Multiphase Catalytic Reactors

Theory, Design, Manufacturing, and Applications

Zeynep Ilsen Önsan, Ahmet Kerim Avci

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781118115763
• eBook ISBN: 9781119248477
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Power Resources
• Index: Technology & Engineering

• Provides a holistic approach to multiphase catalytic reactors from their modeling and design to their applications in industrial manufacturing of chemicals
• Covers theoretical aspects and examples of fixed-bed, fluidized-bed, trickle-bed, slurry, monolith and microchannel reactors
• Includes chapters covering experimental techniques and practical guidelines for lab-scale testing of multiphase reactors
• Includes mathematical content focused on design equations and empirical relationships characterizing different multiphase reactor types together with an assortment of computational tools
• Involves detailed coverage of multiphase reactor applications such as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, fuel processing for fuel cells, hydrotreating of oil fractions and biofuels processing

PART 1
Principles of catalytic reaction engineering

CHAPTER 1
Catalytic reactor types and their industrial significance

Zeynep Ilsen Önsan and Ahmet Kerim Avci

Department of Chemical Engineering, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey

Abstract

The present chapter is aimed to provide a simplified overview of the catalytic reactors used in chemical industry. Each reactor type is described in terms of its key geometric properties, operating characteristics, advantages, and drawbacks among its alternatives and typical areas of use. The significance of the reactors is explained in the context of selected industrial examples. Industrial reactors that do not involve the use of solid catalysts are also discussed.

1.1 Introduction

Today’s chemical markets involve many different products with diverse physical and chemical properties. These products are produced in chemical plants with different architectures and characteristics. Despite these differences, general structure of a chemical plant can be described by three main groups of unit operations, namely, upstream operations, downstream operations, and the reaction section, as shown in Figure 1.1. Among these groups, the reactor is the most critical section that determines the plant profitability via metrics such as reactant conversion, product selectivity, and yield: high per‐pass conversions will reduce the operating expenses involved in product separation and purification steps as well as the recycling costs (Figure 1.1). At this stage selection of the appropriate reactor type and ensuring their efficient operation become critical issues to be addressed.

Figure 1.1 Outline of a chemical process.

In almost all reactors running in the chemical industry, the desired product throughput and quality are provided by catalysts, the functional materials that allow chemical synthesis to be carried out at economic scales by increasing the reaction rates. Owing to this critical feature, more than 98% of the today’s industrial chemistry is involved with catalysis. Since catalysts have direct impact on reactor performance, they have to be operated at their highest possible effectiveness, which is determined by the degree of internal and external heat and mass transport resistances defined and explained in detail in Chapter 2. At this stage, the function of the reactor is to provide conditions such that the catalyst particles can deliver the best possible performance (e.g., activity, selectivity, yield) at sufficient stability. For example, for a highly exothermic reaction system such as Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis, heat transport/removal rates within the reactor should be very high to prevent undesired temperature elevations that can negatively affect product distribution and, more importantly, cause thermally induced deactivation of the catalysts. Considering the fact that transport rates are favored by good mixing of the reactive fluid at turbulent conditions, the selected reactor type should allow a wide operating window in terms ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• List of contributors
• Preface
• PART 1: Principles of catalytic reaction engineering
• PART 2: Two-phase catalytic reactors
• PART 3: Three-phase catalytic reactors
• PART 4: Structured reactors
• PART 5: Essential tools of reactor modeling and design
• PART 6: Industrial applications of multiphase reactors
• Index
• End User License Agreement