Continuous flow stirred tank reactors (CSTR)

In flux units, M/t

∂c
rate of change of storage = V = inflow - outflow
∂t
∂c
V = cinflow Q - cout Q + W(t) - kVc
∂t

rate of inflow outflow waste decay

change of storage input
M/t M/t M/t M/t M/t

Assume concentration in inflow = 0

∂c
V + Qc + kVc = W(t)
∂t

If Q + kV = k1, then

∂c
V + k 1c = W(t)
∂t

Conservative case k1 = Q; nonconservative k1 = Q + kV

If material is mixed in instantaneously and W(t) = 0, then

∂c k 1c
+ = 0
∂t V

The solution is:

-k 1 t
c(t) = c0 e V

If waste is injected at a constant rate:

W k1t
c(t) = (1 - e V )
Q

If we inject a waste instantaneously into a CSTR and turn the waste off, it is a
pulse input.

c = c0 e-(Q/V)t

Also called Q/V = 1/τ , also called ρ , the flushing rate. Therefore, τ is mean
hydraulic detention time
For a continuosly injected, conservative waste, aka a step function:
c(t) = W/Q (1 - e-(Q/V)t)

W/Q is c0: the initial concentration:

W/Q = (M/t)/(L3/t) = M/L3, concentration units
This is known as the inverse exponential
For calculations, at each point in time, calculate c0 as the concentration calculated in
the last iteration.

Nonconservative case

dc/dt = -kc

V(dc/dt) = Qcin - Qc -kvc

Rearrange and integrate:

c ≈ c0/(1 + k(V/Q))

plot c/c0 = 1/(1 + K(V/Q)) using a range of k(V/Q) values.

As k(V/Q) increases, time to steady state and steady state values decrease.
In conservative case, Q/V is acting and you are getting dilution effects as Q increases.

In nonconservative case, k and Q/V are active and you get dilution and decay.

Saw, before, how to mix conservative waste inflow into a stream. Solution was
c Q + c Q
co = stream stream waste waste
Q
total
A Nonconservative material in a stream

−( kx
µ)
Nonconservative: c(t) = c e
0

c0 Slope = k/u
ln c
c

Distance Travelled
x or t
Travel Time
Look at Steady state, constant parameter case for 4 reaches.

conservative
nonconservative Tributary (Water only)

Reach # 0 1 2 3

Waste input 1 Waste input 2

Flow

Waste Mass from 0 only

Conc

Waste Mass from 1 only

Conc

Conc Waste Mass from 2 only

Conc All responses summed