2/15/2016

Design of Tubular Reactors

Assume:

Isothermal PFR and PBR

Design
Objectives:
Size PFRs using design equation, rate law, and reaction stoichiometry
Understand the role of changes in volumetric flowrate on reaction rate
Understand the role of pressure drop on reaction rate
Use reactor and flow parameters to calculate the pressure drop in a PBR
Design and analyze and isothermal PBR

Plug flow
No radial gradients (velocity, temperature, concentration)

Design equation (Ch. 1)

If there is no pressure drop:

Pressure Drop in Reactors

Tubular Reactors (P = 0)
If liquid phase, v = v0:

Write the reaction rate

Write the stoichiometry in terms of molar flowrate
Divide by v0 to convert to concentrations
Substitute into design equation V = f(X)

If gas phase, v v0:

Write the reaction rate

Write the stoichiometry in terms of molar flowrate
Divide by v to convert to concentrations (eqn 3-45)
Substitute into design equation

Pressure drop is usually in the gas phase

Often caused by a catalyst
Where calculations start to get more complicated
For the gas phase:
-rA = f(CA)
CA = f(P,XA)
P = f(-rA,XA,V)

How do we solve this type of problem?

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Concentrations with Pressure Drop

We need to write the concentration as a function of
conversion and pressure drop
Assuming an ideal gas:

Example Pressure Drop

2nd-order catalytic reaction:
Mole balance:
Rate law:

Or, for any species, i:

Stoichiometry:

Combine:

Example Pressure Drop

Calculating the Pressure Drop

Ergun equation:

From previous slide:

Superficial mass
velocity (kg/m2*s)

Laminar
Term

Turbulent
Term

Simplifying:
Gas density

If isothermal, T = T0

We can measure this if we build the reactor.

But how do we calculate it to design the reactor?

Void fraction
(porosity)
Particle diameter

Conversion factor:
-lbm lbf
=1 for SI/metric

Gas viscosity

How would you solve this?

Function of P!

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Simplified Ergun Equation

By substituting and rearranging terms:
Assumes is constant

Catalyst Weight
We have a long tube and we want to know how
much catalyst (weight) to add.
Density of
solid catalyst
Void fraction
(porosity)

Catalyst with P
From simplified Ergun equation:

Distance along
Cross-section packed portion
Area of Tube of reactor

Dimensionless Pressure
Define: y = P/P0 P = yP0
From previous slide:

Catalyst weight:

Substituting into Ergun equation:

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Consolidating Equations

P with Conversion

Define a new parameter, :

From previous slide:

From previous slide:

By definition:

By substitution:

By substitution:
Reduced pressure drop in
terms of total molar flowrates
Use this when concentration is
necessary to include in design

= 1 if isothermal
Pressure drop in terms of
conversion
Use this when concentration is not
necessary to include in design

Solving PBR with P

Example from earlier (isothermal, 2nd-order reaction):

From previous slide (y = P/P0):

Two, simultaneous differential equations:

MATLAB
EES

Supplemental equations: