0.75

V= ? and k=?

Rate Law: -rA = kCA

The activation energy: E=20 kcal/mol

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 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Classroom Exercise Questions

What is the conversion in a PFR at 325 K with the same volume?

Question 6: An elementary liquid phase reaction, A + B → C, is carried out in a 500 dm3 reactor.
The entering concentrations of streams A and B are both 2 mol/dm3 and the specific reaction rate
constant is 0.01 dm3/(mol.min).

(a) Calculate the time to reach 90% conversion if the reactor is a batch reactor filled to the brim.
Assuming a stoichiometric feed (10 mol of A/min) to a continuous flow reactor; calculate the
reactor volume and space-time to achieve 90% conversion if the reactor is:
(b) a CSTR
(c) a PFR
(d) Redo (a) through (c) assuming the reaction is first-order in B and zero-order in A with
k=0.01/min.
(e) Assume the reaction is reversible with Kc = 2 dm3/mol. Calculate the equilibrium conversion
and the CSTR and PFR volumes necessary to achieve 98% of the equilibrium conversion.

Question 7: The irreversible elementary gas phase reaction, 2A → B + C, is currently carried out
in a packed bed reactor containing 100 kg of catalyst. The entering pressure is 20 atm and the exit
pressure is 4 atm. Currently, 50% conversion is achieved. It is proposed to add a CSTR with 200
Kg of catalyst downstream of the PBR. There is no pressure drop in the CSTR. The flow rate and
temperature remain unchanged.
a. What would be the overall conversion in such an arrangement?
b. Is there a better way to carry out the reaction, and if so what is it?

Currently:

Proposed:

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 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Classroom Exercise Questions

Question 8: The catalytic reaction, A→ B, to be carried out in a flow reaction system has the
kCA
following rate law, − rA =
(1 + K A C A ) 2
where k = 1 min–1 and KA = 1 dm3/mol. The entering concentration of A is 2 mol/dm3. What type
of reactor or combination of reactors would have the smallest volume?
a. To achieve 50% conversion?
b. To achieve 80% conversion?

Question 9: The elementary liquid-phase reaction, A+2B ➔ R, with the following rate
equation; -rA= 12.5 CA CB2 – 1.5 CR (mol/liter.min) is taken place in a 6-liter steady state mixed
flow reactor. 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 that solution
volumes are additive upon mixing the streams).

Question 10: Studies on the hydrogenation of ethylene over a copper magnesium oxide catalyst
show that the rate law can be given by r = k PH 2 (r is the rate of reaction in g mol/(cm3)(s) and PH2
is the partial pressure of hydrogen in atmospheres. Using this rate equation, the results for k at
various temperatures are given in the table below.

Temperature k x 103
( oC) [gmol/(cm3)(s)(atm)]
49 0.31
54 0.68
64 1.75
77 2.87
(a) What is the activation energy for the reported rate equation?
(b) What would the activation energy be if the rate equation were expressed in terms of the
concentration of hydrogen rather than the partial pressure?

Question 11: A liquid phase irreversible reaction, A+ B → P, is conducted in a batch reactor at a

constant temperature. The results are given in the table below.
t, min Conversion of
species A, %
13 11.2
34 25.7
59 36.7
120 55.2
Initial concentrations for species A and B are 0.1 gmol/liter. Find the order of the reaction and the
specific rate constant using the integral method.