M11.5 Summary

This module has assumed very simple models for batch reactors, where heat effects (due to an exothermic reaction, for example) are captured by a simple heat generation term.

This resulted in low-order models that demonstrated clearly the importance of process scale. A smaller reactor has a larger heat transfer area to volume ratio, making it much more efficient at transferring heat compared to a larger reactor. That is, smaller temperature differences between the reactor and jacket are needed to remove heat energy from the reactor. Smaller reactors then are less prone to suffer from problems with jacket temperature constraints. In addition, the smaller reactors have smaller process time constants, allowing better closed-loop temperature control (faster closed-loop responses). Certainly, more complicated models can be developed, which include reactor rate terms and semi-batch reactor operation (see Additional Exercise 4). More comprehensive examples will be placed on the textbook web page; you are encouraged to download these files for advanced study.