INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY KANPUR

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

UNIT OPERATION LAB

PLUG FLOW REACTOR

1. Objective:
(a) To study the reaction between ethyl acetate and sodium hydroxide in a tubular reactor.
(b) To study the effect of axial dispersion on the conversion in tubular reactor.

2. Theory:
The reaction between ethyl acetate and sodium hydroxide is represented as (assuming
second order, irreversible reaction)

NaOH + CH 3COOC 2 H 5 ⎯⎯→

K
CH 3 COONa + C 2 H 5 OH [1]
(A) (B) (C) (D)

Plug flow reactor design equation

xA
V dx A
FA0
= o − rA [2]

Where − rA = kCACB = kCA2 [If CA0 = CB0]

= kCA2 0 (1 − x A ) 2 [3]

Ax
V dx
= C A0  2 A
Q 0
kCA0 (1 − x A ) 2 [4]

The residence time τ is also.

V L
= =
Q u
Q = volumetric flow rate
u = linear velocity
V = Reactor volume

Now the flow through the reactor may be either (a) Laminar or (b) turbulent, according to
whether the Reynolds number, NRe,
 udt
N Re =

is less or greater than approximately 2000, where ρ and μ are the density and viscosity of
the solution (essentially water) flowing through the reactor, dt is the internal diameter of
tube and u is the mean velocity in the tube.

dt L dt L
= =
udt
)  N Re 
[5]
(

xA
1 dxA
=
kCA0 0 (1 − xA )2
dt L
xA
dxA 1
N Re 
kCA0 = 0 (1 − xA )2 1 − xA − 1)
= ( [6]

A 1
=( − 1) [7]
N Re 1 − xA

d t L
A= kCA0

Where, [8]

A graph between NRe and conversion of reactant can be plotted.

(a) For Laminar Flow, the velocity profile is parabolic in shape; the mean exit conversion
of NaOH is given by
k 2 a0  2  2 + ka0 
2
a1
X = 1 − = ka0 − ln  
 ka0 
[9]
a0 2

Where, a1 = Mean outlet molal concentration of NaOH

a1 = Outlet molal concentration of NaOH

(b) For Turbulent flow, the velocity profile is not too for removed from being flat in shape
(i.e. Plug flow). The Exit concentration of NaOH is given by

a1 1
=
a0 1 + a0 k (V ) [10]
Q
where, a1 = Outlet molal concentration of NaOH

Equations (9) and (10) are based on the assumption of a second order irreversible
constant volume reaction. Provided plug flow exists and there is no radial or longitudal
 diffusion of reactants in the liquid and the two reactant inlet flow rates are always in a
constant ratio to each other, it may also be shown that
d (n1 n0 )
r= [11]
d (V / n0 )
Where, r = specific reaction rate at the exit of the reactor, referred to ethyl acetate
n0 = inlet molal flow rate of either reactant
n1 = exit molal flow rate of ethyl acetate

Dispersion Model

D d 2 x A dx A
2
− − kC A0 (1 − x A ) 2 = 0 [12]
uL dz dz
The solution of the above equation for small deviations from plug flow is given by
CA D C
= 1 + 2( ) kCA0 ln A0 [13]
C Ap uL C Ap
Where CAp is the concentration of the plug flow reactor with the same τ or L as the real
reactor.
Levenspiel and Bishchoff have given the graphical solution for second order reaction
having equal concentration. In this graph, conversion based on dispersion model is a
 function of dispersion number.
3. Equipment/ Apparatus:
3.1 Coil type tubular reactor (0.5 cm ID) and o.9 meter long
3.2 Constant Temperature Bath
3.3 Rotameters for flow measurement of ethyle acetate and sodium hydroxide
solutions.
3.4 Sodium Hydroxide and ethyle acetate solutions [0.05(N)]
3.5 Standard solutions of sodium hydroxide and HCl for titration (analysis).

4. Experimental Procedure
4.1 Set at desired temperature the constant temperature bath.
4.2 Adjust the rotameter readings so that an equal molar flow rate of both reactants
enter the reactor.
4.3 The density of ethyl acetate is 0.898 gm/ml at 25oC and its Molecular Weight is
88. Hence 10 ml of ethyl acetate added to 2030 ml of distilled water produce a
0.05 N solution.
4.4 Collect product samples in a flask when the steady state is reached.
4.5 Analyse the samples and find the concentration of reactant by analyzing the
sample by titration.
4.6 Repeat the run at 3 different temperatures (50oC, 70oC and 80oC)
4.7 Repeat for other flow rates at a given temperature. This will generate data of
Reynolds no. vs conversion.
4.8 After the last run, pipette out the reactor contents and allow distilled water to
flow through the rotameters and reactor for a few minutes.

5. Calculation
5.1. Calculate the conversion for different flow rates at a given temperature from the
exit concentration of sodium hydroxide.
5.2 Calculate rate constant k at different temp using plug flow reactor equation.
5.3 Calculate NRe and evaluate the rate constant for each run from equation (9) or
(10) as appropriate.
5.4 Calculate dispersion number from different conversion and flow rate.
5.5 Determine also to extent to which the specific reaction rate given by the
equation (11) is consistent with the hypothesis of an irreversible second order
reaction.
5.6 Calculate NSc (Schmidt No. μ/ρD) and N`Re ,where D is diffusion coefficient
(diffusivity of the solution ). Diffusivity of ethyl acetate into water can be taken
as diffusivity for the whole system. Diffusivity of EtOAc in water can be
calculated from
(117 .3  10 −18 )(M B ) 0.5 T
D AB =
V A0.6
Where
DAB = Diffusivity of ethyl acetate in water, m2/S
VA = Solute molar volume at normal boiling point, m3/kmol
MB = Molecular weight of the solvent, kg/kmol
μ = Average Viscosity of reacting fluids, kg/ms
ρ = Average density of reacting fluids.
 5.7 Calculate D/udt from following figure using value NRe and NSc

Figure-8.2

5.8 Calculate conversion ‘x’ from figure 8.1 and compare with actual conversion.
5.9 Estimate the maximum possible error in measuring the rate constant at any given
temperature in the experiment.

6. Results and Discussion:

6.1 Plot NRe Vs conversion for plug flow reactor model (without dispersion) and
dispersion model for different temperature.
6.2 Plot lnk vs reciprocal of temperature (1/T) and calculate activation energy.
6.3 Plot NRe vs D/udt for given value of NSc (Similar to figure 8.2)
6.4 Discuss the experimental errors involved in the experiment and what
improvements should be made in the equipment in order to improve the
accuracy of the data.
7. Questions:
7.1 What are the assumptions involved in the derivation of dispersion model?
7.2 Why dispersion model is important to study the performance of the Plug Flow
Reactor?
7.3 What are the sources of error in evaluation of dispersion number and
conversion?

8. Nomenclature
a0 = Inlet molal concentration of NaOH
a1 = Outlet molal concentration of NaOH
a1 = Mean outlet molal concentration of NaOH
CA = Molar Concentration of NaOH
CA0 = Molar concentration of NaOH at initial conditions
CB = Molar Concentration of Ethyl Acetate
dt = Diameter of Tube
D = Axial dispersion coefficient for flowing fluid (m2/s)
DAB = Diffusivity of ethyl acetate in water, (m2/s)
FA0 = Initial molar flow rate of A (moles/s)
k = Arhenious Constant
L = Reactor Length (m)
MB = Molecular weight of the solvent, kg/kmol
NRe = Reynolds Number
NSc = Schmidt Number
n0 = Inlet molal flow rate of either reactant
n1 = Exit molal flow rate of ethyl acetate
rA = Rate of reaction (moles/m3s)
T = Temperature, (K)
u = Velocity of Fluid (m/s)
Q = Volumetric flow rate (m3/s)
V = Volume of reactor (m3)
xA = Conversion of reactant A

μ = Average Viscosity of reacting fluids, (kg/ms)

ρ = Average density of reacting fluids (Kg/m3)
υ = Total volumetric flow rate, assumed to be equally divided at inlet between
NaOH and Ethyl Acetate.
τ = Residence Time (s)

9. Safety measures and precautions

9.1 Never run the apparatus if power supply is less than 180 volts and more than 230
Volts
9.2 Never switch ON mains power supply before ensuring that all the ON/OFF
switches given on the panel are at OFF position.
9.3 Operate selector switches gently
9.4 Don’t operate the apparatus on uncovered feet.
 PFR

OH Feed Ethyl
Tank Acetate
NaOH (A) Temperature
Controller cum
Indicator
1

Mixing
Tee

Reactor Feed Reactor Feed

Rotameter A Rotameter B

Reactor Inlet
Reactor outlet
Tubular Reactor

Stirrer Temperature
Sensor

Heater

Constant Temperature bath