Analysis of Equilibrium Shifting by Inter-Stage Reactant Feeding in a Series of Isothermal Reactors

Abstract

Abstract This paper focuses on the impact of reactant staging on conversion for one single reversible reaction in a two-stage, isothermal, continuous reactor. The analytical expression of global conversion has been derived for a series of two continuously stirred-tank reactors. Improvements in the overall conversion and yield by staging can be obtained for low Damköhler number systems leading to low conversions, when the volumetric flow rate of the staged reactant has a higher value than that of the other one. The example of triolein transesterification involving three reversible reactions in a two-stage plug flow reactor is also studied as a concrete example of a consecutive/parallel reversible reactions system. Results are obtained by using a pseudo-homogeneous model and are compared with those obtained with a heterogeneous model from a previous study.