Chapter 5 Reactor Design

5.1 CHEMICAL REACTORS

Chemical reactor is the heart of the chemical reaction process. Chemical reactors are
containers that are designed for a chemical reaction to occur inside of them. The design
of a chemical reactor deals with multiple aspects of chemical engineering

5.2 TYPES OF REACTORS

There are two main types of reactors
 Batch reactors
 Flow reactors
Flow reactors are further classified into two main categories
 Continuous Stirred Tank Reactors (CSTR)
 Plug Flow Reactor

Why we selected CSTR?

Following are the reasons due to which CSTR is preferred for this process
 First of all the process we selected is a continuous process for the manufacture of
TDI in which reaction is completed in a short time.
 In this process intense mixing is required.
 We need a reactor in which the contents are well stirred and uniformly mixed
throughout.
 In plug flow reactors there is no back mixing.
 In CSTR the contents are completely mixed and there is also back mixing. It is
also known as back mix flow reactor.

5.3 CSTR (Continuous Stirred-Tank Reactor)

In a CSTR, one or more fluid reagents are introduced into a tank reactor equipped with an
impeller while the reactor effluent is removed continuously. The impeller stirs the
reagents to ensure proper mixing. The contents of the reactors are completely mixed so
that the complete contents of the reactors are at the same concentration and temperature
as the product stream. Since the reactor is designed for steady state, the flow rates of the

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inlet and outlet streams, as well as the reactors conditions ,remain unchanged with time.
Simply dividing the volume of the tank by the average volumetric flow rate through the
tank gives the residence time, or the average amount of time a discrete quantity of reagent
spends inside the tank.
In this process liquid phosgene is introduced through the sparger which is located
beneath the impeller and size of sparger is equal to diameter of the impeller .Liquid
solution of Toluene Diamine (TDA) containing 20% of TDA in o-Dichlorobenzene and
further diluting to 13% with the recovered impure solvent is introduced to CSTR through
the nozzle. The reaction of TDA with phosgene is exothermic while vaporization of
hydrogen chloride and phosgene are endothermic process. Through the regulation of
reactor pressure the degree of vaporization can be controlled so that it is not necessary to
supply heat or to remove heat through the jacket of reactor and temperature of reactor
does not vary much during the whole process.

5.4 DESIGNING STEPS

 Residence Time
 Total volumetric flow rate

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 Volume of the reactor

 Length and Diameter of the reactor
 Impeller specifications
 Baffles Dimensions
 Shell thickness
 Reactor head
 Power calculations
 Material of construction

DESIGN CALCULATIONS OF REACTOR (R-110)

5.5 VOLUME OF CSTR
There are three main streams entering into the reactor
 Phosgene (Carbonoxychloride)
 Toluene Diamine (TDA) solution
 Recovered Impure Solvent
Mass flow rate of Phosgene = 25140 Kg/hr
Mass flow rate of TDA solution = 20430 Kg/hr
Mass flow rate of recovered impure solvent = 15096.69 Kg/hr
Total mass flow rate of inlet streams = 60666.69 Kg/hr
Average density of the entering mixture = 566.91 Kg/m3
Volumetric flow rate of entering mixture into the reactor = Vo = 107.02 m3/hr

Residence Time (known) = τ = 9.25 min.

So Volume of the reactor is given as

V = Vo × τ
V = 16.5 m3

5.6 LENGTH AND DIAMETER

Length to diameter ratio is 2.5
Since
V = (π / 4) ×L × D2

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Where
L = Length of the reactor
D = Diameter of the reactor
After putting L/D = 2.5 calculated that
L = 5.08 m and D = 2.03 m

5.7 IMPELLER
A rotating impeller in a fluid imparts flow and shear to it, the shear resulting from the
flow of one portion of the fluid past another. Limiting cases of flow are in the axial or
radial directions so that impellers are classified conveniently according to which of these
flows is dominant. By reason of reflections from vessel surfaces and obstruction by
baffles and other internals, however, flow patterns in most cases are mixed. For this
process we select Vertical Flat Blade Turbine Impeller and it is located at the center of the
reactor.
5.7.1 REASONS
 Circulate the material in radial direction in good manner
 It can operate at reasonable high speed
 Effective for high turbulence.
 Mostly used for gas dispersion
 Very versatile ,one of the most used in wide application range
 Low cost
5.7.2 IMPELLER SPECIFICATIONS
Impeller type Vertical Flat Six Blades Turbine Impeller
Impeller diameter = d = D/3 = 0.67 m
Impeller blade width = w = D/5 = 0.134 m
Impeller above the bottom of reactor = 0.67 m
Impeller rotational speed = 190 rev. /min.

5.8 BAFFLES
Baffles are used to prevent vortexing and rotation of the liquid mass as a whole. Four
radial baffles at equal spacing are mostly used.
Baffles width = D/12 = 0.17 m Offset = d/2 = 0.335 m

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5.9 CALCULATION OF INTERNAL PRESSURE

Static pressure = Ps =   g  h
Putting the values and found that
Ps = 566.91 × 9.8 1 × 4.57 = 254125.54 Pa = 254.125 KPa
Pressure in the reactor = P1 =125 psi = 861.61 KPa
Total pressure = P = Ps+ P1 = 254.125 + 861.61 = 887.02 KPa
Maximum allowable internal pressure = 1.1 × P = 975.725 KPa

5.10 SHELL THICKNESS

P  ri
t  Cc
SE j  0.6 P

Where t = minimum wall thickness, m

P = maximum allowable internal pressure, KPa
ri = inside radius of shell before corrosion allowance is added, m
S = maximum allowable working stress, KPa
Cc = corrosion allowance and its value is taken 3 mm
Ej = efficiency of joints expressed as a friction and its value is 1.0 (fully radio graphed)
Putting the values of all variable
975.725  2.03 / 2
t + 0.003
77200  1  0.6  975.725
t = 0.0129 + 0.003 = 0.0159 m = 16 mm

5.11 REACTOR HEAD

There are three main types of head
 Ellipsoidal head
 Torispherical head
 Hemispherical head
We select torispherical (spherical dished) head
Its thickness is given as
0.885PLa
t  Cc
SE j  0.1P

Torispherical head thickness = 19.4 mm

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Approximate weight of dished portion of head is

 (OD  OD / 24  at ) 2 t
W = m
4
W = 326 Kg

5.12 POWER CALCULATIONS

Power required by the impeller is given by following equation
P  Np   N d5
3

Where
P = Power, watts
Np = Dimensionless power number
 = average density, Kg/m3
N = no. of revolutions per seconds of impeller, rps
D = diameter of the impeller, m
Power number is related with the Reynold’s number of the impeller.
5.12.1 REYNOLD’S NUMBER:
Reynold’s no. of impeller is given by following equation
Nd 2 
N Re 

N Re = 5.3 × 105

There is graph between N Re and Np from where we found the value of Np

Ratio of width to diameter of impeller is 1/5 and curve 2 represents the behavior of
selected impeller and value Np is 4
Other values of variables are
 = 566.91 Kg/ m3
N = 190 rev. /min. = 3.167 rev. /sec
d = 0.68 m

(Graph b/w Power number against Reynold’s number of some turbine impeller)

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Chapter 5 Reactor Design

Putting all these values in above power calculating equation and found the value of power
requirement and that is
P = 10469.49 watts = 10.5 Kwatts = 10.5/0.746 hp
P = 14.3 hp
It is assumed that gear derive requires 5% of the impeller horsepower and system
variations require a minimum of 10% of this impeller horsepower
Thus
Actual minimum motor horsepower =impeller required hp/0.85
= 14.3/0.85 = 16.5 hp

5.13 MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION

5.13.1 FOR REACTOR:
Stainless steel
Type 302
Cr=17 %, Ni=8 %
C (max) =0.15 %
CHARACTERISTICS:

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 Have good corrosion resistance

 Excellent mechanical properties
 Easy to fabricate
5.13.2 FOR IMPELLER BLADES:
Stainless steel
Type 316
18% Cr, 8%Ni
2.5%Mo, 0.08%C
CHARACTERISTICS:
 Mo improves general corrosion and pitting resistance.
 High Temperature strength
 Shows good mechanical properties over large flow rates.

5.13.3 FOR BAFFLES

Stainless steel
Type 405
11.50% Cr , 0.08%C
CHARACTERISTICS:
 Good weld ability properties.
 Mostly used for Baffles, Tower lining and heat Exchanger Tubing.

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Chapter 5 Reactor Design

SPECIFICATION SHEET

Identification:

Item Reactor
Item No. R-110
No. required 1

Function: Production of Toluene diisocyanate (TDI) by the phosgenation

. of Toluene Diamine

Operation: Continuous
Type: Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor

Chemical Reaction:
C7H6(NH2)2 + 2COCl2 C7H6(NCO)2+ 4HCl
Temperature: 135 0C Pressure: 125 psi
Design Data:
Volume: 16.5 m3 Blade width :0.134 m
Length: 5.08 m Diameter: 2.03 m Impeller speed: 190 rpm
Shell thickness: 16 mm Blade material: stainless steel 316
Shell material: stainless steel 302 Thickness of head: 0.019 m = 19.4 mm
No. of baffles: Four Head weight: 326 Kg
Baffle width: 0.17 m Minimum power required: 16.5 hp
Baffles material: stainless steel 405
Impeller type: Vertical flat blade turbine
No. of blades: Six
Impeller diameter: 0.67 m:

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