St.

JOSEPH’S COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Department of Chemical Engineering

ASSIGNMENT – UNIT III - (GAS-SOLID CATALYTIC REACTORS)

PART-A (Questions & Answers)

1. Define Hatta number.

Hatta number (MH) is defined as the square root of the ratio of maximum possible conversion
in the liquid film to maximum diffusional transport through the liquid film.

2. Give examples for absorption with chemical reaction.

3. Brief the mechanism of Surface renewal theory. [Dec 2012]

4. Explain Film penetration theory. [Dec 2012]

 5. Define Enhancement factor.
The liquid enhancement factor (E) is defined as the ratio of rate of take up of gaseous
‘A’ when reaction occurs to the rate of take up of gaseous ‘A’ for straight mass transfer, at same
CAi, CA, CBi, CB in the two cases. Or Enhancement factor E is defined as the ratio between the
Sherwood number with chemical reaction and that without reaction.

6. ‘Enhancement factor is always greater than or equal to one’. Justify this statement.
Since the rate of take up of ‘A’ when reaction occurs is greater than or equal to the rate of
take up of ‘A’ for straight mass transfer, the enhancement factor is always greater than or
equal to one.

7. Write short notes on slurry reactors.

 A slurry reactor is a multiphase flow reactor in which reactant gas is bubbled
through a solution containing solid catalyst particles. The solution may be either a
 reactant or a product or an inert. 
 Slurry reactors may be operated in a batch or continuous mode. One of the main
advantages of slurry reactors is that temperature control and heat recovery are easily
achieved. In addition, constant overall catalytic activity can be maintained by the
addition of small amounts of catalyst with each reuse during batch operation or with
constant feeding during continuous operation. 

 These reactors are widely used in hydrogenation of fatty acids over a supported
nickel catalyst, hydro-formation of CO with high-molecular-weight olefins on either
a cobalt or ruthenium complex bound to polymers, etc. 

8. Does the enhancement factor decrease or increase with Hatta number? Explain.
Yes, Enhancement factor (E) decrease or increases with Hatta number (M H). Because the
evaluation of ‘E’ depends on two quantities;
  The enhancement factor for an infinitely fast reaction (Ei) 
 Maximum possible conversion in the film compared with maximum transport through
the film (MH2). 

PART-B (Questions & Answers)

1. Consider the Gas-Liquid Non-catalytic reaction A (g) + b B (l)  Products. Derive the
global rate equation assuming the reaction to be instantaneous and for the reaction
taking place on
(i) Gas-Liquid interface.
 (ii) A plane located in the Liquid film.
Ans: (i) Reaction occurs on a plane in the liquid film - With low CB
 The rate of transfer of ‘A’ from gas to liquid is given by the rate expressions; 
For the gas film, -rA|||| = (kAg a) (PA – PAi)
On rearranging and dividing by ‘HA’, we get
(-rA||||)/[(kAg a) HA] = (PA/HA) – (PAi/HA)
For the liquid film, -rA|||| = (kAl a) (CAi – 0) (xo/x) = (kBl a) (CB – 0) (xo/(xo - x))
On rearranging, we get
xo/x = [(kBl/b kAl) CB + CAi]/CAi
 Substituting the above into the rate equation for liquid film, we get 
[-rA||||/(kAl a)] = (kBl/b kAl) CB + CAi
= (kBl/b kAl) CB + (pAi/pA), by Henry’s law.
 Adding the above equation with the rate of gas film, we get 
-rA|||| = {[(kBl/kAl) (CB/b)] + (pA/HA)}/[1/(kAg a) + (HA/kAl a)]
 By two film theory, we know that (kBl/kAl) α (DBl/DAl). Thus, finally we get -rA||||
= {[( DBl/DAl) (CB/b)] + (pA/HA)}/[1/(kAg a) + (HA/kAl a)]

(ii) Reaction occurs on the G-L interface - With high CB

 If the concentration of ‘B’ is raised, only the resistance of the gas-phase controls the
reaction and the rate is not affected by increase in CB. 
 Thus, the above final equation becomes 
-rA|||| = (kAg a) pA, which is a first order rate with respect to ‘A’.

2. Derive the rate equation for fluid-fluid reaction for the following cases;
(i) Fast reaction in Liquid film with Low CB
(ii) Fast reaction in Liquid film with High CB
Sketch the concentration profiles of the reactants for these reactions.
Ans: (i) Fast reaction with low CB
 With low CB – Reaction occurs in a zone in the liquid film 
 The rate of transfer of ‘A’ from gas to liquid is given by the rate expressions; 
For the gas film, -rA|||| = (kAg a) (PA – P Ai)
On rearranging and dividing by ‘H A’, we get
(-rA||||)/[(kAg a) HA] = (PA/HA) – (PAi/HA)
For the liquid film, -rA’’’’ = (kAl a) CAi E
On rearranging, we get
(-rA||||)/[(kAl a) E] = CAi = PAi/HA
On combing or adding the above equations, we get
-rA|||| = {1/[1/(kAg a) + HA/(kAl a E)]} PA

(ii) With high CB – Reaction occurs in a zone nearer to the G-L interface
 The derivation is same as the case-1, but with E = MH = SQRT(DAl k CB)/ kAl 
Thus, the final rate expression is
-rA|||| = {1/[1/(kAg a) + HA/(a SQRT(DAl k CB))]} PA
3. (i) What are the various equipments used in Fluid-Fluid contacting with reaction?
(ii) Discuss in detail about Slurry reaction kinetics.
Ans: (i)

(ii)
4. The concentration of an undesirable impurity ‘A’ in air is to be reduced from 0.10% to
0.02% by absorption in pure water. Find the height of tower required for counter
current operations. Data: For consistency, units are given in moles, meters, and hours;
  
For the packing used,
 
kA(g) a = 32,000 mol/hr-m3-atm
 -1 
kA(l) a = 0.1 hr
 
The solubility of A in water, HA = 125 x 10-6 atm-m3/mol
 
Liquid mass flow rate, L = 7 X 1015 mol/hr-m2
 
Gas flow rate, G = 1 X 1015 mol/hr-m2 at  = 1 atm Molar
density of liquid, CT = 56,000 mol/m3
Ans:
 From the given data’s of individual mass transfer coefficient and the solubility of
water, we find the overall mass transfer coefficient as 
1/(KAg a) = 1/ (kAg a) + (HA/ kAl a) = 128.125 x 10-5 m3-atm-hr/mol

 By material balance on the absorption tower and with given data, we get 
CA = 8000 pA – 1.6

 Then, pA – pA* = pA – HA CA = pA – 125x10-6 (8000 pA – 1.6) = 2 x 10-4 atm. 


 Thus, we know the height of tower required for counter current operations is 
pA2
h = [G/π(KAg a)] ∫[dpA/(pA – pA*)]
pA1
0.001

= [(1x105) (128.125 x 10-5)/(1)] ∫[dpA/(2 x 10-4)

0.0002
Or h ≈ 512 m