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Chemical Engineering vocabulary · Reactions and Reactors

CSTR

Meaning in chemical engineering, with examples

abbreviationCommon term

In chemical engineering, CSTR means: Short for continuous stirred-tank reactor: a tank with a mixer where feed flows in and product flows out all the time, and the contents are assumed to be perfectly mixed.

In Turkish: sürekli karıştırmalı tank reaktör, CSTR

How it is used

One of the two ideal reactor models taught in every reaction engineering course, next to the plug flow reactor. Engineers say 'model it as a CSTR' or 'two CSTRs in series'. Said letter by letter: C-S-T-R.

Example sentences

  1. In a CSTR, the outlet composition is the same as the composition inside the tank.

  2. Using two CSTRs in series gets us closer to plug-flow performance.

Common collocations

  • CSTRs in series
  • ideal CSTR
  • model as a CSTR
  • CSTR volume
  • plug flow reactorAn ideal tube reactor in which the fluid moves forward like a series of thin slices with no mixing along the length, so the composition changes from inlet to outlet.
  • reactorA vessel or piece of equipment where a chemical reaction is carried out under controlled temperature, pressure and mixing.
  • residence timeThe average time that material spends inside a vessel or reactor, found for a simple case by dividing the volume by the volumetric flow rate.
  • agitatorA motor-driven shaft with one or more impellers that mixes the contents of a tank or reactor to keep solids suspended, spread heat and help reactions.
  • continuous processA way of producing in which feed enters and product leaves without stopping, usually for months at a time at nearly constant conditions.

More terms: Reactions and Reactors

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