Predicting the Catalyst-Assemblage Dynamics in a CSTR by Linear Operator Method Approach

Continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) are very versatile, since they are used in a wide variety of applications, including product processing, product development and laboratory studies of kinetic parameters. Some of the advantages of CSTRs include, saving energy, higher/est conversion of reactants and relatively easy control. When reactors are modeled by recognizing the catalyst assemblage nature of the system, interesting and more realistic behaviors can be determined. For example, catalytic chemical reactors, modeled by an assemblage behavior, have shown new steady states that are highly beneficial for the catalyst life, and the selectivity and durability of the reactor (Arce and Ramkrishna, 1986) and when interaction of mass among particles has been included, predictions based on ordinary reactor models become invalid (Ramkrishna and Arce, 1986).

Now, if CSTRs are used in the determination of kinetics and transport parameters under dynamic conditions, the possibility of obtaining different limiting cases is within the range of practical performance of such reactors. These different limiting states may lead to different parameter values. In this study and by using a linear operator method approach (LOMA), the authors will outline the different possibilities of a heterogeneous CSTR and will relate them to the experimental conditions needed to determine correct kinetic parameters. Through LOMA, the eigenvalue problem for the CSTR can be determined, and the spectrum of this problem can be used to find, or identify such potentially limiting behaviors as indicated, for example in Arce and Ramkrishna (1986) for the case of other chemical reactors.