Chemical/Polymer

Reactor Design
Muhammad Zafar Iqbal

What to do today..

Introduction to Reactor Design

Reactor Classification
Modes of Operation of Reactors
Choice of Operating Conditions: A
practical approach
Design of an ideal batch Reactor

Fundamentals
Chemical reactor is the heart of the plant
Basic aim is to produce a specified product at a
given rate from unknown reactants.
How to proceed:
1- The type of reactor and its method of operation
2- The physical condition of reactants at inlet
What is desired:
1- Reactor Size: Volume and important dimensions
2-Composition and physical conditions of product
3- Temperature inside the reactor and H.T
methodology
4- Operating pressure and any pressure drop
occurring at
inlet or outlet of reaction mixture
The existence of any by product must be known

Reactor Classification and type

selection

Homogenous Reactors:
Only one phase is involved: gas or liquid
When more phases are involved the mixing is very
important
Heterogeneous Reactors:
Two or more phases are involved.
Normally solids if present then are in catalyst form.
A heterogeneous reactor may involve a heterogeneous
reaction or a homogeneous reaction.
Heterogeneous reactors show greater variety of
configuration and contacting patterns than
homogenous reactors.

Types of Reactors
Batch Reactor (BR, STR)
The reactants are initially charged into the vessel
and are well mixed and left to react for a certain
period of time. The resultant mixture is then
discharged. This is an unsteady operation where
the composition changes with time but is uniform
throughout the reactor at a specific time.

Continuous Reactors
Continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR, MFR,
BMFR)

An agitator is introduced to disperse the reactants

thoroughly into
the reaction mixture immediately
they enter the reactor.
Product is continuously drawn out and thats why
known for perfect
mixing.
Compositions at outlet and inside reactor are same.
Best suitable for liquid phase reactions

Plug Flow Reactor: (PFR)

These are tubular reactors generally but not

necessarily.
Often called piston flow, slug flow, ideal tubular flow or
unmixed flow reactors.
The residence time for all the elements is same: Must
be
Sometimes used for liquid phase reactions but best
suited for gas phase reactions.

Semi-Batch Reactors

Aim of their invention is to get benefit of any thing by

changing the contacting pattern.
One of the reactants may not be charged at once but
slowly.
When required:

To react a gas with a liquid

To control a highly exothermic reaction
To improve the product yield in suitable
circumstances

Heat of Reaction and Reactor Type

When heat of Reaction is too small then can be
neglected
But if it is high then this is major influencing factor
The temperature of the system can rise or fall
depending upon the reaction type: Exothermic or
Endothermic

A relation must be there among enthalpy, heat

transferred, and temperature change of the
system (Energy balance)

Before designing, check for:

1- What is the heat of reaction?
2- Acceptable range of temperature?

Different reactor configurations based

on Temperature(Modes of Operation)
Adiabatic Reactors
Very easy to design
Temperature drop or rise remains within
acceptable range
The properties of the product are not affected by
such rise or fall in temperature

Reactors with Heat Transfer

This arrangement is used when isothermal
operation is desired
The temperature can be controlled through internal
coils, external jackets or external heat exchanger
The factors which influence the H.T. are:

1-H.T. coefficient
2- Jacket Pressure
3- Jacket Pressure drop
4- Reactor pressure
5- Cleanliness
6- Cost

Reactor with Internal Coils

Jacketed Reactor and its types

Reactor with heat exchanger

Auto thermal Reactors

These are the self supporting systems in which
heat of one stream is used to heat feed stream in
order to raise the reaction rate and save the time
and the cost.
These show integrated reactor system with feed
back systems
An external source of heat is required to start the
reaction once and then reaction proceeds on
itself.
This is valid for Highly Exothermic Reaction
Systems

Choice of Process Conditions

Two main principles are involved:
1- Chemical Equilibrium
2- Chemical Kinetics
If equilibrium contact is very large, then reaction is
said to be irreversible. But there lies a max. extent of
that reaction upto which it can proceed (Chem. Equil.).
How to proceed: Find the applicable temperature
range of reaction and then investigate Kc under that
temperature range.
From recommended literature it is found that:

Example (Coulson)
Statement:
A process for the manufacture of styrene by the
dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene
C6H5-CH2-CH3

= C6H5-CH=CH2
H2

At T= 560 degree C

Tasks:
1- Determine max. conversion of Et at P=1 bar
2- Determine max. conversion at Et: Steam = 1 : 15
Solve Yourself

Ideal Batch Reactor

Designing: Calculation of Reaction Time: basic
Design Equation
1-

234-

Time to reach a specific

conversion

For Constant Density systems

For gas-phase reactions