Other approaches and recommendations

Timoshenko et al (1967) recommended running a set of experiments in a CSTR on feed composition (now called feed-forward study), and then statistically correlating the discharge concentrations and rates with feed conditions by second order polynomials. In the second stage, mathematical experiments are executed on the previous empirical correlation to find the form and constants for the rate expressions. An example is presented for the dehydrogenation of butane. 

Kelkar and McCarthy (1995) proposed another method to use the feedforward experiments to develop a kinetic model in a CSTR. An initial experimental design is augmented in a stepwise manner with additional experiments until a satisfactory model is developed. For augmenting data, experiments are selected in a way to increase the determinant of the correlation matrix. The method is demonstrated on kinetic model development for the aldol condensation of acetone over a mixed oxide catalyst. 

A second source of difficulty is caused by the unavoidable empty space in recycle reactors. This limits their usefulness in some studies. Homogeneous reactions in the empty gas volume may interfere with heterogeneous catalytic measurements. Transient experiments could reveal much more information on various steps in the reaction mechanism but material in the empty space can obscure sharp changes. 

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