KUMASI POLYTECHNIC

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
FINAL YEAR DESIGN REPORT ON PLUG FLOW REACTOR
COMPILED BY
BOATENG MICHAEL
(CME05100016)
SUPERVISOR: DR. FRANCIS ATTIOGBE
JUNE, 2013

Design Item (Plug Flow Reactor)

Function
Material of construction
Diameter of reactor
Volume of reactor
Height of reactor
Area of reactor

Specifications
To convert methanol by oxidation into
formaldehyde
Carbon steel
1.62m
10m3
4.86m
104.5m2

Thickness of reactor
Volume of silver catalyst
Weight of silver catalyst
Pressure drop in the reactor
Number of tubes
Length of tubes
Volume of tubes
Residence time achieved

9mm
4m3
3713.22kg
1.22kPa
107
6.09m
0.0435m3
8 minutes

Superficial velocity of fluid

Pitch diameter
Log Mean Temperature Difference

3.9m/s
0.0635m
96.7oC

DESIGN PARAMETERS CALCULATIONS

Plug flow reactor design:
Reactor conversion = 87.4%
Average temperature of reactor = 246.5oC
Average pressure of reactor = 202.65kPa
Mole of components = mole(CH3OH + CH2O + H2O + N2 + O2)
= 1281.5929kmol/hr
Reaction rate constant for main and side reactions = K1 and K2
Density of silver catalyst used = 950kg/m3
Calculating of the residence time in the reactor:
Basic performance equation for a Plug Flow Reactor is:
1
0

0
;

0
;

The reaction rate (-r), expression for methanol-formaldehyde system is:

=

1
1:2

But temperature of plug flow reactor used, T = 246.50C = 519.5K

Where Log10 K1 = 10.79 -

Also Log10 K2 = 11.43 -

5640

3810

5640

= 10.79 519.5 = 0.0666

K1 = antilog (0.0666) = 1.1657

= 11.43

3810
519.5

= 4.0960
K2 =antilog (4.0960) = 12474.5

From equation the above relations:

PmV = nRT
Pm = CART
Methanol reaction rate: (rm ) =
Putting rm into equation (1):
= CAO

XAF 1 RT : K2 CA dXA
0
K1 CA

K1 CA RT
1 : K2 CA RT

RT K1 CA
RT(1 RT : K2 CA )

Concentration of methanol initially (CA):

CA =
But from the reaction equation:
CH3OH + 0.5O2
Extent of reaction, (A) =

CAO (1 XA )
(1 + A XA )

CH2O + H2O

products stoich ;reactants stoich

reactants stoich

2; 1.5
1.5

= 0.333
Also total molar flowrate components entering = 1281.5929kmol/hr
And PVo = nRT,

Volumetric flowrate of components, Vo =

1281.5929 x 8.314 x 519.5

202.65
30518.35m3 x 1hr
hr x 60min

= 455.25m3/min

Mole flowrate of methanol: (Fmethanol) =

376.3100kmol x 1hr
hr x 60min

= 6.27kmol/min
Thus initial concentration of methanol: CAO =

Fm
Vo

6.27 1
min 455.253

= 0.0138kmol/m3

Thus residence time:

= CAO
1

But =

XAF (1 RT : K2 CA )dXA
0
K1 CA
1
8.314 519.5

= 0.0002

Initial rate constant, K1 = 1.1657, final rate constant, K2 = 12474.5 conversion rate, XAF =
0.874
Therefore: = CAO
Since CA =

0.874 (0.0002:12474.5CA )dXA

0
1.1657CA

CAO (1; XA )
(1:0.333XA )

The above relation then becomes:

= CAO
= CAO

0.874 (1:0.333 XA ) (0.0002:13967CA )dXA

0
CAO (1; XA )
1
0.874 (1:0.333 XA ) [0.0002( 1:0.333XA :12474.5CAo 1; XA ]dXA
0
CAO (1; XA )
(1:0.333XA )

Putting CAO = 0.0138 into the above relation:

= 0.8578

0.874 [0.0002( 1:0.333XA :12474.5 x 0.0138 1; XA ]dXA

0
(1; XA )

Solving integrally:
0.874 [0.0002( 1:0.333XA dXA
0.874 (1; )2
0.874
= 0
+
172.15
+

0
0
(1; XA )
(1; XA )
0.874 1
0.874 1
= 0.8578 (0.0002[ 0
+
0.333
] + 172.15(0.874))
0
(1; XA )
(1; XA )

Residence time calculations continued:

= 0.8578 (0.0002[In 1 XA

0.874
+
0

0.333

0.874 (1;1: )
]
0
(1; XA )

+ 150.46)

= 0.8578(0.0002[-In(10.874)In (1)]
+0.333[

0.874 1
0.874 (1: )

0.333
]
0
0
(1; XA )
(1; XA )

= 0.8578 (0.0002(2.07) + 0.333[-In (1 XA)

+ 134.10)

0.874

= 0.8578 [0.0004 + 0.333(2.07 0.874) + 150.46]

= 0.8578 (0.0004 + 0.3983 + 150.46)

= 129.40

XA

0.874
]+
0

150.46)

Thus residence time, = 129.40

=
=

129.4kmol x kg.hr x m3
m3 x kmol x 950kg
0.1362 60
1

= 8.2 minutes
Hence the residence time achieved is 8.2 minutes
Weight of silver catalyst (W):
Also, =

CAO W
FAO

It implies that: (W) = =

8.2 6.27
0.0138

= 3713.22

Weight of catalyst

Volume of catalyst used: (VC) = density of catalyst =

3713.22kg
950kg/m3

= 4m3

Catalyst Dimensions:
Diameter of catalyst from rules of thumbs ranges from 2mm - 5mm
Hence diameter of silver catalyst chosen = 3mm
Voidage = 55% - 65%
Chosen Voidage = 60% = 0.6
Density of silver catalyst used = 950kg/m3
Volume of vessel, VV = ?
Volume of reactor vessel:

Voidage, (e) =

VV ; VC
VV

= 0.6

It implies that, VV 0.6VV = 4

0.4VV = 4
VV =

4
0.4

= 10m3

Hence volume of vessel needed is 10m3

Heat capacity of liquid mixture 150oC: [Cpmx = CP (CH3OH + H2O + N2 + O2 + CH2O)]

= 1920 + 4320 + 1039 + 910 + 847
= 9036J/kg. K
Mass flow rate of liquid: (mix) = (CH3OH + H2O + N2 + O2 + CH2O)
= Molar mass of mixture x Mole flow rate
= 140kg/kmol x 1281.5929kmol/hr
= 179423kg/hr

Heat supplied (Q):

Q=

179423kg x 9036J x 193K

hr x kg.K

= 86917883.89W

Provisional area (A):

Thus heat, Q = UALTM

A=

ULTM

86917883.89
2250/2 . 369.7

Provisional area = 104.5m2

Number of tubes:
Nt =

()

104.52
0.0508 6.09

= 107tubes

Pitch diameter:
For square pitches,
Pitch used = 1.25 x OD
= 1.25 x 0.0508m = 0.0635m

Bundle diameter:
1

Bundle diameter, DB = do x

N
( t )n1
K1

But outer diameter, do = 2in = 0.0508m

Also for one pass and two tube passes, K1 = 0.215, n1 = 2.207
Therefore bundle diameter, DB = 0.0508 x

1
107
(
) 2.207
0.215

= 0.8469m
Bundle diameter clearance with bundle diameter of 0.8469m is 0.17m from
bundle diameter clearance against bundle diameter charts

Pressure drop in the reactor:

Molar mass of liquid, ML = MW(O2) + MW(CH3OH) + MW(H2O) + MW(N2) + MW(CH2O)
= 0.2935(32) + 0.1483(32) + 0.00006(18) + 0.5579(28) + 0.0002(30)
= 29.77kg/kmol
m
RT
M

but =

Also, PV = nRT =
PM =

(density)

= RT
=

PM
RT

182.6kPa x 29.77kg x kmol.K

kmol x 8.314 x 523K

= 1.25kg/m3

Assumptions:
Viscosity of fluid, = 0.02cP = 0.00002N.s/m2
Length of tube, L = 6.09m
Diameter of tube, D = 2in = 0.0508m
Voidage, e = 0.6

Volume of reactor (Vr):

Volume of reactor, Vr =

x D2
4

Let length of reactor, L = 3 x diameter of reactor

= 3D
Vr =
Thus Vr =

4 x 10
3

x D2 3
4

= 3.142 x D3
3

D = 4.244
= 1.62m
Hence length of reactor, L = 3 x 1.62m
= 4.86m
Area of reactor (Ar):
Ar =

x D2
4

3.142 (1.62)2
4

= 2.06m2

Superficial velocity of fluid (Uc):

UC =

1218.5929kmol x 29.77kg x 1hr

hr x kmol x 3600s

10.0771kg x m3

= 10.0771kg/s = s x 1.25kg x 2.06m2

=

10.0771 m/s
2.58

= 3.9m/s
Pressure drop in the reactor:
Using the Ergun equation:

150(1;)2 ( )
1.75(1;)(( )2 )
+
3 2
3

Putting values of the parameters in the above equation:

= 0.8611UC + 79.74(UC)2
Putting UC = 3.9m/s
P = 0.8611(3.9) + 79.74(3.9)2
= 3.3583 + 1212.88
= 1.22kPa
Hence pressure drop in the reactor, P =

1.22kPa x 14.7psi
101.325kPa

= 0.18psi

Tube Dimensions:
Assumptions:
Outer diameter of tube = 2in = 0.0508m
Length of tube chosen = 20ft = 6.09m
Therefore volume of tube, Vt =

x d2 x L
4

3.142 x (0.0889)2 x 7.0104

4

= 0.0435m3
Log Mean Temperature Difference:
LMTD =

; ; (;)

ln(
)

185;343 ; (160;150)
185150
ln(343150)

168
1.7073

= 96.7oC

For steam, it is assumed that temperature correction factor is (f) = 1.0;

Hence mean temperature difference (DTM) = f LMTD = 1.0 96.7 =
96.7C

Thickness of plug flow reactor vessel:

Design pressure = 202.65kPa = 2.03bar = 0.203N/mm2
Taking 15% above operating pressure = (2.03) x 1.15
= 2.33bar
= 0.233N/mm2
Hence design pressure (P1) = 0.233 + 0.203
= 0.44N/mm2
For carbon steel, allowable stress (f) = 70N/mm2
Thus, cylindrical section allowance or Voidage (e) =

P1 D1
2f;P1

0.44 x 1.62 x 103

2 x 70 ;0.44

= 5.10mm
Adding corrosion allowance of 30% for 15years:
Thickness of the vessel = 5.10 + (0.3 x 15)
= 9.6mm

THANK YOU