REACTOR DESIGN FOR

PRODUCTION OF TEREPHTALIC
ACID

Members: AHMAD NAZRI BIN NASRUDDIN

: MUHAMMAD AFFIFUDIN BIN SOHAINI
: AISYAH NUR ADDIA BINTI AZIZAN
: MUHAMMAD HAFEEZ BIN AZHAR
: MUHAMMAD FAHMI BIN ZAVAWI
: NOOR AMILIA BINTI KHOSIM

Introduction
Terephthalic acid is an organic compound
Used principally as a precursor to the
polyester PET
Material to make clothing and plastic bottles

Process description
Produced by the Amoco process; the oxidation
of pxylene by oxygen in air
Uses a cobalt-manganese-bromide as catalyst
Feed mixture containing p-xylene, acetic acid,
the catalyst system, and compressed air is fed to
a reactor

Pressure vessel

Overall PFD

Pressure Vessel Design

Operating Conditions:

Diameter
=2m
Height
=5m
Operating temperature = 400 F, 204.4 C
Operating pressure
= 300 psig

New Operating Conditions

Taking 10% margin of the normal operating

condition
New Diameter
= 2.2 m
New Height
= 5.5 m
New temperature
= 440 F, 224.84C
New Operating pressure
= 2.167 N/mm2
Design Stress(Table 13.2)
= 88.9429
N/mm2

Minimum Thickness of reactor wall

t = 27.2 mm
Including corrosion allowance = 2mm
t = 29.2 mm

Dead Weight of Vessel

Weight of Shell

Weight of Shell = 120.9 kN

Weight of Insulator

Weight of Insulator = 4.8 kN

Total Weight

= 125.7 kN

Wind Loading
Mean diameter
Mean diameter= 2.4 m
Loading (per linear meter)
Loading (per linear meter)

= 3072 N/m

Bending moment

Bending moment

= 46464 Nm

Analysis of Stress
Reactor must be designed to withstand the worst
combinations of loading without failure
Total longitudinal stress, Z is calculated by
summing up the longitudinal stress, L, dead
weight stress, w and bending stress, b.
Resultant stress from all loads determined to
ensure that the maximum allowable stress
intensity is not exceeded at any point.

Upwind side
81.6 40.62 = 40.98 N/mm2
Downwind side
81.6 39.8 = 41.8 N/mm2

 The greatest difference between the principal

stresses will be on the downwind side which is
equal to 41.8 N/mm2.
It is below the maximum allowable design stress,
S which is 88.9429 N/mm2.
The value is acceptable.

Design of Domed End

Hemispherical head thickness

Torispherical head thickness

 Ellipsoidal head thickness

Ellipsoidal head is chosen as it is nearest to the

wall thickness, 29.2 mm

Design of flat ends

To determine the thickness of flat ends

Values for the design constant C and the nominal plate

diameter De are given in the ASME BPV Code
The flatend closures used was flangedonly end.
The value of C is 0.1 and De is equal to Di which is 2200
mm.

Check elastic stability (Buckling)

Critical buckling stress

Below the critical buckling stress. Therefore, the

design is acceptable.

Vessel supports
Depends on the size, shape and weight of the
vessel
Skirt supports are used as the vessel is in vertical
position
Designed to carry the weight of the vessel and
contents
A skirt support consists of a cylindrical or
conical shell welded to the base of the vessel

Skirt Design

= 90
Height of the skirt = 3 m
Young Modulus for Stainless Steel 301, SS 304
= 203 000 N/mm2

= 88.94 N/mm2
D
= 2.2 m

 Weight of vessel

= 125.7 kN

Wind load = 3072 N/m = 3.072 kN/m

The thickness of the skirt is assumed to be equal
to the thickness of the vessel.

 Bending moment for skirt

Bending stress in the skirt, bs

 Dead weight stress in the skirt, ws

Longitudinal stress, L

 Resultant stress in the skirt

 Assume Eskirt = 1

Both criteria are acceptable, with the buckling

value of 2 mm and the CA thickness of 31.2 mm.

CONCLUSION
It is found that the design is satisfactory as the
parameters are within the allowable values.
The parameters are compared with the
standards by the ASME Boiler and Pressure
Vessel Code (the ASME BPV Code).