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[Luyben] Process Mod.. - Student subdomain for University of Bath

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EXAMPLES OF MATHEMATICAL MODELS OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SYSTEMS 63<br />

FL Liquid product<br />

Enlarged view <strong>of</strong> bubble<br />

surface<br />

0<br />

FB<br />

’<br />

0 0<br />

“. 0 ’<br />

D<br />

1 L, ,kmLiquid\<br />

pB<br />

0 0 0 0<br />

c BO oooc *<br />

Liquid feed oo”o I<br />

Gas feed<br />

FA<br />

PA<br />

cnc .-..>m*r<br />

‘V’y<br />

FIGURE 3.11<br />

Gas-liquid bubble reactor.<br />

from one phase into another phase, be<strong>for</strong>e or after reaction. As an example <strong>of</strong> the<br />

phenomenon, let us consider the gas-liquid bubble reactor sketched in Fig. 3.11.<br />

Reactant A is fed as a gas through a distributor into the bottom <strong>of</strong> the<br />

liquid-filled reactor. A chemical reaction occurs between A and B in the liquid<br />

phase to <strong>for</strong>m a liquid product C. Reactant A must dissolve into the liquid be<strong>for</strong>e<br />

it can react.<br />

A+B:C<br />

If this rate <strong>of</strong> mass transfer <strong>of</strong> the gas A to the liquid is slow, the concentration <strong>of</strong><br />

A in the liquid will be low since it is used up by the reaction as fast as it arrives.<br />

Thus the reactor is mass-transfer limited.<br />

If the rate <strong>of</strong> mass transfer <strong>of</strong> the gas to the liquid is fast, the reactant A<br />

concentration will build up to some value as dictated by the steadystate reaction<br />

conditions and the equilibrium solubility <strong>of</strong> A in the liquid. The reactor is<br />

chemical-rate limited.<br />

Notice that in the mass-transfer-limited region increasing or reducing the<br />

concentration <strong>of</strong> reactant IS will make little difference in the reaction rate (or the<br />

reactor productivity) because the concentration <strong>of</strong> A in the liquid is so small.<br />

Likewise, increasing the reactor temperature will not give an exponential increase<br />

in reaction rate. The reaction rate may actually decrease with increasing temperature<br />

because <strong>of</strong> a decrease in the equilibrium solubility <strong>of</strong> A at the gas-liquid<br />

interface.

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