Hello All, Hope everyone doing good ....!!!
Welcome back to PharmaCalculations.com! After our detailed discussion on Plug Flow Reactor (PFR) design, let’s now explore the design of another commonly used reactor type in pharmaceutical and chemical process industries — the Mixed Flow Reactor (MFR), also known as Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR).
This post will walk you through the step-by-step design of an MFR using the same kinetic data and feed conditions used in our previous PFR design post.
If you haven't gone through the post of designing a PFR, please do it now: https://www.pharmacalculations.com/2025/05/design-of-plug-flow-reactor-pfr.html
Objective
To design a Mixed Flow Reactor (MFR) based on available kinetic data, rate constants, and conversion targets, assuming the reaction follows first-order kinetics.
Given Data (Same as PFR Post)
Parameter | Value |
---|---|
Type of reaction | A → Products |
Order of reaction | First-order |
Rate constant, k | 0.0616 min⁻¹ |
Initial concentration, Cₐ₀ | 1.5 mol/L |
Desired conversion, X | 70% or 0.70 |
Volumetric flow rate, v₀ | 100 L/min |
Step-by-Step MFR Design
Step 1: Performance Equation of MFR
For a Mixed Flow Reactor, the performance equation is:
Where:
-
= Volume of reactor (L)
-
= Volumetric flow rate (L/min)
-
= Fractional conversion
-
= Rate of reaction at outlet conditions (mol/L·min)
Step 2: Calculate Outlet Concentration
Step 3: Rate of Reaction at Outlet
For a first-order reaction,
Step 4: Calculate Reactor Volume
So, the required MFR volume is approximately 2525 L.
Step 5: Reactor Dimensions (Assume Vertical Cylindrical Tank)
Assume Height-to-Diameter (H/D) ratio = 2:1 (common for stirred reactors)
Let:
Diameter = 0.3 m, Height = 0.6 m
Step 6: Agitator Power Estimation
Use the Power number (Nₚ) method:
Assume:
-
(for Rushton turbine)
-
kg/m³ (approx. for liquid)
-
m (agitator diameter, 2/3 of tank diameter)
-
rev/s (120 RPM)
Required agitator power = ~13 W
Hope you understood the post well.
If any queries, pl free to write us at pharmacalc823@gmail.com
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