Virtual catalytic reactor laboratory

Before completing this exercise, you should:

• Be able to write mass balances for a plug flow reactor (PFR)
• Be familiar with kinetic rate expressions, rate constants, and adsorption equilibrium constants
• Be able to solve ordinary differential equations numerically or analytically
• Be familiar with nonlinear regression
• Know the meaning of a 95% confidence interval

After completing this exercise, you should be able to:

• Explain the function of each part of the catalytic reactor system
• Understand how flow rates into a packed-bed reactor (PBR) affect reactants conversions
• Understand the effect of pressure on the rate of a gas-phase, catalytic reaction
• Efficiently select reaction conditions for PBR measurements
• Explain the reasons that experimental conditions were chosen
• Apply nonlinear regression to determine kinetic parameters and their 95% confidence intervals
• Answer questions about PBR behavior
• Explain the safety precautions that should be taken when carrying our this experiment in a physical laboratory

The Virtual Catalytic Reactor Laboratory Experiment is an isothermal packed bed reactor for a gas-phase, catalytic reaction. It is modeled as a plug flow reactor. The objective is to determine kinetic rate parameters by varying reaction conditions and measuring the composition of the effluent gas.

The gas-phase reaction is:\( \; A + B \rightarrow 2C \; \). The rate expression describing this reaction is

$$ r = \frac{ k\:P_{A}\:P_{B} }{ (1 + K_{A}P_{A} + K_{B}P_{B} )^{2} } \quad \mathrm{ \left[ \frac{ mmol }{ cm^{3} \; s } \right] } $$

where students determine the parameters k, K_A, K_B, and their 95% confidence intervals. The terms \( P_{A} \) and \( P_{B} \) are the partial pressures of components A and B, respectively. The outlet mole fractions of A, B, and C are collected for different reactor pressures and inlet mole flow rates of A and B. Each measurement costs $250, and $10,000 is available for each student or group of students.

More detailed directions are provided within the virtual laboratory experiment, along with screencasts and a video tour of a catalytic reactor.

Measurements may be downloaded as a .CSV file.

Students may create an account (as an individual or as part of a group) under their instructor's name or they may create an account to better understand the experiment by selecting "None" as the instructor. Instructors may request an account by emailing LearnChemE@gmail.com.

Type your username into the "username" box, then press the button below to see a password hint:

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