Sadhana

, 10:133 | Cite as

Parametric sensitivity and runaway in chemical reactors

  • Massimo Morbidelli
  • Arvind Varma
Article

Abstract

In certain regions of operating conditions, chemical reactors may exhibit parametric sensitivity; i.e., small changes in one or more of the reactor input parameters lead to much larger changes in the output variables. Since such behaviour leads to deleterious performance, it is of practical interest to identify regions of parametric sensitivity in the reactor parameter space. Until recently, this could be done only to describe thermal runaway, and only for those systems where a temperature profile could be defined. Both of these limitations can be removed by consideringthe generalized criterion for parametric sensitivity, whereby sensitivity ofany output of the model toany input can be treated. Applications of the generalized criterion are discussed, with specific examples including pseudohomogeneous and heterogeneous model tubular reactors, a nonisothermal CSTR, and a polymerization reactor.

Keywords

Parametric sensitivity runaway behaviour chemical reactors reactor models 
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Copyright information

© the Indian Academy of Sciences 1987

Authors and Affiliations

  • Massimo Morbidelli
    • 1
  • Arvind Varma
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameUSA

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