Periodic operation of isothermal plug†flow reactors with input multiplicities

The performance of isothermal plug‐flow tubular reactors under periodic inlet concentrations is theoretically analyzed for improvement in yield for homogeneous consecutive reactions A→ B → C which, under conventional steady‐state operation, show input multiplicities in the flow rate on the yield of B. Two values of flow rate give an identical yield of B under steady‐state operation. For periodic operation, a rectangular pulse is assumed for the inlet concentration. It is shown in three numerical examples that under concentration forcing the yield is significantly different for these two inlet flow rates. Under periodic operation the larger value of flow rate gives a higher yield of B. Copyright © 1993 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering