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Reactor Selection: Cross-Sectional Diagram of Continuous Flow Stirred-Tank Reactor

The continuous flow stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) is a common ideal reactor type that operates with continuous addition and withdrawal of reactants and products. A CSTR is often modeled as a Continuous Ideally Stirred-Tank Reactor (CISTR), which assumes perfect mixing such that the composition inside the reactor is identical to the output composition. The CISTR model simplifies engineering calculations and can describe research reactors, though in practice perfect mixing can only be approximated, especially in large industrial reactors. CSTRs typically require larger volumes than other reactor types to achieve desired conversions due to their low reaction driving forces from well-mixed compositions, but they allow better temperature control of exothermic/endothermic reactions.

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75 views

Reactor Selection: Cross-Sectional Diagram of Continuous Flow Stirred-Tank Reactor

The continuous flow stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) is a common ideal reactor type that operates with continuous addition and withdrawal of reactants and products. A CSTR is often modeled as a Continuous Ideally Stirred-Tank Reactor (CISTR), which assumes perfect mixing such that the composition inside the reactor is identical to the output composition. The CISTR model simplifies engineering calculations and can describe research reactors, though in practice perfect mixing can only be approximated, especially in large industrial reactors. CSTRs typically require larger volumes than other reactor types to achieve desired conversions due to their low reaction driving forces from well-mixed compositions, but they allow better temperature control of exothermic/endothermic reactions.

Uploaded by

Norzul Afifuddin
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Reactor Selection

The continuous flow stirred-tank reactor (CSTR), also known as vat- or back mix reactor, is a common ideal
reactor type in chemical engineering. A CSTR often refers to a model used to estimate the key unit
operation variables when using a continuous agitated-tank reactor to reach a specified output. In a CSTR,
reactants and products are continuously added and withdrawn. The behavior of a CSTR is often
approximated or modeled by that of a Continuous Ideally Stirred-Tank Reactor (CISTR). All calculations
performed with CISTRs assume perfect mixing. In a perfectly mixed reactor, the output composition is
identical to composition of the material inside the reactor, which is a function of residence time and rate of
reaction. If the residence time is 5-10 times the mixing time, this approximation is valid for engineering
purposes. The CISTR model is often used to simplify engineering calculations and can be used to describe
research reactors. In practice it can only be approached, in particular in industrial size reactors.

Cross-sectional diagram of Continuous flow stirred-tank reactor


Assume:

perfect or ideal mixing, as stated above

Integral mass balance on number of moles Ni of species i in a reactor of volume V.

Where Fio is the molar flow rate inlet of species i, Fi the molar flow rate outlet, and vi is stoichiometric
coefficient. The reaction rate, r, is generally dependent on the reactant concentration and the rate constant
(k). The rate constant can be determined by using a known empirical reaction rates that is adjusted for
temperature using the Arrhenius temperature dependence. Generally, as the temperature increases so does
the rate at which the reaction occurs. Residence time, is the average amount of time a discrete quantity of
reagent spends inside the tank.
Assume:

constant density (valid for most liquids; valid for gases only if there is no net change in the number of
moles or drastic temperature change)
isothermal conditions, or constant temperature (k is constant)
steady state (GA = rAv)
single, irreversible reaction (A = -1)
first-order reaction (r = kCA)
A products
NA = CA V (where CA is the concentration of species A, V is the volume of the reactor, NA is the number
of moles of species A)

Because the compositions of mixtures leaving a CSTR are those within the reactor, the reaction driving
forces, usually the reactant concentrations, are necessarily low. Therefore, except for reaction orders zero-
and negative, a CSTR requires the largest volume of the reactor types to obtain desired conversions.
However, the low driving force makes possible better control of rapid exothermic and endothermic
reactions. When high conversions of reactants are needed, several CSTRs in series can be used. Equally
good results can be obtained by dividing a single vessel into compartments while minimizing back-mixing
and short-circuiting. The larger the number of CSTR stages, the closer the performance approaches that of
a tubular plug-flow reactor. However, in this case, we will use a single CSTR thus the conversion of the
product is low which is calculated to be x = 0.36. Furthermore, a higher conversion also can be achieved
by other methods other than use multiple reactor and arranger them in series or parallel. One of them is by
increasing the temperature of the reaction so that it can produce more conversion as the relationship between
x and T are linear. In this case, the calculated temperature out turn out to be 366 K. The sample calculation
of x and T can be seen in the next section.

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