10.

37 Chemical and Biological Reaction Engineering, Spring 2007

Prof. K. Dane Wittrup
Lecture 9: Reactor Size Comparisons for PFR and CSTR

This lecture covers reactors in series and in parallel, and how the choice of reactor
affects selectivity versus conversion.

PFR vs. CSTR: Size and Selectivity

Material balance:

CSTR PFR

FAo XA FAo
V= XA V=∫ dX A
−rA 0 −rA

“Levenspiel Plot”

• as X A increases, C A decreases
−rA decreases, for 1st and 2nd order,
FAo F
so Ao increases
− rA 1st or 2nd −rA
order
reaction
Figure 1. General Levenspiel Plot.

XA

CSTR Volume PFR Volume

FAo FAo
− rA − rA
VCSTR VPFR

XA XA
Figure 2. Levenspiel plots for a CSTR and a PFR for positive order reactions.

So PFR is always a smaller reactor for a given conversion when kinetics are positive
order.
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2007. MIT OpenCourseWare (http://ocw.mit.edu), Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Downloaded on
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Non-monotonically positive order kinetics arise:
• Autocatalytic reactions (e.g. cell growth)
• Adiabatic or non-isothermal exothermic reactions
• Product inhibited reactions (some enzymes)

Series of Reactors

Example: 2 CSTRs

FAo

v1

x1

FA1

v2

x2
FA2
Figure 3. Schematic of two CSTRs in series.
FAo
V1 = X1
−rA1

2nd reactor: 0
In + Out + Prod = Acc

FA1 − FA2 + rA2 V2 = Steady state

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 FA0
FA2 = FA0 − X 2 FA0 → V2 = ( X 2 − X1 )
−rA2

FAo
− rA
V1 Figure 4. Reactor volumes for 2 CSTRs
V2 in series.

X1 X2
X

Multiple CSTRs begin to

approximate a single PFR
FAo
− rA

X
Figure 5. Reactor volumes for multiple CSTRs in series.

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 FAo FAo
− rA − rA VCSTR
VPFR

VPFR
VCSTR

X XA
Final X
Designed final
conversion

Figure 6. Levenspiel plots comparing CSTR and PFR volumes for changing kinetics.
Left: The CSTR has the smaller volume. Right: The PFR eventually has the smaller
volume.

Choice of PFR vs CSTR depends on conversion. Choose the reactor that has the
smallest volume Æreduce cost.

Reactors:

CSTR
FAo
−rA
VCSTR
VPFR

PFR
X
Final X
Figure 7. To achieve the desired conversion with smaller reactor volumes, use a
combination. In this case, use a CSTR then a PFR. By doing so, the reactor volume is
less than the area underneath the curve.

For competing parallel reactions, selectivity for desired product can dominate the
choice.

Example A→ D rD = kd C Aα1 D = Desired, U = Undesired

α2
A →U rU = ku C A

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 rD kd (α1 −α 2 )
Define “selectivity” SD /U = = CA
rU ku

If α1 > α 2 , as C A increases, S D /U increases

-Favors PFR because C A starts at C Ao then drops whereas CSTR
concentrations are always at lower C A .
If α1 < α 2 , as C A increases, S D /U decreases
-CSTR favored
kd
If α1 = α 2 then S D /U = , no dependence on C A
ku
-Therefore no CSTR/PFR preference.

Define a fractional yield

dCD kd C αA1
φ= =
− dC A kd C αA1 + ku C αA 2

All D produced
Overall fractional yield Φ=
All A consumed

For a CSTR: Φ = φ Εxit C

A

ΔC A = C A − C A
0 f

1 C At
For a PFR: Φ=
ΔC A ∫ CA 0
φ dC A

If α1 = α 2

ΦΔC A

C Af C A0
CA
Figure 8. Fractional yield versus concentration. Selectivity does not depend on CA.

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If α1 > α 2

CA
Figure 9. Fractional yield versus concentration when α1 > α2.

CSTR PFR

φ φ
Φ PFR ΔC A
Φ CSTR ΔC A

C Af C A0 C Af C A0

CA CA
Figure 10. Comparison of overall fractional yield for a CSTR and a PFR when α1 >
α2.

PFR is preferred because Φ PFR >Φ CSTR , therefore the yield of D per mol A consumed
is higher.

If α1 < α 2

φ Φ CSTR ΔC A φ Φ PFR ΔC A

C Af C A0 CA C Af C A0 C A

CSTR PFR
Figure 11. Comparsion of overall fractional yield for a CSTR and a PFR when α1 >
α2.
Φ PFR <Φ CSTR
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