Micromixing effects on the dynamic behavior of continuous stirred tank reactors

• Influence of micromixing on the behavior of non-isothermal CSTRs is analyzed.
• IEM model is extended to describe mixing effects under non-isothermal conditions.
• Multiple steady states and oscillations can be predicted under partial segregation.
• Partially segregated CSTRs may present more complex dynamic behavior.

The performance of chemical reactors is affected by macro and micromixing effects. Although the effect of macromixing on the bifurcation behavior of CSTR's is well understood, micromixing effects have been poorly investigated. This work investigates the influence of micromixing effects on the dynamic behavior of CSTR's with help of the dynamic IEM model. The model assumes that the reactor is subject to heat and mass transfer limitations among internal fluid elements, where exothermic first-order irreversible reaction occurs. Stability analysis is performed with standard parametric continuation methods. Micromixing parameters are used as the main continuation parameters to show that multiple steady states and self-sustained oscillations can be observed under conditions of partial segregation, when the limiting micromixing cases do not present such behavior. The obtained results show that the dynamic behavior of CSTRs that are subject to significant micromixing effects can be much more complex than shown so far.