Reactors

Flow Reactors Batch Reactors

Mixed Flow Reactors Plug Flow Reactors

(MFR) (PFR)

Continuous Stirred Tank Reactors

(CSTR)

Back Mixed Reactors

(BM)
Batch Reactors
Characteristics
• Reactor is charged via two holes in the top of the tank;
• While reaction is carried out, nothing else is put in or taken
out until the reaction is done;
• Tank easily heated or cooled by jacket .
• This type are used for a variety of process operations.
• A typical batch reactor consists of a tank with an agitator
and integral heating/cooling system.
• These vessels may vary in size from less than 1 liter to more
than 15,000 liters .
• They are usually fabricated in steel, stainless steel, glass
lined steel, glass or exotic alloy .
Kinds of Phases Present
• Gas phase
• Liquid phase
• Liquid-Solid

Batch Reactor CEB MKII

Usage
• Small scale production
• Intermediate or one shot production
• Pharmaceutical
• Fermentation
• Solids dissolution
• Product mixing
• Chemical reactions
• Batch distillation
• Crystallization
• Liquid/liquid extraction
• Polymerization
Advantages
• High conversion per unit volume for one pass
• Flexibility of operation - same reactor can produce
one product at a time and different product the
next
• Easy to clean

Disadvantages
• High operating cost
• Product quality more variable than with continuous
operation
Sequential Batch Reactors (SBR)
Carbon Steel or
Stainless Steel
Reactors
Stainless steel reactors
for chemical plant
" Glass Lined Reactors"
Reaction Vessel (Reactor)
Continuous Stirred
Tank Reactors
(CSTR)
Characteristics
• Run at steady state with continuous flow of
reactants and products;
• The feed assumes a uniform composition
throughout the reactor;
• Exit stream has the same composition as in
the tank.
Kinds of Phases Present
• Liquid phase
• Gas-liquid reactions
• Solid-liquid reactions
Usage CSTR CEM MK II

• When agitation is required

• Series configurations for different
concentration stream.
Advantages
• Continuous operation
• Good temperature control
• Easily adapts to two phase runs
• Good control
• Simplicity of construction
• Low operating (labor) cost
• Easy to clean
Disadvantages
• Lowest conversion per unit volume
• By-passing and channeling possible with poor agitation
Batch reactor Semi-Batch reactor
Stirred contained solids reactors
Plug Flow Reactors
(PFR)
Characteristics
✓ Arranged as one long reactor or many short
reactors in a tube bank ;
✓ No radial variation in reaction rate
(concentration);
✓ Concentration changes with length down the
reactor.
Kinds of Phases Present
Primarily Gas Phase
Usage
• Large Scale
• Fast Reactions
• Homogeneous Reactions
• Heterogeneous Reactions
• Continuous Production
• High Temperature
Advantages
• High conversion per unit volume
• Low operating (labor) cost
• Continuous operation
• Good heat transfer
Disadvantages
• Undesired thermal gradients may exist
• Poor temperature control
• Shutdown and cleaning may be expensive
Tubular reactor
Plug-flow reactors for Biomass Conversion
Industrial scale Reactor
Homogeneous Continuous Reactions
(Plug Flow)
Reactive Distillation - Homogeneous

.
Reactive Distillation - Heterogeneous
creating plug-flow conditions in reactors
Fixed bed reactors
 Fluidized bed reactor

Fischer-Tropsch reaction convert synthesis gas into

a mixture of alkanes and alkenes over Fe catalyst.
Four major chemical reactors
in petroleum refining
THE HUMAN REACTOR
Process Design
 Matters for Design Consideration
(1) Type of processing
➢ Batch
➢ Continuous
➢ Semibatch or semicontinuous
(2) Type and nature of reacting system
➢ Simple
➢ Complex (desirable,, undesirable products)
➢ Stoichiometry
➢ Phases, number of phases
➢ Catalytic (choice of catalyst) or noncatalytic
➢ Endothermic or exothermic
➢ Possibility of equilibrium limitation
 Cont.
(3) Type and size of reactor
➢ Batch
➢ Continuous (stirred tank , tubular, tower/column, bed )
(4) Mode of operation
➢ Configurational (single-stage or multistage , axial or radial
flow, arrangement of heat transfer surface, flow pattern,
contacting pattern)
➢ Thermal (adiabatic, isothermal , nonisothermal, nonadiabatic)
➢ Use of recycle
 Cont..
(5) Process conditions
➢ T profile
➢ P profile
➢ Feed (composition, rate)
➢ Product (composition, rate)
(6) Optimality
➢ of process conditions
➢ of size
➢ of product distribution
➢ of conversion
➢ of cost (local, global context)
 Cont…
(7) Control and stability of operation
➢ Instrumentation
➢ Control variables
➢ Sensitivity analysis
➢ Catalyst life, deactivation, poisons
(8) Socioeconomic
➢ Cost
➢ Environmental
➢ Safety
(9) Materials of constructional corrosion
(10) Startup and shutdown procedures
 Data Required
(1) Specifications
➢ Reactants
➢ Products
➢ Throughput or capacity
(2) general data
➢ Rate data/parameters relating to reaction (rate
law/s, heat transfer, mass transfer, pressure drop,
equilibrium data, other physical property data,
cost data)
 Tools Available
The rational design of a chemical reactor is perhaps the most
difficult equipment-design task of a chemical engineer.
(1) Rate processes and rate laws
➢ Reaction kinetics
➢ Diffusion and mass transfer
➢ Heat transfer
➢ Fluid mechanics (flow patterns , mixing, pressure drop)
(2) Conservation and balance equations
➢ Mass balances (including stoichiometry)
➢ Continuity equation
➢ Energy balance (including energetics of reaction)
➢ Thermochemistry
 Cont.
(3) Equilibrium
➢ Reaction equilibrium
➢ Phase equilibrium
(4) Mathematics
➢ Development of a reactor model
➢ Analytical or numerical methods for solution of
equations
➢ Simulation statistical analysis of rate data
 Cont..
(5) Computers and computer software
➢ Use of a PC, workstations, etc., coupled with
software packages to solve sets of algebraic
and/or differential equations, and to perform
statistical analyses necessary for implementation
of a reactor model for design or for assessment of
reactor performance
➢ Software (spreadsheet packages, simulation
software, numerical equation solvers, computer
algebra system)
(6) Process economics
 Mechanical Design
• Impeller or agitator design (as in a stirred tank)
• Power requirement (for above)
• Reactor-as-pressure-vessel design
• Wall thickness
• Over-pressure relief
• Fabrication
• Support-structure design
• Maintenance features