Investigation of the optimum longitudinal mixing regime in an isothermal chemical flow reactor

Abstract

A one-dimensional isothermal flow reactor with longitudinal mixing is examined. The known asymptotic results are analyzed and used as a basis for formulating the conditions and initial values of the parameters for a numerical investigation by the parameter mapping method. The object of the investigation is to construct the exact boundaries of the regions of variation of the characteristic parameters in which the maximum extent of reaction is achieved in one of the limiting (Pe=0 and Pe=∞) or intermediate (0<Pe<∞) cases of mixing. The dependence of the extent of reaction on the Peclet number in these regions is also investigated, and its increment with respect to the limiting regimes is determined for the region of the optimum intermediate value of the Peclet number. The results of calculations for a reactor with an autocatalytic reaction, whose rate depends on the concentration in accordance with the law F(C)=C(1−C), are presented.