Homework of Pressure Drop in a Packed Bed Reactor

presented by:
stephanie paola caballero de la hoz

presented to:
ing. Jose perez

Faculty of Engineeri
chemical engineeri
fluid mechanics 2

Atlantic University
 A catalytic converter of SO2 with a feed of 7900 lb mol/h that consists of 11.0% SO2, 10.0%
O2 and 79% inerts (mostly N2). The reactor has 4631 tubes packed with catalyst, each of
them 20 ft in lenght. The weight of catalyst (W) in a tube is 28.54 lb cat/tube. The outer
diameter of tubes is 3 in and inner diameter is 2.782 in. The tubes will be cooled by a booling
liquid at 805 °F, then the coolant temperature is going to be constat over this value. Usually,
the inlet pressure and temperature are 2.0 atm and 940 °F respectively. Plot the profile the
drop pressure of down the reactor for following inlet pressures (P0) 1.6, 1.8. 2.0, 2.2 and 2.4
atm.

Solution:

A flow of 7900 lbmol / h enters the reactor,

o,11 so2, 0,10 o2, 0,79 inertes.
4631 tubes are in the reactor, each tube weighs 28.34
lb.

W= 28,34 lb
WT= 28,34 * 4631= 131412,58 lb

H= 20 ft

internal diameter = 2,782 in

external diameter= 3 in

SO2 + O2 = SO3
2

KP= exp[42311/RT- 11,24)

T= 805 °F = 1264,67°R R= = 1.986 Btu/lbmol ·◦ R
Kp= exp [42311/( 1,986)(1264,67) – 11,24) = 272,054 atm ½

T= 940° F = 1399,67°R
KP= exp[42311/(1,986)(1399,67)- 11,24)= 53,58 atm 1/”2
 −176008
k = 3600 · exp − (110.1 ln T ) + 912.8
T

find the constant k with the value of the temperature a 1399,67°R

−176008
k = 3600 · exp[ − (110.1 ln T ) + 912.8] = 0,097837
1399,67

process to find the partial pressures for each of the compounds

total pressure of 2 atm
pso2 = (0,11)(2 atm)=0,22atm
po2= (0,1)(2 atm)=0,2 atm
pinertes= (0,79)(2 atm)=1,58 atm

I proceed to find the value of the enthalpy=

∆HR = - 42471 – (1.5625)(1399,67 – 1260) + (1.3612*10^-3)(1399.672 – 12602) –

(2.459*10^-7)(1399,673 – 12603)= - 42365.961

is cp and cp* Ø=

cp = - 1.5625 + (2.7225*10^-3 * 13999,67) – (7.377* 10^-7* 1399,67) = 0,8028

co* Ø = 57.23 + (0.014 * 1399,67) – (1.94*10^-6 * 1399.67 ) = 73.0247 2

PT= 2 atm
p0 = 1,6 atm
pso2 for this pressure = 1,6*0,11= 0,176, and I give x value of 0.02 . replacing values

rso2 = 0.09783 (1- 0,02/ 0,02) [1.0 – 0.5 (0.02)/(1- 0,055(0.02)] (2*(1.6*0.1)/1.6)- [0.02/(1-0.02)(50.58)]2 = 0.799
dx/dW= 5.11(1264.67- 1399,67)+ 0.149327 [42365.96121)/0.188(0.02* 0.802891129*
73.02477235) = 410. 4778292
 is the pressure drop for this component=
dP/dW = - 1.12*10^-8 (1- 0.05 (0.02)1399,67/ 2 *(5500(0.090 + 2288)

for the next component at the same pressure P0 = 1.6 ; O2 = 0,1

PT= 2 atm
p0 = 1,6 atm
po2 for this pressure = 1.61*0.1= 0,16, and I give x value of 0.02 . replacing values

ro2 = 0.09783 (1- 0,02/ 0,02) [1.0 – 0.5 (0.02)/(1- 0,055(0.02)] (2*(1.6*0.011)/1.6)- [0.02/(1-
0.02)(50.58)]2

dx/dW= 5.11(1264.67- 1399,67)+ 0.149327 [42365.96121)/0.188(0.02* 0.802891129*

73.02477235) = 410. 4778292

for the next component at the same pressure P0 = 1.6 ; inertes= 0,79
PT= 2 atm
p0 = 1,6 atm
pinertes for this pressure = 1.6*0.79= 1,264, and I give x value of 0.02 . replacing values

rinertes = 0.09783 (1- 0,02/ 0,02) [1.0 – 0.5 (0.02)/(1- 0,055(0.02)] (2*(1.6*0,79)/1.6)- [0.02/(1-
0.02)(50.58)]2

dx/dW= 5.11(1264.67- 1399,67)+ 0.149327 [42365.96121)/0.188(0.02* 0.802891129*

73.02477235) = 410. 4778292

is the pressure drop for this component=

dP/dW = - 1.12*10^-8 (1- 0.05 (0.02)1399,67/ 2 *(5500(0.090 + 2288)

la terminancion del trabajo, es para presion parcial de cada componente y con

cada presion o dada se tiene que hallar los diferentes parametros dados, solo
alcance a medio realizar para la primera presion de 1,6 y para sus componentes.

Nota: buenas tardes profesor, espero que se encuentre muy bien, le escribo la
presente para decirle que la verdad no pude terminar mi trabajo, ayer sali de clases a
las 9 y media de noche y ps a esa fue que logre colocarme hacerlo, no he dormido
tratando de realizarlo, busque en infinitos documentos a ver si me podia guiar y al
final fue que comprendi como hacerlo y me note que es demasiado largo.
Le envio a tiempo lo que pude hacer y realmente espero que me disculpe porque no
acostumbro a dejar mis trabajos inconclusos.
Que siga muy bien.