Dispersion Model
Dispersion Model
Dispersion Model
velocity is U (m/s). Since A is continuously consumed, its concentration decreases steadily with
axial position in the reactor.
The existence of a gradient in the concentration of A gives rise to a diffusive motion of A from
the reactor inlet to outlet.
The performance of the reactor specifically the reactant conversion attainable for a given feed
and reactor volume differs from that which would be predicted by assuming ideal plug flow
(negligible diffusion), with the magnitude of the difference depending upon the relative rates of
diffusion and convection (bulk motion).
To visualize the effect of diffusion on reactor behaviour, we do tracer experiments. Shortly after
injection, the tracer is contained in a relatively small volume. If the reactor is in ideal plug flow,
the tracer could then moves through the reactor without distortion, and emerges in a burst to give
the characteristic ideal PFR impulse response.
However, if diffusion does take place, the tracer spreads away from the center of the tracer cloud
in both the upstream and downstream directions.
The response depends on the length of the reactor, the mean fluid velocity, and the rate of
diffusion. The responses which are measured for reactors of increasing length are shown bleow.
The spreading in the tracer cloud or distribution of tracer molecule residence times in the reactor
is a consequence of molecular diffusion, and also of turbulent mixing, if the Reynolds number
exceeds a critical value. In addition, a non-uniform velocity profile causes different portions of
the tracer cloud to move at different rates, which also results in a spreading of the measured
response at the reactor outlet.
The term dispersion is used to denote the combined action of all phenomena diffusion and
non-uniform velocities which give rise to a distribution of residence times in a reactor. The
term backmixing is also used frequently.
The rate at which A traverses the cross section is the sum of the rate at which it is carried through
by the convective (bulk) flow of the fluid, plus the rate at which it passes through by dispersion.
where
The steady-state material balance on reactant A in the reactor may be derived by considering a
differential element from to
. See the figure below.
By dividing with
and as
Once we know the boundary conditions, the solution to the above Equation will give the outlet
concentrationtime curves.
Balance Equations
A mole balance is taken on a particular component of the mixture (say, species A) over a short
length
of a tubular reactor of cross section . It gives the following equation.
By substituting
Boundary Conditions
There are two cases that we need to consider: boundary conditions for closed vessels and open
vessels. In the case of closed-closed vessels, we assume that there is no dispersion or radial
variation in concentration either upstream (closed) or downstream (closed) of the reaction
section; hence this is a closed-closed vessel. In an open vessel, dispersion occurs both upstream
(open) and downstream (open) of the reaction section; hence this is an open-open vessel.
At
The above two boundary conditions are known as Danckwerts boundary conditions. By writing
the above boundary conditions in dimensionless form, we have:
By substituting the above boundary conditions in the dispersion reaction balance equation for
first order reaction, we can obtain equation for conversion.
Where
Where
is the mean residence time, which can be calculated by doing tracer experiments.
At
Note: Practice the following problem from your text book (Elements of Chemical Reaction
Engineering by Scott Fogler) for tanks-in-series model and Dispersion model.
Example 14 1 from the 3rd edn. of the above said book.
Or
Example 14 2 from the 4th edn. of the above said book.
Real
Model
In = Out
CA
vbC A0 C AS vS vbC A0 C AS vS
vb vS
v0
C A C A0 (1 )C AS
where, = vb/v0
C AS
C A0 (1 )v0
(1 )v0 Vk
where, = VS/V
In = Out + Accumulation
vS CT0 vS CTS = VS dCTS/dt
At t < 0
CT = 0;
t 0 CT = CT0
1 t
CTo
1
ln
ln
CT 0 CT
1