A continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) is a common model for a chemical reactor in chemical

engineering. It is equipped with an impeller or other mixing device to provide efficient mixing.
CSTR is often used to refer to an idealized agitated tank reactor used to model operation variables
required to attain a specified output. The mathematical model works for all fluids: liquids, gases, and
slurries. A steady state must be reached where the flow rate into the reactor equals the flow rate out,
for otherwise the tank would empty or overflow. The residence time is calculated by dividing the
volume of the tank by the average volumetric flow rate.
The working principle of a CSTR is it is an open system, where fluid is free to enter or exit the
system, which operate on a steady-state basis, where the conditions in the reactor don't change
with time. Reactants are continuously introduced into the reactor, while products are continuously
removed. CSTR are usually used in waste water treatment processes because it could facilitate rapid
dilution rates which make them resistant to both high pH and low pH volatile fatty acid wastes.
Conversion or fractional conversion of a chemical reaction is known as the ratio of change in
moles of a reactant (usually limiting reactant) to the moles of the reactant fed. For example of
a chemical reaction:𝐴 + 𝐵 → 𝐶 , if A is considered as the basis of calculation, the conversion
of species A in a reaction is equal to the number of moles of A reacted per mole of A fed. In
the need of calculation, the basis of calculation is most always the limiting reactant. The
maximum value of conversion, X, is that for complete conversion, i.e. X = 1.0. For reversible
reactions, the maximum value of conversion, X, is the equilibrium conversion, i.e. X = Xe.
Plug flow reactor (PFR) also known as Tubular flow reactor consist of long hollow tube
in which the reactant would flow in high velocity in an axial direction in the shape of plug
(Cylindrical shape). As the fluid flows into the PFR, the reaction occurs, and the raw materials
are converted to products. Plug flow reactor runs in continuous operation and steady state
operation. Since the fluid flows at high speed, the products are unable to diffuse back and there
is little or no back mixing. In plug flow reactor, the reactant is considered perfectly mixed due
to the high velocity fluid flowing in the reactor. The velocity, concentration, temperature, or
reaction rate of the stream is assumed to have no radial variation. However, the concentration
varies continuously in the axial direction through the reactor. Plug flow reactors have a wide
variety of applications in either gas or liquid phase or mixed phases systems. Common
industrial uses of tubular reactors are in gasoline production, oil cracking, synthesis of
ammonia from its elements, and the oxidation of sulphur dioxide to sulphur trioxide. Plug flow
reactor is one of the most common type of reactor used in industry due to its non-mixing
property of the reactors. It is also very helpful in the continuous production of the product.
Flow of plug flow reactor is laminar, as with viscous fluids in small-diameter tubes, and greatly
deviate from ideal plug-flow behaviour.

In conclusion, continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) is the most basic and common ideal type of
continuous reactor used in chemical processes where the reactants feed is continuously added and
the products continuously removed. CSTR normally used for liquid phase reaction, but also adapts
to mixed phases such as solid-liquid, or gas-liquid phase. In the model development of CSTR, there
are a few of assumptions need to be included such as ideal reactor, ideal gas, perfect mixing, single
and irreversible reaction, constant volume and isothermal reactor, constant mass densities of the
feed and product streams and negligible heat losses. Under these assumption, the volume of
reactor in order to achieve desired fractional conversion of a chemical reaction can be calculated
under the stimulation by applying mole balance equation of CSTR and kinetic reaction rate equation
which related to equation of Arrhenius.
In conclusion, in this lab session we have learnt about how to use Software such as Aspen
HYSYS V10 to solve mathematically model chemical process related to Plug Flow Reactor or
as known as PFR .
We have learnt that in Hydrodealkylation, is a reaction to convert toluene (C7H8) into benzene
(C6H6). When we operate this process between Temperature 700 to 950 without any catalyst,
we can summarize the rate of disappearance of Toluene as below where:
-rT = kT [H2] 1/2 [C7H8]
kT = 3.5 x 1010 exp(-E/RT)(1/mol) 1/2/s
E = 50,900 cal/mol
R = 0.001987 kcal/K.mol
To Operate this process and to calculate desired values, we first need to assume that it is an
irreversible process and it implies Ideal Gas Law and most importantly it is processed in PFR
Reactor.

References
Luo, G., Xie, L., Zou, Z., Zhou, Q., Jin, F., Zhou, Q., & Wu, B. (2010). Cassava Stillage Treatment
by Thermophilic Anaerobic Continuously Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR). doi: 10.1063/1.3529340
Continuous Stirred-Tank Reactor. (n.d.). Principles of Chemical Reactor Analysis and Design, 317–
376. doi: 10.1002/9780470385821.ch8
Figure 2f from: Irimia R, Gottschling M (2016) Taxonomic revision of Rochefortia Sw. (Ehretiaceae,
Boraginales). Biodiversity Data Journal 4: e7720. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e7720. (n.d.). doi:
10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f
Yurtoğlu, N. (2018). http://www.historystudies.net/dergi//birinci-dunya-savasinda-bir-asayis-
sorunu-sebinkarahisar-ermeni-isyani20181092a4a8f.pdf. History Studies International Journal of
History, 10(7), 241–264. doi: 10.9737/hist.2018.658

ww

Process Design. Reactor (2019).

https://processdesign.mccormick.northwestern.edu/index.php/Reactor
Plug Flow Reactors (2019).
http://umich.edu/~elements/asyLearn/bits/pfrfinal/index.htm
Conversion and Reactor Sizing. Chapter 2:Summary Notes (2019)
http://www.umich.edu/~elements/fogler&gurmen/html/course/lectures/two/index.
Htm
Introduction

Conversion or fractional conversion of a chemical reaction is known as the ratio of

change in moles of limiting reactant to the moles of reactant fed. When calculation is required,
the basis of calculation is most often the limiting reactant. The maximum conversion value, X,
equals to one. For reversible reactions the maximum X, is the equilibrium conversion.

In chemical engineering operation, a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) is a common

model for a chemical reactor. Often, CSTR is used to refer to an idealized agitated tank reactor
used to model the operating variables needed to achieve a specified output. For all fluids that the
mathematical model works, there must be a steady state where the flow rate into the reactor is
equal to the outflow rate, otherwise the tank would be empty or overflowing. The residence time
is calculated by dividing tank volume by the average volumetric flow rate. A CSTR's working
principle is that it is an open system where fluid is free to enter or leave the system that operates
on a stable-state basis, where the reactor conditions do not change with time. Reactants are
constantly added into the reactor, while products are extracted continuously. CSTR is commonly
utilised in wastewater treatment processes as it could facilitate rapid dilution rates that would
make them resistant to both high pH and low pH volatile fatty acid waste.

The plug flow reactor (PFR) consists of a hollow tube in which the reactant would flow
in a plug shape (cylindrical shape), at high velocity in an axial direction. The reaction occurs as
the fluid flows into the PFR, and the raw materials are converted into products. Because the fluid
travels at high speed, the materials cannot travel back and there is very minimal back mixing. In
the plug flow system, because of the high velocity fluid circulating in the reactor, the reactant is
assumed to be perfectly mixed. Thus, the velocity, concentration, temperature, or reaction rate
does not have radial variation. However, the concentration varies continuously in the axial
direction through the reactor. Common industrial uses of PFR are in the manufacture of fuel, oil
cracking and sulfur dioxide oxidation to sulphur trioxide. Because of the non-mixing properties
of the reactors, the plug flow reactor is one of the most common type of reactor used in industry.
Flow of PFR is laminar, as with viscous fluid fluids in small-diameter tubes and greatly deviate
from ideal plug flow behavior.