NONISOTHERMAL REACTOR DESIGN FOR VARIABLE-DENSITY SYSTEMS

In this paper, we present the necessary equations which describe the rate-temperature-conversion (r-T-X) behaviour and the optimum temperature progression (OTP) profile for a general class of reversible reactions which admits density changes. The utility of these equations is demonstrated by examples. Analysis reveals that if the sums of the orders of the reactants and products are equal, then the OTP path is independent of the density parameter. Interestingly, this implies that the ideal reactor size would be the same as if there was no density change. For other situations, however, the density parameter can have a substantial effect on the position of the OTP and this has been investigated.