Code No: RR312303 Set No.

1
III B.Tech I Semester Supplementary Examinations, February 2007
BIO-CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(Bio-Technology)
Time: 3 hours Max Marks: 80
Answer any FIVE Questions
All Questions carry equal marks
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1. (a) Define the following terms: order of a reaction, molecularity, elementary and
non-elementary reactions.
(b) Explain the term steady-state approximation ? [8+8]
2. (a) What are the advantages of continuous Bioreactors over Batch Bioreactors?
(b) If continuous Bioreactors have so many advantages over batch bioreactors,
why they are not widely used in industry? [8+8]
3. Explain CSTR designs for Enzyme catalyzed reactions with neat sketches? [16]
4. Equimolar quantities of A, B and D are continuously fed to a mixed flow reactor.
The elementary reactions that proceed in the reactor are as follows:
K1 K2
A + D −→ P; B + D −→ Q

Given K1 /K2 = 0.2, calculate the fraction of ‘P’ forced when

(a) 50% of A is consumed and
(b) 50% of D is consumed [8+8]
5. Qualitatively find the optimum temperature progression to maximize Cs for the
Reaction scheme
A→R→S→T
Data E1 =10, E2 =25, E3 =15, E4 =10, E5 =20, E6 =25 [16]
6. A first order reaction A→B (K=0.25 Min−1 ) is carried out in a PFR. An RTD
analysis is carried out in this reactor and the following data is obtained.

T( Min) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
C( gm/m3 ) 0 1 5 8 10 8 6 4 3 2.2 1.5 1.0 0.6 0.2 0
Calculate the mean conversion obtained in the reactor using Tanks-in-series Model
? [16]
7. A 12 m length of pipe is packed with 1 m of 2 mm material, 9m of 1 cm material
and 2 m of 4 mm material. Estimate the variance in output c curve for this packed
section if the fluid takes 2 min to flow through the section. Assume a constant bed
D
voidage and a constant intensity of dispersion given by 4dp =2. [16]
8. Explain in detail the stiochiometry involved in the cell growth? [16]

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Code No: RR312303 Set No. 2
III B.Tech I Semester Supplementary Examinations, February 2007
BIO-CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(Bio-Technology)
Time: 3 hours Max Marks: 80
Answer any FIVE Questions
All Questions carry equal marks
⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

1. (a) Define the following terms: order of a reaction, molecularity, elementary and
non-elementary reactions.
(b) Explain the term steady-state approximation ? [8+8]

2. Enumerate in detail various environmental conditions that effect the Growth kinet-
ics? [16]

3. The Acqueous reaction A+B → pdt with known kinetics

lit
−rA = 500 M olM C C
in A B
is to take place in an experimental tubular reactor (Assume Plug flow) under the
following conditions.
Volume of Reactor V = 0.1 liter
Volumetric flow rate v= 0.05 Mlitin
M ol
Concentration of Reactant in feed CAO = CBO = 0.01 Liter

(a) What fractional conversion of reactants can be expected?

(b) For the same conversion as in part (a) what size of stirred tank reactor is
needed?
(c) What conversion can be expected in a mixed reactor equal in size to the plug
flow reactor? [4+6+6]

4. Equimolar quantities of A, B and D are continuously fed to a mixed flow reactor.

The elementary reactions that proceed in the reactor are as follows:
K1 K2
A + D −→ P; B + D −→ Q

Given K1 /K2 = 0.2, calculate the fraction of ‘P’ forced when

(a) 50% of A is consumed and

(b) 50% of D is consumed [8+8]

5. A tubular-flow reactor is to be designed for the production of butadiene from butene

by the gas phase reaction
C4 H8 → C4 H6 + H2
The composition of the feed is 10 moles of steam per mole of butene and no bu-
tadiene. The hydrogen operates at 2 atmospheres pressure with an inlet (feed)
temperature of 12000 F. The reaction rate follows a first order, irreversible reaction
for which the rate constant ‘K’ as a function of temperature is

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Code No: RR312303 Set No. 2
T,K 922(12000 F) 900 877 855 832
K 11.0 4.90 2.04 0.85 0.32
 
K = Im ol Butene reacted
(Hour / Liter) atm

The heat of reaction may be taken as constant and equal to ∆HR =26360 cal/gmol.
The specific heat of the feed stream may be regarded as constant and equal to 0.5
But/lb 0 R.
What would be the volume required for a conversion of 20% if the reactor were op-
erated isothermally at 12000 F with a butene plus steam feed rate of 22 lb mol/hr.

[16]

6. Write short notes on:

(a) Non-Ideal Tubular reactor

(b) Non-Ideal CSTR [8+8]

7. A specially designed vessel is to be used as a reactor for a first order liquid phase
reaction. The following concentration reading represent the response at the vessel
outlet to a delta function input to the vessel inlet. What conversion can we expect
in this reactor if conversion in a mixed flow reactor employing the same space time
is 82.18%. [16]

Time(Sec) 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Tracer concn. 0 3 5 5 4 2 1 0

8. The Reactor with a rate expression µ= µmaxS

Ks+S
is carried out in a series of two stirred
tanks of equal size. Calculate the dilution rate required to reduced the substrate
concentration to 50 gm/lit with sterile feed given µ.max = 1hr −1 S0 =20 gm/lit
Ks =2 gm/lit Yx/s =0.6? [16]

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Code No: RR312303 Set No. 3
III B.Tech I Semester Supplementary Examinations, February 2007
BIO-CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(Bio-Technology)
Time: 3 hours Max Marks: 80
Answer any FIVE Questions
All Questions carry equal marks
⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

1. (a) Define the following terms: order of a reaction, molecularity, elementary and
non-elementary reactions.
(b) Explain the term steady-state approximation ? [8+8]

2. Enumerate in detail various environmental conditions that effect the Growth kinet-
ics? [16]

3. “Fed batch culture as the paradigm for many efficient microbial processes” Justify
it? [16]

4. Equimolar quantities of A, B and D are continuously fed to a mixed flow reactor.

The elementary reactions that proceed in the reactor are as follows:
K1 K2
A + D −→ P; B + D −→ Q

Given K1 /K2 = 0.2, calculate the fraction of ‘P’ forced when

(a) 50% of A is consumed and

(b) 50% of D is consumed [8+8]

5. Qualitatively find the optimum temperature progression to maximize Cs for the

Reaction scheme
A→R→S→T
Data E1 =10, E2 =25, E3 =15, E4 =10, E5 =20, E6 =25 [16]

6. Develop an expression for external age distribution of N number of equal sized back
mixed reactor in series assuming tank in series model holds good. [16]

7. An RTD analysis was carried out on a liquid phase reactor. The following data is
obtained.

T(S) 0 150 175 225 240 260 275 300 350 375 400 450
C × 1000 gm/cm3 0 0 1 7.4 9.4 9.4 8.2 5.0 1.2 1.2 0.2 0

(a) Plot the E(t) curve for these data.

(b) What fraction of material spends between 230 and 270 second in the reactor?
(c) What is the residence time? [4+6+6]

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Code No: RR312303 Set No. 3
8. Explain in detail the stiochiometry involved in the cell growth? [16]

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Code No: RR312303 Set No. 4
III B.Tech I Semester Supplementary Examinations, February 2007
BIO-CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(Bio-Technology)
Time: 3 hours Max Marks: 80
Answer any FIVE Questions
All Questions carry equal marks
⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

1. For a gas phase reaction A → 2R, the following data were obtained at 1000 C in a
constant volume batch reactor. Find the rate equation which will satisfactorily fit
the data. [16]
Time (Min) 0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0
Total Pressure (atm) 1.3 1.5 1.7 1.8 1.85 1.90 1.95 2.0 2.03 2.08 2.1 2.15

2. (a) What are the advantages of continuous Bioreactors over Batch Bioreactors?
(b) If continuous Bioreactors have so many advantages over batch bioreactors,
why they are not widely used in industry? [8+8]

3. The Acqueous reaction A+B → pdt with known kinetics

lit
−rA = 500 M olM C C
in A B
is to take place in an experimental tubular reactor (Assume Plug flow) under the
following conditions.
Volume of Reactor V = 0.1 liter
Volumetric flow rate v= 0.05 Mlitin
M ol
Concentration of Reactant in feed CAO = CBO = 0.01 Liter

(a) What fractional conversion of reactants can be expected?

(b) For the same conversion as in part (a) what size of stirred tank reactor is
needed?
(c) What conversion can be expected in a mixed reactor equal in size to the plug
flow reactor? [4+6+6]

4. Equimolar quantities of A, B and D are continuously fed to a mixed flow reactor.

The elementary reactions that proceed in the reactor are as follows:
K1 K2
A + D −→ P; B + D −→ Q

Given K1 /K2 = 0.2, calculate the fraction of ‘P’ forced when

(a) 50% of A is consumed and

(b) 50% of D is consumed [8+8]
ol
5. For the optimum temperature Progression in a plug flow Reactor, CAO = 4M liter
,
M olA 0 0
FAO =1000 M in , XA = 0.8, TM in =5 C, TM ax =95 C and feed and product both at
250 C, how much heating and cooling would be needed. [16]

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Code No: RR312303 Set No. 4
(a) For the feed stream?
(b) In the Reactor itself?
(c) For the stream leaving the Reactor?

6. Develop an expression for external age distribution of N number of equal sized back
mixed reactor in series assuming tank in series model holds good. [16]

7. Explain about Tracer pulse experiment to calculate conversion with respect to

tanks-in-series model? [16]

8. Explain in detail the stiochiometry involved in the cell growth? [16]

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