CHAPTER 5

STATIC EQUIPMENT

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5.1 Reactor

After vaporization, an azeotropic mixture of isopropoyl alcohol and water with a feed rate

of 2678 kg/h is pumped into the plug flow reactor. Aspen HYSYS simulations were utilized to

determine the optimum operating conditions of the reactor, which was found to be at 3500 C and

2 bar. With this information, carbon steel was chosen as the material for construction since the

reaction is within carbon steel’s limit of 4000 C. A circulating stream of molten salt is used to

provide heat for this endothermic reaction.

Based on the reference material, a 90% conversion of IPA to acetone is achieved using an

arrangement consisting of 448 2-in diameter tubes, each with a length of 20 ft and with a

cocurrent flow of a heat transfer medium on the shell side of the shell-and-tube reactor. The

properties of the catalyst used for this reaction can be found in the table below.

Table 5-1. Summary of Catalyst Properties

Density of inert catalyst 2500 kg/m3

Density of solid catalyst 2500 kg/m3
Packed bed voidage of the cylindrical pellets 0.5
Void fraction of the spherical particles at
0.55
minimum fluidizing conditions
Particle diameter 100 μm

5.2 Column

5.2.1 Acetone Stripper

In V-202, the hydrogen is flashed out from the mixture of isopropyl alcohol, water, and

acetone. Along with hydrogen, some amount of isopropyl alcohol and acetone is also flashed out.

To recover these, a stripper unit is used. Water entering T-201 is at a temperature of 20°C. The

temperature of the leaving stream, which contains acetone, water, and isopropyl alcohol, is found

to be 27°C and 1.63 bar.

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 The stripper’s overall design was made and simulated using ASPEN HYSYS. There are

two streams entering the stripper, the top stream will be coming from the H2O storage tank with

a flowrate of 360.3 kg/hr, then the second stream will be coming from the top product of V-202

(stream 5) with a flowrate of 335.8 kg/hr and is composed of 2-propanol, water, hydrogen, and

acetone. 2-propanol was stripped off the top product of the column leaving only the water,

hydrogen and acetone while the remaining composition of the bottom products were 90.87%

water and a little bit of acetone and 2-propanol. The number of stages obtained from the

simulation for this column was 9 wherein the inlet stream is fed on the 1 st and 9th stage. The table

below shows the summary of the internals of the column.

Table 5-2 T-201 Internals Summary

Tray Type Sieve

Diameter 0.75 m

Tray Spacing 0.6096 m

No. of Passes 1

5.2.2 Acetone Column

The bottom products of T-201 and V-202 are mixed together before entering T-202,

which is used to separate the acetone from the mixture. The top product is composed of 99.9 wt

% acetone. From the bottom product, isopropyl alcohol, water, and a very little amount of 0.61

wt% acetone is obtained.

The column design and internals were simulated using ASPEN HYSYS. The bottoms

stream of acetone stripper (stream 9) enters the column with a flowrate of 2798 kg/hr. The

stream is composed of 2-propanol, water, hydrogen, and acetone. The simulation obtained a

number of 66 stages where the inlet stream is fed on the 1 st and 33rd stage. The efficiency of the

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tower was calculated to be 100%. The pressure at the condenser was set at 120 kPa while the

reboiler at 140 kPa and no difference was set for both of the heat exchangers. The reflux ratio

was also calculated with a value of 2.246.

The table below displays the summary of the internals of the column.

Table 5-3 T-202 Internals Summary

Tray Type Sieve

Diameter 1.560

Tray Spacing 0.6096

No. of Passes 1

5.2.3 IPA Column

In T-203, or the IPA Column, isopropyl alcohol and water are separated. The top product

is recycled to the V-201, which is assumed to have the concentration with the feed stream. The

bottom product is pure water and is thrown away as waste water.

The column design and internals were simulated using ASPEN HYSYS. The simulation
obtained a number of 19 stages where the inlet stream is fed on the 1 st and 16th stage. The
efficiency of the tower was calculated to be 100%. The diameter of the tower was increased from
0.4595m to 0.8500m or 2.79ft. The internal downcomer clearance of the column was measured
to be 38.1mm to resolve the tower warnings. The default tray spacing of Aspen HYSYS was
retained in 0.6096m.

The table below displays the summary of the internals of the column.

Table 5-4 T-203 Internals Summary

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 Tray Type Sieve

Diameter 0.85m

Tray Spacing 0.6096m

No. of Passes 1

5.3 Heat Exchangers

The heat exchangers were designed in HTRI software by specifying the suitable Tubular

Exchanger Manufacturers Association (TEMA) type, process inlet and outlet fluid properties,

and allowable pressure drop in the system. The designed heat exchangers completely explained

shell and tube heat exchanger geometries, effective surface area and the overall heat transfer

coefficients of shell and tube. The cases were run in a series of trial and error and adjustments

were made until a reasonable pressure drop and overdesign is achieved.

5.4 Vessel

5.4.1. IPA Feed Drum

The IPA extracted from T-203 is mixed with the fresh IPA solution from TK-101. The

combined stream will enter the IPA feed drum, V-201. The streams were combined to recycle

the remaining IPA solution and to produce more products and for purity of the final product. The

output of the vessel will be vaporized at E-201 before entering the reactor. The following is the

data for the inlet and outlet of the vessel. The data provided gives the calculated design for the

vessel. The vessel’s height is 0.3 meters for NLL and 0.2 meters for LLL. The calculated

diameter will be 0.6 meters and its volume will be 0.3 cubic meter.

Data extracted from HYSYS:

Inlet Inlet Outlet

1-A 14-D 2-A (Liquid)
Parameters

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 Vapor 0.000 0.000 0.000
Pressure (psia) 14.65 17.41 14.65
Temperature (C) 25.04 81.86 30.98
Mass Flow (lb/h) 5282.2 608.96 5891.6
Mass Density (lb/ft3) 50.28 50.19 50.27
-
Viscosity (cP) 0.3814

5.4.2. Two-Phase Separator

The cooled two-phased stream exiting the Trim Cooler, E-203, at 20 deg. C, enters the two-

phased separator, V-202, where Hydrogen gas was separated from mixture of unreacted IPA,

water, and acetone. The separated vapor stream was sent to the Absorber, T-201, to recover the

small amount of IPA and acetone that was inevitably flashed out together with Hydrogen gas,

which will then be mixed together with the liquid stream leaving V-202 prior to entering the

Distillation column, T-202.

The written procedures from “Design Two-Phase Separators Within the Right Limits” by W.

Monnery and W.Y Svrcek found in Chemical Engineering Progress (October 1993) magazine, is

used as reference in the computation for V-202 sizing. Holdup and Surge time were set to 5 and

3 minutes, respectively. The sizing results are as listed below.

Table 5-5 Sizing Results

Sizing Results V-202

Diameter (mm) 850
Total Length (mm) 2400
Low Liquid Level (mm) 381
Normal Liquid Level (mm) 804
High Liquid Level (mm) 1057
Shell Thickness (mm) 3
Head Thickness (mm) 5

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 5.4.3. Acetone Reflux Drum

The reflux drum was designed after the Acetone Column, T-202. The overhead product

from the stripper enters a condenser which will be the inlet to the Acetone Reflux Drum, V-203.

The vapor is then separated from the liquid. A large amount of liquid is recycled to the acetone

column and the remaining liquid is stored in Hydrogen Storage Tank, TK-301.

As a reference for the computation and source of values, “Design Two-Phase Separators

Within the Right Limits” by W. Monnery and W.Y Svrcek found in Chemical Engineering

Progress (October 1993) magazine is used.

Data extracted from HYSYS:

Inflow Outflow
Parameters From Stream No. 16 Stream No. 11 Reflux
Condenser (Vapor Phase) (Liquid Phase) (Liquid Phase)
Vapor
1.0000 1.0000 0.0000 0.0000
fraction
Pressure
17.40 17.40 17.40 17.40
(psia)
Temperature
61.10 41.57 41.57 41.57
(℃)
Mass flow
49740 0.6427 4132 45610
rate (lb/hr)
Density
0.1564 8.616E-002 47.52 47.52
(lb/ft3)
Viscosity (cP) 7.249E-003 1.132E-002 0.2572 0.2572

5.4.4. IPA Reflux Drum

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 The reflux drum was designed after the IPA Column, T-203. This is served as a surge

drum which designed for storage of isopropyl alcohol. The overhead product from the IPA

Column is fed to a condenser which will be the inlet to the IPA Reflux Drum, V-204. A small

amount of the liquid product will be the inlet to IPA Feed Drum, V-201, and the remaining liquid

is recycled to the IPA Column.

As a reference for the computation and source of values, “Design Two-Phase Separators

Within the Right Limits” by W. Monnery and W.Y Svrcek found in Chemical Engineering

Progress (October 1993) magazine is used.

Data extracted from HYSYS:

Inflow Outflow
Parameters Stream No. 14 Reflux
From Condenser
(Liquid Phase) (Liquid Phase)
Vapor 0.0000
1.0000 0.0000
fraction
Pressure 17.40
17.40 17.40
(psia)
Temperature
83.58 81.84 81.84
(℃)
Mass flow
4283 610 3673
rate (lb/hr)
Density 44.99
0.1189 44.99
(lb/ft3)
Viscosity (cP) 7.877e-00. 0.45866 0.45866

5.5 Storage Tanks

5.5.1. Input Storage Tanks

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All of the tanks were designed for 14 days holding time. The isopropyl alcohol (IPA) storage

tank can hold up to 1026 cubic meters of IPA supply that will be sufficient enough for 14 days of

operation. Also, a length-to-diameter ratio of 1.5 was set in computing the allowable diameter of

the tank. It also has control valves to regulate the entry and exit of the respective streams. The

IPA exits the tank at 25 degrees Celsius and 101 kpa. The process water storage tank was also

designed based on a 14-day operation and has a capacity of around 120 cubic meters. The water

leaves the tank at 100 kPa and at a temperature of 250 C.

5.5.2. Output Storage Tanks

The tanks were designed for 14 days holding time. The hydrogen storage tank, TK-301, contains

the gaseous hydrogen from T-201 combined gaseous hydrogen from V-203. The acetone storage

tank, TK-302 contains the final product acetone that comes from V-203. The materials extracted

from T-203, which are wastewater will be going into the wastewater storage tank, TK-303. For

the output storage tanks, carbon steel (SA 516 Grade 70) was used. The piping size used for the

output tanks is schedule 40.

5.6 Summary

Table 5-6 Summary List of Static Equipment

PFD No. P&ID No. Equipment Tag Description

1 101 TK-101 IPA Storage Tank
1 102 TK-102 Process H2O Storage Tank
1 201 V-201 IPA Feed Drum
1 201 E-201 IPA Feed Vaporizer
1 202 R-201 IPA Reactor
1 203 E-202 Reactor Effluent Cooler
1 203 E-203 Trim Cooler
1 202 H-201 Reactor Furnace

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1 203 V-202 Phase Separator
1 204 T-201 Acetone Stripper
1 301A TK-301 Hydrogen Storage Tank
1 205 T-202 Acetone Column
1 206 E-204 Acetone Overhead Condenser
1 206 V-203 Acetone Reflux Drum
1 205 E-205 Acetone Reboiler
1 301B TK-302 Acetone Storage Tank
1 207 T-203 IPA Column
1 208 E-206 IPA Overhead Condenser
1 207 E-207 IPA Reboiler
1 208 V-204 IPA Reflux Drum
1 207 E-208 Wastewater Cooler
1 301C TK-303 Wastewater Treatment Facility

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