Course Code : ACH1115 Reg.

No :

GAYATRI VIDYA PARISHAD COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING (AUTONOMOUS)

Madhurawada, Visakhapatnam
Affiliated to JNT University K, Kakinada
B.Tech. V-Semester Supplementary Examinations, May 2013
Chemical Reaction Engineering-I
(Chemical Engineering)
Date : 29/05/2013 Time : 3 Hours Max. Marks : 60
1. Question No. 1 is Compulsory.
2. Answer any FOUR from questions 2 to 8.
3. All parts of a Question must be answered in one place to get valued.

1. Answer the following in 4 or 5 sentences:

a) It is said that higher temperature favor reactions of higher activation energy. Prove this with 2 Marks
two reactions having activation energies of 20000 and 40000 calories respectively.

b) For higher order reactions for a given size of reactor, the conversion in CSTR is always 2 Marks
smaller than that in a PFR. Explain why?

c) When you do material balance over a CSTR, it is done over the entire volume. Whereas when 2 Marks
you do material balance over a PFR, it is done over a differential volume. Explain why?

d) Define selectivity and yield in case of multiple reactions occurring in a reactor. 2 Marks

e) How does the presence of inerts with reactants influence a reaction? 2 Marks

f) What happens to equilibrium conversion in the case of an exothermic reaction, when the 2 Marks
temperature of the reaction increases?

g) What is the effect of pressure and temperature on equilibrium constant? 2 Marks

h) What is an elementary reaction? Can we infer its order from its molucularity? 2 Marks
2. A homogeneous liquid phase reaction A R, rA = kC A2 takes place with 50% conversion in a 11 Marks
mixed reactor. What will be the conversion if the original reactor is replaced by a plug flow
reactor of equal size all else remaining unchanged.

3. In a homogeneous isothermal liquid polymerization, 20% of the monomer disappears in 34 11 Marks

minutes for initial monomer concentration of 0.04 and 0.8 mol/liter. What is the rate of
disappearance of the monomer?
4. Find the first-order rate constant for the disappearance of A in the gas phase reaction 2A R, 11 Marks
on holding the pressure constant, the volume of the reaction mixture, starting with 80% A,
decreases by 20% in 3 minutes.

5. The elementary liquid phase reaction A + B C is carried out in a CSTR. The entering 11 Marks
concentrations of streams A and B are both 2 molar and the specific reaction rate is 0.01
liter/(mol.min). Assuming a stoichiometric feed (10 mol A/min) to the reactor, calculate the
reactor volume and space time to achieve 90% conversion.
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Course Code : ACH1115 Reg. No :

6. Consider the parallel decomposition of A of different orders 11 Marks

Determine the maximum concentration of desired product obtainable in

a) plug flow
b) mixed flow
S is the desired product and CA0 = 4.

7. Substance A reacts according to second-order kinetics and conversion is 95% from a single flow 11 Marks
reactor. A second unit identical to the first is bought. For the same conversion, by how much is
the capacity increased if we operate these two units in parallel or in series. The reactors are both
mixed flow.
8. An irreversible first-order homogeneous reaction AP is carried out in a batch reactor. It is 11 Marks
required to produce 500 tonnes of product in 500 hours of operation. The following data are
available:

Kat 163C = 0.8 h-1 ; E = 28.96 kcal/gmol; (Hr)A = -15 kcal/gmol; CpA = Cpp = 150 kcal/kmol;
A = p = 900 kg/m3; the feed is at 20C. Conversion required is 0.8. Write the energy balance
equation for adiabatic operation of the reactor.
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