Calculating the Volume of Substance in an Industrial System Using Area Between Curves

by Corey Nelson

Submitted : Fall 2020

This project investigated the accumulation of substance buildup within a continuous stirred tank reactor by using the area between curves method of integration on the functions of the input and output of the mixing tank system. In industrial systems, it can be very useful or important to know where a substance is within a system or process, especially if that substance could cause harm to the system or to those operating it. By finding the area between curves of the input and output flow functions of the mixing tank system, a precise volume of substance which resides in the mixing tank can be calculated, allowing for the identification of the quantity of substance when the inward and outward flow functions are not constants. 

            The investigation is based mainly on the integration technique of finding the area between curves and the basic principles of mass balance equations which form relationships between the inward flow, outward flow, and the accumulation or depletion of substance within a system. 

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