CBE343

Feb 15, 2012

Topics

1. P5-11B
2. Flow through a packed bed
3. Pressure drop in a packed bed



P5-11B (modified)
The dehydration of butanol on alumina is carried out over a silica alumina catalyst
at 680 K.

The rate law is r
Bu
=kP
Bu
/(1+K
Bu
P
Bu
)
2

k= 0.054 mol/gcat.hr.atm
K
Bu
=0.32 atm
-1
Pure butanol enters a thin-tubed packed-bed reactor at a molar flow rate of
50 kmol/hr and a pressure of 10 atm.

(a) What PFR catalyst weight is necessary to achieve 80%, 85% and 90% conversion
in absence of pressure drop. Plot X, y, and reaction rate, -r
A
as a function of
catalyst weight.
(b) Repeat (a) when there is pressure drop with pressure drop parameter a=0.0006
kg
-1
. Do you observe a maximum in the rate of reaction and if so, why? What catalyst
weight is necessary to achieve 60% and 70% conversion. Compare this weight with
that for no pressure drop to achieve the same conversion.
Pressure drop in Packed Bed Reactors (PBR)
Ergun equation: used to calculate pressure drop in a packed porous bed
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|
= G
D D g
G
dz
dP
p p c
75 . 1
) 1 ( 150 1
3
|
|
|

Laminar Flow Turbulent Flow

The only parameter that varies with pressure on the RHS is
Page 171 for
definitions:
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|
= G
D D g
G
dz
dP
p p c
75 . 1
) 1 ( 150 1
3
|
|
|

Steady state conditions means

m m =
0
v v =
0 0
0 0
0
0
T
T
F
F
T
T
P
P
v v =
T
T
F
F
T
T
P
P
v
v
0 0
0
0
0
0
= =
Now we combine
0 0
0
3
0
75 . 1
) 1 ( 150 1
T
T
p p c
F
F
T
T
P
P
G
D D g
G
dz
dP
|
|
.
|

\
|
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
|
|

0
|
0 0
0
0
T
T
F
F
T
T
P
P
dz
dP
|
|
.
|

\
|
= |
For tubular packed-bed reactors we need to look at the catalyst weight
c c
z A W | = ) 1 (
Weight of
catalyst
Volume of
Solids
Density of solid
catalyst
particles catalyst solid the of density
bed catalyst of area sectional cross
=
=
c
c
A

0 0
0 0
) 1 (
T
T
c c
F
F
T
T
P
P
A dW
dP
|
|
.
|

\
|

=
|
|
Differentiate W with respect to z, then replace dz with dW
0
0 0 0
0
/ ,
/ 2
P P y
F
F
T
T
P P
P
dW
dP
T
T
=
|
|
.
|

\
|

=
o
0 0
2
T
T
F
F
T
T
y dW
dy
|
|
.
|

\
|

=
o
0
0
) 1 (
2
P A
c c
|
|
o

=
Form of the equation we use when working with multiple reactions or
when there is pressure drop in a membrane reactors
For single reactions in PBRs we want to put the Ergun equation in terms of
conversion, X.
X
F
F
T
T
c + =1
0
Remember that
Substitue in:
) 1 (
2
0
X
T
T
y dW
dy
c
o
+
|
|
.
|

\
|

= ) 1 (
/ 2
0
0
0
X
P P
P
T
T
dW
dP
c
o
+
|
|
.
|

\
|

=
Form we are going
to use the most
) , (
) , (
2
1
P X F
dW
dP
P X F
dW
dX
=
=
Two coupled ODE that we can solve. We
are going to use Polymath the most.
The conversion will be less when you have pressure drop versus no pressure
drop.
d(x)/d(w)=-rBu/FBuO
FBuO=50
PBuO=10
PBu=PBuO*(1-x)/(1+x)
k=0.054
K=0.32
rBu=-
k*PBu/(1+K*PBu)^2
w(0)=0
w(f)=2500
x(0)=0
(a)
From table: w = 1054 kg
Variable Initial value
Minimal
value
Maximal
value
Final value
1 FBuO 50. 50. 50. 50.
2 k 0.054 0.054 0.054 0.054
3 K 0.32 0.32 0.32 0.32
4 PBu 10. 0.0007369 10. 0.0007369
5 PBuO 10. 10. 10. 10.
6 rBu -0.0306122 -0.0421873 -3.977E-05 -3.977E-05
7 w 0 0 2500. 2500.
8 x 0 0 0.9998526 0.9998526
Calculated values of DEQ variables

From table: w = 1054 kg
d(x)/d(w)=-rBu/FBuO
d(y)/d(w)=-alpha*(1+x)/2/y
FBuO=50
f=(1+x)/y
PBuO=10
PBu=PBuO*(1-x)/(1+x)*y
k=0.054
K=0.32
rBu=-k*PBu/(1+K*PBu)^2
alpha=0.0006
y(0)=1
w(0)=0
w(f)=1000
x(0)=0
(b)
(b)
Variable Initial value
Minimal
value
Maximal
value
Final value
1 alpha 0.0006 0.0006 0.0006 0.0006
2 f 1. 1. 4.117227 4.117227
3 FBuO 50. 50. 50. 50.
4 K 0.32 0.32 0.32 0.32
5 k 0.054 0.054 0.054 0.054
6 PBu 10. 0.6417032 10. 0.6417032
7 PBuO 10. 10. 10. 10.
8 rBu -0.0306122 -0.0421852 -0.0238509 -0.0238509
9 w 0 0 1000. 1000.
10 x 0 0 0.7357962 0.7357962
11 y 1. 0.4215935 1. 0.4215935
Calculated values of DEQ variables

(b)
(b)
Rate maximum at catalyst weight of = 600 kg
(b)
Catalyst weight for 70% conversion (with pressure drop) = 932 kg

Catalyst weight for 70% conversion (no pressure drop) = 915 kg