Attainable Region for van de Vusse Kinetics

rate constants

k

1

0.03

k

2

1

k

3

5

k

4

80

Consider the following complex reaction scheme, known as the van de Vusse mechanism:

A

k

1

⇄

k

2

B

k

3

→

C

2A

k

4

→

D

This Demonstration plots the attainable region for the van de Vusse mechanism (i.e., "the achievable compositions obtained from a network of chemical reactors" [1]). The green curve is the trajectory for a PFR (plug flow reactor). You can vary the values of the rate constants:

k

1

,

k

2

,

k

3

,

k

4

. The blue dashed extension of this green curve represents mixing between the PFR effluent and the feed stream in order to form the convex hull. The red curve is the trajectory for a CSTR (continuous stirred-tank reactor). The extension of the red curve with a dashed magenta line corresponds to a CSTR with a bypass stream. Finally, the cyan curve corresponds to the addition of a PFR in series with the CSTR. This last curve is the extension to obtain an expanded convex attainable region.