CONTENTSFront MatterCourse UnitsI. Chemical Reactions
II. Chemical Reaction Kinetics
A. Rate Expressions
B. Kinetics Experiments
C. Analysis of Kinetics Data
III. Chemical Reaction Engineering
A. Ideal Reactors
B. Perfectly Mixed Batch Reactors
C. Continuous Flow Stirred Tank Reactors
D. Plug Flow Reactors
E. Matching Reactors to Reactions
IV. Non-Ideal Reactions and Reactors
A. Alternatives to the Ideal Reactor Models
B. Coupled Chemical and Physical Kinetics
Supplemental Units |
Unit 17. Reactor Models and Reaction TypesThis website provides learning and teaching tools for a first course on kinetics and reaction engineering. Here, in Part III of the course, the focus is on the modeling of chemical reactors. In particular, it describes reaction engineering using the three ideal reactor types: perfectly mixed batch reactors, continuous flow stirred tank reactors and plug flow reactors. After considering each of the ideal reactor types in isolation, the focus shifts to ideal reactors that are combined with other reactors or equipment to better match the characteristics of the reactor to the reactions running within it. This first section of Part III of the course provides a brief introduction to the field of reaction engineering. The remaining sections all consider reaction engineering using ideal reactors. The reactor models used in reaction engineering must include things that were avoided in experimental reactors, so the full models for the ideal reactors are derived here in Unit 17. Some types of reaction are better suited to one kind of reactor than another, so this unit also considers the classification of reactions and reaction networks according to distinguishing behaviors. Learning Resources
Teaching Resources
Practice Problems1. Go to the library, search online sources or access technical information some other way and find two real-world examples of each of the following types of reaction networks: series, series-parallel and parallel. 2. Go through the derivation of the models for the ideal batch reactor, the ideal CSTR and the ideal PFR and for each reactor model, list the assumptions made in the formulation of the model. |