PLUG FLOW

REACTOR (PFR)
 PRESENTER?
S
Y
A
F
I
Q

F
A
K
H
R
I

WAN
 CHARACTERISTIC
 Also known as tubular reactor.
 Consist of hollow pipe or tube through which reactants flow.
 Operated at steady-state.
 Reactants are continually consumed as they flow down the
length of the reactor.
 For ideal PFR reactor, assume to be complete mixing
perpendicular to the direction of flow.
 There is ideally no back-mixing or diffusion in the reactor.
 No element of fluid overtaking or mixing of fluid in PFR.
 Phase involved primarily in gas phase.
 PFR Used for?
 Large-scale reactions

 Fast reactions

 Homogeneous or heterogeneous reactions

 Continuous production

 High-temperature reactions
 How PFR Operate?

MINI PFR
Factory scale PFR (Polyethylene reactor)
 PFR OPERATION
 Reactants are continuously fed into the reactor.
 As plug flow down the reactor, the reaction will take
place.
 Result in an axial concentration gradient » change in
concentration over a distances from left to right but not
radial direction.
 Products and unreacted reactants flow out of the
reactor continuously.
 When isothermal operation is possible, temp will also
vary with the axial direction.
Continuous Oscillatory Baffled Reactor
 Advantages
 High Conversion per Unit Volume

 Run for long periods of time without

maintenance

 Heat transfer rate can be optimized by using

more, thinner tubes or fewer, thicker tubes in
parallel

 Low operating cost

 Disadvantages

 Undesired thermal gradient

 Poor temperature control

 Total shutdown when cleaning is expensive

 PFR APPLICATION

 Wide variety of applications in either gas or liquid

phase systems.

 Common industrial uses :

a. Gasoline production.
b. Oil cracking.
c. Synthesis of ammonia from its elements.
d. Oxidation of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide.