TUBDYN - Dynamic Tubular Reactor

Tanks-in-series reactor configurations provide a means of approaching the conversion of a tubular reactor. In modelling, they are employed for describing axial mixing in non-ideal tubular reactors. Residence time distributions, as measured by tracers, can be used to characterise reactors, to establish models and to calculate conversions for first-order reactions. 

If applied to a tracer, rAn is zero. Otherwise it is taken as nth-order 

The residence time distributions can be measured by applying tracer pulses and step changes as explained in Sec. 3.2.9. The response curves are best normalised such that the dimensionless time is 

For a step change in the feed tracer from 0 to Cao and giving an F-curve response. 

The pulse tracer response, giving the E-curve response, can be used directly to calculate the steady-state conversion for a first-order reaction according to the relationship 

5 Simulation Tools and Examples of Chemical Engineering Processes 

This program is designed to simulate the resulting residence time distributions based on a cascade of 1 to N tanks-in-series. Also, simulations with nth-order reaction can be run, and the steady-state conversion obtained. A pulse input disturbance of tracer is programmed here, as in example CSTRPULSE, to obtain the residence time distribution E curve and from this the conversion for first-order reaction. 

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