Process Control of Pilot Plant: Case

Study on the Packed Bed Reactor

Muhammad Nasrul Bin Bojy
Azira Binti Misman
Mohd Darul Imran
Addison Juttie

Characteristics
Also known as fixed bed reactor.
Often used for catalytic processes.
Consist of cylindrical shell with convex heads.
Most are vertical, and allow reactants to flow
by gravity

Operation
Reactants enter the reactor (tube or column shape) on the top.
Upon entering the reactor, the reactants flow through the
packed bed (porous) of catalyst.
By contacting with the catalyst pellets, the reactants react to
form products
Then the products exit the reactor on the bottom.
The concentration gradient within the reactor the
concentration of reactants decreases from top to bottom.

Application
Widely used in small scale
commercial reactions
Example : catalytic cracking,
a. CO + H2O CO2 + H2
b. C6H5CH2CH3 C6H5CH=CH2 +
H2

Advantages
High conversion rate per weight of catalyst
Easy to build
More contact btw reactant and catalyst than in other types of
reactors.
More product is formed due to increased reactant/catalyst
contact.
Effective at high temp and pressures
Low cost of construction, operation and maintenance.

Disadvantages
Reactor temp difficult to control
Side reactions are possible
Catalyst difficult to replace
Temperature gradients may occur

Packed Bed Reactor

Diagram