2. Importance of CSTR Ideality
Economics
Design of Reactors
Higher Conversion of Reactants
3. CSTR Ideality
The Experiment
The Results
Characterization of Ideality
Residence Time Distribution Function
Causes of CSTR Non-Ideality
Conclusions and Questions
4. The Experiment
Characterize the ideality of client’s bench
CSTR reactor
Operate currently at 30 rpm
Determine most ideal conditions and make
recommendations
5. The Experiment (cont.)
Injection Impulse Step Test
Sodium Chloride is the Tracer
Concentration Measurements by
Conductivity
Different Mixer Speeds
6. Figure 1 Schematic Diagram for CSTR
Item Description
1 Mixing Point
2 Mixing Point
3 Mixing Point
4 Mixing Points
5
Water Bath Inlet and
Outlet
6
Four Wall Mounted
Baffles
7 Mixer Drive
8 Marine Type Impeller
9 CSTR Vessel
10 Water Bath Vessel
The CSTR Apparatus
7. Characterization of Ideality
Ideal Residence Time vs. Mean Residence
Time
Residence Time is how long material stays
in reactor
Comparison is done numerically and
graphically
9. Residence Time Distribution
end
t
mean
mean dt
t
tE
t
0
)
(
end
t
m dt
t
E
t
t
0
2
)
(
)
(
end
t
dt
t
C
t
C
t
C
t
C
t
E
0
)]
0
(
)
(
[
)
0
(
)
(
)
(
10. Residence Time Distribution (cont.)
E(t) or RTD, measures fraction of material
in reactor between two times
tm, mean residence time
Sigma or variance, measures the
distribution’s spread
11. Residence Time Distribution (cont.)
Figure 2 Graph from Fluent Magazine showing RTD functions for
different methods (Ring, 2004)
12. The Results
Concentration of Sodium Chloride versus Time
10
15
20
25
30
35
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
Time(s)
Concentration
NaCl(g/L)
30 RPM
15 RPM
14. The Results (cont.)
Mean Residence Time
0
100
200
300
400
500
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
RPM
Mean
Residence
Time(s)
Ideal Mean Residence Time
Experimental Residence Times
15. The Results (cont.)
RPM
Mean Residence
Time Standard Deviation Sigma Sigma/Tau
15 357.57 11.58 206.87 0.58
30 358.14 11.58 206.35 0.58
Ideal CSTR 466.97 5.90
16. Causes of CSTR Non-Ideality
Poor Mixing
Dead Zones in CSTR
Short Circuit
20. Review
Characterization of Ideality
Residence Time Distribution Function
Mean Residence Time vs. Ideal Residence
Time
CSTR Non-Ideality
21. Conclusions
Use Marine Type Impeller
Promote Turbulence in CSTR
Choose Wisely the Mixing Points and
Sampling Points
Use Fluent
Observe other RTD data