Reactor Design

Dr. Nugroho Dewayanto

Lecture outline

Design requirements
Types of reactors
Design procedures
Introduction

The reactor is the heart of a chemical process.

It is the only place in the process where raw materials are converted
into products.
Therefore, reactor design is a vital step in the overall design of the
process.
Design requirement
The design of an industrial chemical reactor must satisfy the following
requirements:
1. The chemical factors
The kinetics of the reaction. The design must provide sufficient residence time for the
desired reaction to proceed to the required degree of conversion
2. The mass transfer factors
With heterogeneous reactions the reaction rate may be controlled by the rates of
diffusion of the reacting species, rather than the chemical kinetics
3. The heat transfer factors
The removal, or addition, of the heat of reaction
4. The safety factors
The confinement of hazardous reactants and products, and the control of the reaction
and the process conditions
Types of Reactor
Reactor types can be classify based on these factors:

1. MODE OF OPERATION 3. REACTOR GEOMETRY

BATCH FLOW PATTERN AND MANNER OF

CONTACTING THE PHASES
CONTINUOUS
STIRRED TANK
TUBULAR
2. PHASES PRESENT
PACKED BED
HOMOGENEOUS FLUIDIZED BED
HETEROGENEOUS
Batch or Continuous Processing
BATCH PROCESS
Load all reagent Start the
processes Complete the process
Stop the process Take out all
product
Suitable for small-scale production
and for processes where a range of
different products, or grades, is to
be produced in the same
equipment, for instance, pigments,
dyestuffs, and polymers
CONTINUOUS PROCESS
The reactants are fed to the reactor and
the products withdrawn continuously
steady-state conditions
lower production costs
lacks the flexibility of batch production
large-scale production
Semibatch some of the reactants may be added or some
of the products withdrawn as the reaction proceeds.
Semicontinuous can be one which is interrupted
periodically for some purpose, for instance, for the
regeneration of catalyst.
Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Reactions

HOMOGENEOUS HETEROGENEOUS

Reactants, products, and any two or more phases exist, and the overriding
catalyst used form one problem in the reactor design is to promote
continuous phase mass transfer between the phases
GASEOUS LIQUID LIQUID LIQUID Immiscible liquid phases

LIQUID SOLID The solid may be a reactant

always may be batch
or catalyst
continuous or continuous
LIQUID GAS SOLID solid is normally a catalyst
Tubular tubular and The solid may be a reactant
(pipeline) stirred tank GAS LIQUID or catalyst
reactors The liquid may be a
GAS SOLID reactant or catalyst
Stirred Tank Reactors

Operated as batch reactors or continuously

Several reactors may be used in series
Used for homogeneous and heterogeneous
liquid-liquid and liquid-gas reactions
Suspended solids are held in suspension by the
agitation
Composition in the reactor is constant and the
same as the product stream.
Tubular Reactors

used for gaseous reactions but are also

suitable for some liquid-phase reactions
If high heat transfer rates are required,
small-diameter tubes are used to increase
the surface area to volume ratio
Several tubes may be arranged in parallel,
similar arrangement to a shell and tube HE
For high-temperature reactions, the tubes
may be arranged in a furnace.
Other consideration: pressure drop and heat
transfer coefficients
Packed-Bed Reactors

Solid may be a reactant or as a catalyst

In chemical process industries, it is usually
considered as catalytic reactors
Used for gas and gas-liquid reactions
Heat transfer rates in large-diameter packed
beds are poor
Fluidized beds should be considered where
high heat transfer rates are required
Fluidized-Bed Reactors

Solids are held in suspension by the upward

flow of the reacting fluid to promotes high
mass and heat transfer rates and good mixing
The solids may be a catalyst, a reactant in
fluidized combustion processes, or an inert
powder added to promote heat transfer
Fluidization can be used only with relatively
small-sized particles, <300 m with gases
Design Procedure
1. Collect together all the kinetic and thermodynamic data on the
desired reaction and the side reactions. Values will be needed for the
rate of reaction over a range of operating conditions: pressure,
temperature, flow rate, and catalyst concentration
2. Collect the physical property data required for the design, either from
the literature, by estimation or, if necessary, by laboratory
measurements
3. Identify the predominant rate-controlling mechanism: kinetic, mass,
or heat transfer
4. Choose a suitable reactor type, based on experience with similar
reactions, or from the laboratory and pilot plant work
Design Procedure
5. Make an initial selection of the reactor conditions to give the desired
conversion and yield
6. Size the reactor and estimate its performance
7. Select suitable materials of construction, include the vessel design,
heat transfer surfaces, internals, and general arrangement
8. Cost the proposed design, capital and operating, and repeat steps 5 to
7, as necessary, to optimize the design