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PROCESS ENGINEERING

Recycle Structure and


Reactor Synthesis

ALVARO ORJUELA

Decisions for Recycle Structure


LEVELLEVEL-3 Recycle structure and reactor design
How many reactor systems are required? Is there any
separation between the reactor systems?
How many recycle streams are required?
Do we want to use an excess of one reactant at reactor
inlet?
Is a gas compressor required? What are the costs?
Should the reactor be operated adiabatically, with direct
heating or cooling, or is a diluent or heat carrier required?
Do we want to shift the equilibrium conversion? How?
How do the reactor costs affect the economic potential?

Decision for recycle structure


Number of reactor systems
If sets of reactions take place at different temperatures or
pressures, or if they require different catalysts, then we use
different reactors.
Number of recycle streams
Order components leaving the reactor by the normal boiling
points
Define the reactor number for destination of the recycle
streams
Group components having neighboring boiling points in the
same phase (gas might require compressor) with the same
reactor destination
Gas recycle when Tb < propylene

Decision for recycle structure


Excess Reactants
In some cases the use of an excess can shift product
distribution
The larger the excess the greater the improvement in
selectivity and/or conversion but the larger the cost of
recovery and separation
Sometimes it is used to consume completely a reactant
Generally, Molar ratio (MR) at reactor inlet is a design
variable
Recycle material balance
The goal is a gross estimate of recycle streams
Assume 100% recovery in separation system
Balance over limiting reactant first, then the others

Decision for recycle structure


Gas compressor?
If gas recycle stream is used a compressor is needed.
Overall efficiency of 80% is common
Spares are rarely provided because compressors are
expensive. When spare are available each provides 5050-60%
of loading
Gas is usually fed at 100 F to remove liquids. When multiple
units are used compression ratio in each stage are equal
Heat capacity ratio isentropic expansion factor -
Component
Monotonic gases (He)

0.4

Diatomic gases (H2)

0.29

Complex gases (CO2, CH4)


Others

0.23
R/Cp

Decision for recycle structure


Gas compressor cost
For isentropic gas in absolute units

Tout Pout

Tin Pin

Installed Cost: Pin (lbf/ft2), Qin (ft3/min)


Fc =1 for centrifugal compressors
3.03x105
hp =

P Q
in in

bhp =

Pout
Pin

hp

M &S
0.82 2.11 + F 1
Installed annualized cost =
(
( 517.5 )( bhp )
C )
280
3

Annualized Operating cost :

1kW $ 8150
Oper. Cost = bhp

1.341hp kWh yr

Reactor design
Heat load
Single reaction (reactor heat load)=(
load)=(HR) x (fresh feed rate)
For multiple reactions calculate with respect to extent of each
reaction
Adiabatic reactors are less expensive. Adiabatic
temperature? Temperature constrains?
When adiabatic operation is not feasible, direct heating or
cooling is required.
Maximum area that fits inside a shellshell-tube floatingfloating-head heat
2
exchanger is in the range 60006000-8000 ft
To use a heat exchanger as reactor in gas phase systems
(U=20 BTU/h ft2 F, TMLDT=50 F), heat loads are limited to
the range 6 - 8x106 BTU/h.

Reactor design
Heat carriers
Adiabatic temperature depends on flows through the reactor
We can moderate temperature by increasing flow
If we want to moderate temperature we can use recycle of
reactant or product/byproduct/by-product
When not possible we can use extraneous component but
this will affect separation system. Avoid as possible
Equilibrium conversion
We can use reactor outlet concentrations and KEQ to
evaluate flow of reversible byby-product that is recycled
XEQ depends on T, P, MR
Simultaneous reactionreaction-separation
Reversible exothermic reactions in adiabatic beds with interintercooling. Diluents addition

Reactor Design

Reactor Design

Some guidelines

Practice
HydroHydro-dede-alkylation of Toluene HDA Process
S=

H2

CH4
x=

Moles of Benzene in reactor outlet


Moles of Toluene converted

Moles of Toluene converted in reactor outlet


Moles of Toluene fed to reactor

H2
S = 1

0.0036

(1 x )1.544

x < 0.97

Reaction inlet T > 1150 F (for reasonable x), P=500 psia


Gas phase, no catalyst
Production rate of benzene: 265 mol/h
Product purity of benzene: 0.9997
Raw materials: Pure Toluene at ambient conditions, H2 stream containing
H2 95% and CH4 5%, at 550 psia and 100 F
Constrains: H2/Aromatic 5 at reactor inlet (to prevent coking), reactor
outlet T < 1300 F. Rapid quench of reactor outlet stream

Practice
HydroHydro-dede-alkylation of Toluene HDA Process

Component Tb ( C)

CP (BTU/lb mol
Destination
F)
7
Recycle & purge - gas

H2

-253

CH4

-161

10.1

Recycle & purge - gas

Benzene

80

39

Primary Product

Toluene

111

48.7

Recycle - Liquid

Biphenyl

253

77.1

Fuel

HR = -21530 BTU/lbmol
BTU/lbmol at reactor conditions

Practice
HydroHydro-dede-alkylation of Toluene HDA Process
FH

PG
PB
REACTOR

SEPARATION
PD

FFT

Practice
HydroHydro-dede-alkylation of Toluene HDA Process
RG

FH

PG

MR=5
FT,R

PB
REACTOR

FT,R(1-x)

SEPARATION
PD

FFT

FFT + FT , R (1 x ) = FT , R

FT,R(1-x)

FFT = FT , R FT , R (1 x )
FFT = xFT , R
F
FT , R = FT
x

Practice
HydroHydro-dede-alkylation of Toluene HDA Process
Other reactant flow - Hydrogen
F
FT , R = FT
x
F
FH 2, R = MR FT , R = MR FT
x
FFT
MR
= yH 2, G FG + y H 2, P RG
x
F
MR FT y H 2, G FG
x
RG =
yH 2, P

RG =

PB
Sxy H 2, P

MR
y H 2, P

x
y H 2, G yH 2, P

Practice
HydroHydro-dede-alkylation of Toluene HDA Process
RG

FH

PG

FH2,R=5FT,R
FCH4,R=FH(0.05)+RG(yCH4, P)

FT,R

PB

REACTOR

SEPARATION

FT,R(1-x)

PD

FFT

FT,R(1-x)

QAd . = H R FFT = ( Fi 0Cpi ) (Tin Tout )


H R FFT
= (T T )
( Fi0Cpi ) in out
TAd . = Tout = Tin

H R FFT
( Fi0Cpi )

Practice
Adiabatic temperature of reactor
1450
0.1

0.3

0.5

0.7

0.9

1400

Tadib. F

1350
1300
1250
1200
1150
1100
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

Conversion

0.8

Practice

$/y

Millones

Economic potential including compressor


7

0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.7
0.77

6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

Conversion

0.8

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