DESIGN OF

REACTOR

CHAPTER No.5
REACTOR DESIGN

FLUIDIZED BED REACTOR

5.1 INTRODUCTION

Reactors:-
Reactant gas can be made to contact solid catalyst in many ways, and each has its specific
advantages and disadvantages. There are two broad types of Reactors.
1:- Fluidized Bed Reactor.
2:- Fixed Bed Reactors.
The moving bed reactor is an intermediate case which embodies some of the advantages
and some of the disadvantages of Fixed Bed and Fluidized Bed Reactors.
Fluidized-bed catalytic reactors have been characterized as the workhorses of process
industries. For economical production of large amounts of product, they are usually the
first choice, particularly for gas-phase reactions. Many catalyzed gaseous reactions are
amenable to long catalyst life (1-10 years); and as the time between catalyst changes outs
increases, annualized replacement costs decline dramatically, largely due to savings in
shutdown costs. It is not surprising, therefore, that fluidized-bed reactors now dominate
the scene in large-scale chemical-product manufacture.

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5.2 COMPARISON OF FIXED & FLUIDIZED BED

REACTORS:-

FIXED BED REACTORS:-

Used for Solid/Liquid or Solid/Gas Contact.
Gases approximate plug flow while passing through Fixed Bed Reactor.
Effective temperature control of large Fixed Bed is difficult.
In highly exothermic reactions hot spots are developed which ruin catalyst.
Cant use very small size of catalyst due to high pressure drop.
FLUIDIZED BED REACTORS:-
Excellent Solid/Gas contact.
Rapid mixing of solids allows easily controlled practically isothermal, operations.
No hot spots even in highly exothermic reactions.
Good gas to particle and bed to wall heat transfer
Small size catalysts can be used. Thus, preferred in fast reactions.
Preferred when catalyst has to be treated frequently as it deactivates rapidly.

5.3 CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF

FLUIDIZED BED REACTOR:-
The reaction takes place in a specific vessel at the base of which a mixture of air
compressed to between 0.15 and 0.310 6 Pa absolute and fertilizer grade ammonia is
introduced, previously vaporized and preheated to between 150 and 200 oC by passage
through heat exchangers. This feed first crosses a distribution plate and then reaches the
catalyst bed, which it fluidizes. Chemical grade propylene (> 95 % weight) is introduced
separately above the previous distributor, after first having been vaporized and preheated
to around 200 oC. The fluidization height is 7 to 8 m.
Because of the necessity of removing or adding heat, it may not be possible to use a
single large-diameter tube packed with catalyst. In this event the reactor may have a set
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of immersion tubes with internal boiler feed water circulation placed within the catalyst
bed. This serves to remove the heat generated by the reaction and to control the
temperature at between 420oC and 480 oC, while producing high pressure steam (over
3106 Pa absolute).The energy exchange with the surroundings is obtained by circulating,
or perhaps boiling, a fluid in the space between the tubes. Cyclone separators are installed
in the upper part of reactor to retain catalyst particles entrained in the gaseous effluents.

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5.4 DESIGN PROCEDURE FOR MULTI TUBE

FIXED BED REACTOR:-

Input Stream

Weight Moles
Components Weight% Mole%
(kg/hr) (kmol/hr)
Propylene 14280 12.5 340 8.5
Air 93024 81.4 3230 81.2
Ammonia 6936 6.1 408 10.3
Total 114240 100 3978 100
Feed Rate of Propylene = 340 Kmol/hr
Total Gas Flow Rate = 3978 Kmol/hr
Total mass Flow rate = 114240 kg/hr
Volumetric Flow rate = 102918.9 m3/hr
Superficial Gas Velocity = 1800 m/hr
Relative Bubble Velocity:-
g = gravitational constant = 12.7 107 m/hr2
db= bubble diameter = 0.1m
Relative bubble velocity Ubr = 0.711 (g db) 0.5
Ubr =4740 m/hr
Bubble Velocity:-
Uo = Superficial Velocity = 1800 m / hr
Umf = Velocity at minimum fluidization =9 m / hr
Ub = Bubble Velocity = Uo Umf + Ubr
Ub =6531 m/hr

Mass Transfer Coefficients:-

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From Bubble to Interchange Zone,

U
D 0.5 g1/4
Kbc 4.5 mf 5.85 AB

db d 5/4

b

Kbc = 4537 hr -1
DAB = 0.14 m2 / hr
Where DAB is diffusivity of A in B.

From Interchange to Emulsion phase,

1/2

D U

Kce 6.78 mf

AB b


d 3


b

Where f is void of bed at fluidization and Kce is interchange coefficient

f = 0.5
Kce = 4584 hr -1

Fraction of Bed Volume:-

U o U mf
fb
Ub
fb = 0.223

Volume Fraction of solids in bubble:-

Volume fraction of solids in bubble = b = 0.015 (1 mf) (1 fb)/ fb
b = 0.01

Volume Fraction of Solids an Clouds and Wakes:-

Volume Fraction of Solids an Clouds and Wakes= c
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c = (1 mf)[3 Umf / mf + ]
Ubr-Umf/ mf
c = 0.2

Volume Fraction of Solids in Emulsion :-

Sum of fraction = 1
So,
Volume Fraction of Solids in Emulsion = 0.79

Diameter of Reactor:-
Cross sectional Area of Reactor is,
A = m / s Umf
s = 1500 kg/m3
A = 8.46 m2
From which the Diameter of reactor is calculated is,
D = (4 A / ) 0.5
D = 3.28 m

Evaluating KR:-

b Kr+ 1

1/Kbc + 1 HFBRUo total

ln(CA/CAo)= cKr + 1

1/Kce + 1

e Kr

..equation 1

Weight Of Catalsyt :-
ln(CA/CAo) = e (1.44K(W/F)) .. equation 2

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Height Of Bubbling Fluidized Reactor :-

HFBR = W/ s total .. equation 3

Iteration between eqs. 1, 2 and 3 we get

Conversion = 0.8
Weight = 145808.1kg
Bed Height = 11.5 m

Using graph of TDH/D Vs D,

Trans disengagement height = TDH =3.63 m

Total height = 11.5 + 3.63

= 15.13m

Volume of Reactor:-
Volume of Fluidized Bed Reactor V = /4 * D2 *Lf
= 129 m3
5.5 Specification Sheet:

Identification

Item Reactor
Type Fluidized bed
No. of item 1
Function
Conversion of propylene
Design Specification

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Operating temperature 420oC
Operating pressure 200 kPa
Design temperature 500oC

Design pressure 250 kPa

Diameter 3.28 m
Height 15.13 m
Wall thickness 0.0075 m
Material Carbon Steel 81 B 45
Volume 129 m3
Pressure Drop 10.3 kPa
Distributor
Type Gas Sparger orifice type
Material Nickel
Insulation Ceramic
Catalyst
Size 60 m

Porosity 50 %

Type Mixed oxide composition

Cooling mechanism

Cooling media Water

Cooling arrangement coil

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