Effect of hydrodynamics and radial mixing on steady-state multiplicity in a chemical reactor (Q808961)

In this paper we study the effect of taking into account the flow hydrodynamics and radial mixing on the steady-state multiplicity of the reactor. A Poiseuille velocity distribution is assumed. Two reactor models are considered. The first model describes an isothermal flow reactor with recycling and an autocatalytic reaction. In the longitudinal direction a total displacement regime is assumed. In the one-dimensional case the reactor may have up to three steady-state regimes. The second model considered describes a flow reactor with integral heat computation and a first-order exothermic reaction. With respect to the concentration a total-displacement regime is assumed in the longitudinal direction and diffusion is taken into account in the transverse direction. In the one- dimensional case this reactor may also have up to three regimes. Numerical calculations showed that the factors investigated have a strong influence on the multiplicity. In fact, the regions of nonuniqueness may be considerably deformed and at certain values of the parameters the presence of multiplicity in the one-dimensional model does not guarantee its presence when finite radial mixing is taken into account.