Question

Gaseous methanol at 675 ºC and 1.01325 bar is fed at a rate of 100 mol/hr to an adiabatic reactor where 25% of it is dehydrogenated to formaldehyde according to the reaction:

CH₃OH_(g) —>   HCHO_(g)    +    H_2(g)

The constant average heat capacity for methanol, formaldehyde, and hydrogen are 17, 12, and 7 cal/mol∙ºC, respectively, and are valid over the entire temperature range of your problem analysis.

1. Draw a labeled PFD.  Complete any needed material balance(s) to determine the flow rate of each component exiting the reactor.
2. Derive an equation(s) that could be used to calculate the temperature (units of ºC) of the gases leaving the reactor.  Do not solve for the temperature itself.  

Answer 1