Modeling Real Flow in a Continuous Stirred Liquid–Liquid System

The behavior of flow in an industrial adiabatic reactor was studied for assessing nonuniform regions or bypassing. Mathematical models for a continuous stirred tank reactor were developed using adjustable parameters to be obtained from residence time distribution data. Owing to reaction the flow rates of the two liquid phases change. These models combine ideal vessels in series: a plug flow followed by one or two stirred tanks. The interchange of fluid between two stirred reactors was regarded, as well as a stagnant region in the middle reactor. The experimental study was carried out by injecting a tracer in the organic phase of the liquid–liquid system and quantifying it in the outlet stream. This procedure was followed for different flow rates and RTD data used to assess the best-fit combined model for the flow in this reactor which was a plug flow followed by two stirred tanks with interchange of fluid between them