1.1.

7Plug flow Reactor design In a plug flow reactor the composition of the fluid varies from point to point along a flow path; consequently, the material balance for a reaction component must be made for a differential element of volume dV. Thus for a reactant A the mass balance becomes; Input = output +disappearance by reaction + accumulation Where accumulation is zero thus, the equation becomes; Input = output + disappearance by reaction Calculation of reactor volume is by the following equation,

Notation
V FAO XA CAO A(subscript) rA Volume of reactor Feed flow rate ( kgmolh-1) Fractional conversion of DIPB Space time (kg h kgmol-1 ) Initial concentration of DIPB DIPB Rate of disappearance of species A(DIPB) (kgmol kgcat-1hr-1)

Transalkylation reactor design data

Table 1.2 Initial DIPB concentration CDIPBO Initial DIPB flow rate FDIPBO Specified DIPB conversion XDIPB Catalyst Voidage fraction A 0.95 0.5 Kgmolm-3 (From mass balance)

To determine the volume of reactor the following steps were followed; 1. Weight of catalyst(equation adapted from Kondamudi,upayadhula) (1.1)

(1.2)

Evaluating the integral of the above equation using simpsons rule;

(1.3) Wcat= kg 2. Volume of catalyst (1.4)

(1.5) V= m3

3. Volume of reactor required (1.6)

4. Actual volume of reactor, a 10% allowance for the heads

Vact = 5. Diameter of reactor, as a rule of thumb the diameter to length ratio is 5(L/D=5) Since

D=m

6. Length of reactor L=5D L= m kg m-3 m m

Reactor design specifications Catalyst weight Reactor volume Reactor inside diameter Reactor length