Abstracts of Paper's Published in 2000


  1. M.I. Nelson, G.C. Wake, and X.D. Chen. Heterogeneously catalysed combustion in a continuously stirred tank reactor - low temperature reactions. Combustion Theory and Modelling, 4(1):1-27, March 2000.
  2. H.S. Sidhu, M.J. Sexton, M.I. Nelson, G.N. Mercer, and R.O. Weber. A simple combustion process in a semibatch reactor. In R.L. May, G.F. Fitz-Gerald, and I.H. Grundy, editors, EMAC 2000 Proceedings, pages 251--254. The Institution of Engineers, Australia, 2000. ISBN 085825 705X.
  3. M.I. Nelson . Comparison Theorems for Multicomponent Diffusion Systems: Developments since 1961. Journal of Applied Mathematics and Decision Sciences, 4(2):151-163, 2000.
  4. H.S. Sidhu, M.I. Nelson, G.N. Mercer and R.O. Weber. Dynamical analysis of an elementary X+Y-->P reaction in a continuously stirred tank reactor. Journal of Mathematical Chemistry, 28(4): 353-375, 2000.

Heterogeneously catalysed combustion in a continuously stirred tank reactor - low temperature reactions

Abstract

In this paper a model for the heterogeneously-catalysed reaction of a gaseous species undergoing a single-step exothermic reaction in a well-mixed diabatic continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) is developed and analysed. Low temperature reaction conditions are assumed, so that the degradation of the inflow species in the gas-phase is negligible. The adsorption and desorption of the active species onto a solid catalyst layer is explicitly modelled.

Under the conditions used the classic combustion S-shape steady-state curve is not exhibited. Instead the steady-state diagram consists of two disjoint solution curves: a solution curve containing a steady-state branch corresponding to full coverage of the catalyst with no conversion; and, an isola containing a steady-state branch that corresponds to low coverage of the catalyst with a high conversion of the inflow species. The steady-state curve contains one extinction point and no ignition points. Consequently the initial conditions determine onto which steady-state the system evolves. Large variations in the critical catalytic surface area are found as the initial temperature of the reactor is varied. This is expected to have significant practical implications.

M.I. Nelson, G.C. Wake, and X.D. Chen. Heterogeneously catalysed combustion in a continuously stirred tank reactor - low temperature reactions Combustion Theory and Modelling, 4(1):1-27, March 2000.


A Simple Combustion Process in a Semibatch Reactor

Introduction

The continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR: sometimes referred to as the open reactor) and the batch reactor (closed system) have been well documented to be very useful arrangements to investigate a wide variety of chemical reactions, particularly oscillatory reactions. Numerous examples of these can be found in [3]. However, there are still issues that cannot be answered by utilising the closed or CSTR arrangement as mentioned in [6] and [7]. These include the effects of the gradual accumulation of certain products and the lack of outflow have on the dynamical behaviour of a particular system. Rabai and Epstein [6] suggest that the experimental condition that ``sits in the middle'' of the CSTR and batch conditions, the semibatch arrangement, is potentially a powerful tool to investigate chemical systems which have not been fully exploited despite there being several practical examples where the semibatch mode of operation is particularly valid ([6] and [7]). These include the industrial production of oxalic acid by the action of nitrogen dioxide in hydrolysed starch (which has safety implications due to high excursions of temperatures), waste treatment plants where materials accumulate in holding tanks before being treated by suitable chemicals to convert the waste to less toxic substances, and also the administration of therapeutic drugs. Furthermore, Griffiths [5] suggests that studies of semibatch reactors, whereby one reactant flowing at a controlled rate into another reactant in a reaction vessel, has potential safety applications since the semibatch operation is very similar to a combustion hazard scenario where an inadvertent leakage of a particular chemical through a valve occurs.

In this paper we consider the gas-phase reaction between hydrogen and chlorine in the semibatch reactor. Coppersthwaite et al. [1] were the first to conduct experimental measurements and numerical simulations for this reaction in the semibatch mode of operation. These authors showed that this reaction (under non-adiabatic semibatch operation) can be represented by a two-dimensional model (based on the Sal'nikov scheme) in which a reactant concentration (2) and the reactant temperature are considered as the variables.

In this paper we explore this reaction further, firstly by comparing the full system with the reduced model obtained by utilising the quasi stationary-state approximation (OSSA) which was suggested and derived by Coppersthwaite et al [1] (and to a certain extent treated briefly by Warnatz et al [8]. We then investigate the effects of varying the inflow rate of hydrogen and the vessel (or ambient) temperature. Finally we will complete our investigation by first deriving and then examining the results of a reduced scheme based on the Sal'nikov model and compare these results to the more detailed H2 + Cl2 reaction scheme. We are particularly interested in using the Sal'nikov scheme to predict the onset of oscillations in the semibatch scenario. [1] attempted to do this in their study, however a proper comparison between the full scheme and the Sal'nikov scheme was not undertaken. Furthermore, these authors did not show the derivation of the Sal'nikov scheme. Both of these issues have been undertaken in the present study.

References

  1. Coppersthwaite, D.P., Griffiths, J.F., and Gray, B.F. Oscillations in the H2 + Cl2 Reaction: Experimental Measurements and Numerical Simulation, J. Phys. Chem, 95, 1991, 6961--6967.
  2. Gray, B.F., and Roberts, M.J. Analysis of chemical kinetic systems over the entire parameter space: I The Sal'nikov thermokinetic oscillator, Proc. Roy. Soc. Ser. A, 416 391--402.
  3. Gray, P., and Scott, S.K. Chemical Oscillations and Instabilities, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1994.
  4. Griffiths, J.F., Kay, S.R., and Scott, S.K. Oscillatory Combustion in Closed Vessels: Theoretical Foundations and their Experimental Verification, Proc. Twenty-Second Intl. Symp. Comb., 1988, 1597--1607
  5. Griffiths, J.F. Prog. Energy Combust. Sci., Reduced Kinetic Models and their Application to Practical Combustion Systems, 21, 1995, 25--107.
  6. Rabai, G. and Epstein, I.R. pH Oscillations in a Semibatch Reactor, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1992, 114, 1529--1530.
  7. Rabai, G. and Hanazaki, I. Oscillatory Reaction in the Hydrogen Peroxide-Sulfite Ion-Hydrogen Ion-Hexacynoferrate(II) Ion System in a Semibatch Reactor, J. Phys. Chem., 1994, 98, 2592.
  8. Warnatz, J., Maas, U., and Dibble, R.W. Combustion: Physical and chemical fundamentals, modelling and simulations, pollutant formation, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1996.

H.S. Sidhu, M.J. Sexton, M.I. Nelson, G.N. Mercer, and R.O. Weber. A Simple Combustion Process in a Semibatch Reactor. In R.L. May, G.F. Fitz-Gerald, and I.H. Grundy, editors, EMAC 2000 Proceedings, pages 251--254. The Institution of Engineers, Australia, 2000. ISBN 085825 705X.


Comparison Theorems for Multicomponent Diffusion Systems: Developments since 1961

Abstract

Comparison theorems may be used to prove the existence and uniqueness of solutions to certain types of partial differential equations. They provide bounds for solutions and can be used as the basis of numerical techniques for the computation of solutions. In 1961 Alex McNabb published one of the first papers extending their use to multi-component systems. Developments in the theory and applications of such results, through citations of this original paper, are reviewed.

Keywords: comparison theorems, reaction-diffusion equations.

M.I. Nelson. Comparison Theorems for Multicomponent Diffusion Systems: Developments since 1961. Journals of Applied Mathematics and Decision Sciences, 4(2):151-163, 2000.


Dynamical analysis of an elementary X+Y-->P reaction in a continuously stirred tank reactor

Abstract

This paper investigates the bifurcation behaviour of a model oxidation reaction in a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR). We assume that two gaseous chemical species are pumped separately into the CSTR, at constant total pressure, reacting to produce an inert product. The reaction is assumed to be a single step reaction that is described by Arrhenius kinetics. It is capable of producing oscillatory behaviour as well as steady state multiplicity in certain parameter regions. Bifurcation diagrams in various control parameter spaces are presented. We show that the system always possesses a globally attracting invariant region. The equivalence of a CSTR having n feed streams and the one pipe version, by appropriate re-scaling, is also discussed.

Key Words: exothermic reaction, bifurcation, flammability limits, flow reactor

H.S. Sidhu, M.I. Nelson, G.N. Mercer and R.O. Weber. Dynamical analysis of an elementary X+Y-->P reaction in a continuously stirred tank reactor. Journal of Mathematical Chemistry, 28(4):353-374, 2000.



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