Ammonia Feed

Flow   kg/hr
Pressure  650 kPa
0
Temperature  185 C
NH3   %
HNO3   %
H2O   %
NH4NO3   %
PFR 101

Ammonium Nitrate (Product)

Nitric Acid (Aq) Feed
Flow   kg/hr
Flow   kg/hr
Pressure 650 kPa
Pressure  650 kPa
0
0 Temperature  185 C
Temperature  65 C
NH3   %
NH3   %
HNO3   %
HNO3   %
H2O   %
H2O   %
NH4NO3   %
NH4NO3   %

Assumptions:

1. Steady state.
2. Constant density.
3. Constant tube diameter.
4. Single reaction.

Design Basis.
The Plug Flow Reactor has been choosen as the reactor in this project because the
capabilities to react different phase of component which in this project phases involved are in
the gaseous form and liquid form. The reactor must capable to fully convert the unconverted
gaseous ammonia from first Plug Flow Reactor. The conversion of ammonia should be
essentially 90%. The composition of the product must be controlled to maximise the
concentration of ammonium nitrate and minimise the unconverted of reactor feed.

The feeds available at 108 0C and 65 0C from Plug Flow reactor first and Splitter and should
leave reactor at 185 0C. The reactor should be able to withstand a high temperature that
been release from the reaction since the reaction is exothermic reaction.

Design Parameter.

The final design must specify all dimesions to enable the reactor to be constructed. Initially,
this requires that the normal operating conditions should be fully specified in terms of flows,
temperatures, pressures and compositions.Essentially this is the chemical engineering
design. The design parameters which requires evaluation at this stage are:

a) Tubes (length, diameter, heigth, layout, wall thickness, total volume, number of
tubes).
b) Composition of reactor products.
c) Temperature profile along tubes.
d) Velocity of reactants and products.

Plug Flow Reactor design summary

Equipment Specification sheet
Item no Reactor (PFR-101)
Identification Plug Flow Reactor
Function Convert ammonia and nitric acid to ammonium nitrate
Operating
Temperature (0C) 428.15 K
Pressure (atm) 650 kPa
Specifications
Design type Horizontal
Material of construction Austenic Stainless Steel 316L
Pipe (in reactor) Vessel (in reactor)
Number of pipe Diameter (m) 5.0220
Outside diameter (mm) Length (m) 20.087
Inside diameter (mm) Volume (m3) 397.8368
Wall thickness (mm)

Consider the reaction takes place in the Plug Flow Reactor

Main reaction:

NH 3 ( g ) + HNO3 ( aq) k NH 4 NO3 (aq)

→

A+ B →C
Operating condition

Temperature : 428.15 K

Pressure : 650 kPa

Reactant Conversion : 0.9

Activation energy : 1.03x105 J/mol

Pre-exponential factor: : 4.55x107

Gas constant : 8.314 J/mol.K or 0.08206 m3.atm/kmol.K

Reaction order : Second order

Stream identification

Inlet stream from reactor 1

Mol. molar mass flow

Component wt% mole%
Wt flow(kmole/hr) (kg/hr)
Ammonia 17.03 12.8876 24.0683 78.04770 1329.1397
18.01
Water 30.2051 53.3222 172.9096 3115.1396
6
Ammonium nitrate 80.05 56.9072 22.6095 73.3167 5869.0045

Inlet stream from splitter

molar mass flow

Component Mol. Wt wt% mole%
flow(kmole/hr) (kg/hr)
Nitric acid 63.02 60.0000 30.0120 74.1465 4672.7093
Water 18.016 40.0000 69.9880 172.9096 3115.1396

Molar concentration determination for each stream.

Inlet stream from reactor 1

Density of ammonia

Assume ammonia is an ideal gas.

Data required to performed calculation

Pressure : 6500 Pa

Temperature : 428.15 K

Gas constant : 8.314 m3.Pa/(mol.K)

Molecular weight : 17.03 g/mol

P × Molecular weigth
ρ NH =
3
R ×T

g
6500 Pa ×17.03
mol
ρ NH =
m3 Pa
3

8.314 × 428.15 K
mol . K

g kg
ρ NH =3109.7254 3
=3.1097 3
m m
3

Density mixture

Data required to performed calculation

Density of ammonia : 3.1097 kg/m3

Mass fraction : 0.1289

Density of water : 1000 kg/m3

Mass fraction : 0.3021

Density of ammonium nitrate : 1720 kg/m3

Mass fraction : 0.5691

ρmixture =∑ x i ρi

xi : Mass fraction of ith component

ρi : Density of ith component

ρmixture =0.1289 ( 3.1097 ) +0.3021 ( 1000 )+ 0.5691 ( 1720 )

kg
ρmixture =1281.2564
m3

Volumetric flow rate of stream

Volumetric flow rate=

∑ Mass flow rate of ith component
Density mixture

kg
10313.2838
hr m3
Volumetric flow rate= =8.049
kg hr
1281.2564 3
m

Molar concentration

Molar flow Concentration

Component Mass fraction
(kmol/hr) (kmol/m3)
Ammonia 0.1289 78.0470 9.6961
Water 0.3021 172.9096 21.4812
Ammonium nitrate 0.5691 73.3167 9.1084

Sample calculation

Molar flow of ith componen

Concentraion=
Total volumetric flow rate

Ammonia

kmol
78.0470
hr
Concentration=
m3
8.049
hr

kmol
Concentration=9.6961
m3

Inlet stream from splitter

Density mixture
Data required to performed calculation

Density of water : 1000 kg/m3

Mass fraction : 0.40

Density of Nitric acid : 1502 kg/m3

Mass fraction : 0.60

ρmix ture=∑ x i ρi

xi : Mass fraction of ith component

ρi : Density of ith component

ρmixture =0.40 ( 1000 ) +0.60 ( 1502 )

kg
ρmixture =1301
m3

Volumetric flow rate of stream

Volumetric flow rate=

∑ Mass flow rate of ith component
Density mixture

kg
7787.8489
hr m3
Volumetric flow rate= =5.985
kg hr
1301
m3

Molar concentration

Molar flow Concentration

Component Mass fraction
(kmol/hr) (kmol/m3)
Water 0.60 74.1465 12.3884
Nitric acid 0.40 172.9096 28.8899

Sample calculation

Molar flow of i th componen

Concentration=
Total volumetric flowrate

Nitric acid
 kmol
74.1465
hr
Concentration=
m3
5.985
hr

kmol
Concentration=12.3884
m3

Determination reaction rate

Determine the rate constant for the reaction

By using Arrhenius equation

−E
k =k 0 × exp RT

k0 = Pre-exponential factor

E = Activation energy

R = Gas constant

T = Operating temperature

5
−1.03 ×10
7 ( 8.314× 428.15 )
k =( 4.55× 10 ) ×exp

−5 l −2 m3
k =1.3813 ×10 =4.9726 ×10
mol . s kmol . hr

Reaction rate

−r NH =k C N H C HNO
3 3 3

C NH =C NH (0 ) (1−X NH )
3 3 3

C HNO =C HNO (0)−C NH (0) X NH

3 3 3 3

Determination of component left after 0.9 percent conversion occur.

Ammonia

kmol kmol
C NH =9.6961 3
× ( 1−0.9 )=0.9696 3
m m
3
Nitric acid

kmol kmol kmol

C HNO =12.3884 3
−9.6961 3 ×0.9=3.6620 3
m m m
3

Substituting value into the reaction rate equation

−2 m3 kmol kmol
−r NH =4.9726 ×10 × 0.9696 3 ×3.6620 3
3
kmol . hr m m

kmol
−r NH =1.7656 ×10−1
m 3 . hr
3

Determination of volume, diameter and length of reactor

Determination of reactor volume

F NH X NH
V R=
3( 0) 3

−r NH 3

Where

V R=Volume of the reactor

F NH =Molar flow rate of ammonia∈inlet stream

3 (0)

X NH =Conversionof ammonia=0.9
3

−r NH =reaction rate of ammonia

3

kmol
78.0470
×0.9
hr
V R= =397.8368 m3
kmol
1.7656 ×10−1 3
m . hr

Determination of reactor diameter

Assume LR/DR=4

π D R2 π D R2 3
V R= × L R= × 4 D R=π D R
4 4

V R 3 397.8368m 3
D R=
√ √
3

π
=
π
=5.022 m
Determination length of the reactor

LR =4 × D R=4 ×5.022 m=20.087 m

Determination of tube dimension inside reactor.

For design purpose, 2 in. stainless steel pipes with schedule number of 40 are chosen. The
properties of the pipe are stated as below:

Properties taken from Pressure Vessel Handbook 10th edition

Outside diameter = 2.735 in

Inside diameter = 2.067 in

Wall thickness = 0.154 in

Weight per foot = 3.652 lbf

Weight of water per foot pipe = 1.452 lbf

Therefore

2
π D 2 μ ×(0.06947)
Ac = = =0.003790m 2
4 4

Length of pipe selected = 20 m

π ×(0.06947)2
Volume of single pipe= ×20=0.07581 m3
4

Number of tubes required

397.8368 m 3
Nt= =5247.814 ≈ 5248 tubes
0.07581m 3

Therefore 5248 tubes required.

Tube stability checking

Total volumetric flow rate

m3 m3 m3
Volumetric flow rate=8.049 +5.985 =14.034
hr hr hr
Average volumetric flow rate in each tube

m3
14.034
V0 hr −3 m
3
V ave = = =2.67 × 10
Nt 5248 hr

Superficial velocity through tubes

m3
2.67 ×10−3
V hr m
U f = ave = 2
=0.7056
Ac 0.003790 m hr

Retention time

397.8368 m3
τ= =28.349 hr
m3
14.0337
hr

The distance passed by the fluid

m
(
L=U f τ = 0.7056
hr )
( 28.349 hr )=20.0 m≤ 20.08 m

Therefore the selected length of pipe is long enough for reaction to complete 90 per cent
conversion before leaving the reactor.