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Reactor-Separator-Recycle

Networks
Chapter 8 S,S&L
Terry Ring
Chemical Engineering
University of Utah

Location of Separation Units

What to do with Low Reactor


Conversion?
Low Reactor Conversion
Recycle to extinction

Overall process conversion


Reactor/separator/recycle
Goes to ~100%

Location of Separation Network


After Reactor
Products are traditionally separated
Reactants Recycled

Before Reactor
Reactants are typically purified before Reaction

But
Could reactor be run so that no separation is
needed?
Could reactor be run so that a small separation
system could be used?
Could products also be effectively separated
before the reactor with one separation system?
Could other configurations be used?

Location of Separation System


Can reactor produce nearly pure products?

Keq>10,000 and with stoichiometric feed,


No Separator after the reactor is needed!
No Recycle is needed!
Example, H2 + Cl2 2 HCl

Can Reactants and Product be separated easily?


CO + 2H2 CH3OH
Reaction with 50% conversion then Flash gives clean product as
liquid and unused reactants as vapor
H2 + N2 NH3
Reaction with 40% conversion then Cryo-Flash gives clean
product as liquid and unused reactants as vapor

Note, Reactants do not need to be separated into pure


component streams to be recycled.

Trade-off between Reactor and


Separator
Factors
Reactor Conversion of limiting reactant
Effects cost and size of Separation Train

Reactor Temperature and mode of operation


(adiabatic, isothermal, etc.)
Effect utility costs for both separation and reaction
Effect impurities from side reactions

High Reactor Pressure for Le Chatlier cases


Higher cost for recycle compression

Trade-off between Reactor and


Separator
Factors, cont.
Use of excess reactants to increase equilibrium
conversion and/or reaction rate
Increases cost of separation train

Use of diluents in adiabatic reactor to control


temperature in reactor
Increases cost of separations train

Use of purge to avoid difficult separation.


Decreases the cost of separations
Loss of reactants increase cost of reactants
May increase cost of reactor, depending on the purge-torecycle ratio

Factors that affect recycle/purge


Factor
Excess reactants
Increases recycle flow
Increases separation costs
Increase feed stream costs
Raw Materials
Heat up and Pressure up requirements

Concentration of impurities to be purged


Effects the recycle-to-purge ratio

High Reactor outlet temperature and pressure


Increase cost of utilities in separation
Increase cost to recycle - compressor

Preliminary
Flow Sheet

2C2H4 + C4H10 C8H18

Flash
P= 2 psi

Distillation
P= 10 psi

Purge Stream
Recycle Stream

Reactor/Separation/Recycle
Networks
Suggestions for efficient operation
Make reactor hit high conversion
Minimize side reactions with

Temperature profile
Pressure used
Excess reactants
Impurities added to the feed

Streamline separation train


Use purge for impurities in all recycle streams
Understand trade-offs
Impacts on operating costs
Impacts on capital cost

Feedback effects of Recycle Loop


Small disturbance on feed
Large effect on recycle flow
rate/composition

Snowball effect on reactor/separator

Cumene Process
Main Reaction over Al2O3/SiO2 catalyst

As much as 10%
Lost here

Product Specs

Two step reactor


Main Reaction

Trans alkylation reactor

Separation Train Info.

x
x

DIPB

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