General Features of Nonideal Flow

As discussed in Section 17.2.3.1, reactor performance in general depends on (1) the kinetics of reaction, (2) the flow pattern as represented by the RTD, and (3) mixing characteristics within the vessel. The performance predicted by ideal reactor models (CSTR, PFR, and LFR) is determined entirely by (1) and (2), and they do not take (3) 

Ideal flow models contain inherent assumptions about mixing behavior. In BMF, it is assumed that all fluid elements interact and mix completely at both the macroscopic and microscopic levels. In PF, microscopic interactions occur completely in any plane perpendicular to the direction of flow, but not at all in the axial direction. Fluid elements at different axial positions retain their identities as they progress through the vessel, such that a fluid element at one axial position never interacts with a fluid element at another position. 

Following the discussion on segregated flow in Section 13.5, we may consider two extremes of micromixing behavior  

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