Chapter 3: Ideal Plug Flow Reactors Design

by
Dr. Ramesh Redrouthu
Department of Chemical Engineering
Adama Science and Technology University.

CHe 3204 Design of Reaction Systems

ME33 : Fluid Flow 1 Chapter 11: Flow over bodies; lift and drag
3.1. Steady state ideal plug flow reactor

 Is also known tubular reactor consists of a cylindrical pipe inside which the

reaction medium flow

 the feed enters at one end of a cylindrical tube and the product

stream leaves at the other end

Fj,o Fj

Figure 3.1 Tubular Reactor

 There is no mixing in the axial direction (in the line of direction of flow)

 Ideally each element of the feeds would spend the same time in the

reactor
 Such type of the reactors work in the steady state conditions, where the

conditions at any point in the reactor are independent of time and the
total mass flow through any cross section of the reactor is the same.

 The concentration (composition) of the reaction mixture depends on the

distance from the inlet point resulting from the reaction.

Figure 3.2 Characteristics of a tubular reactor

where Z = Coordinate in the direction of flow, L = Length of reactor

 The plug flow reactor can be built in the widest diversity of forms,

 from a mile long pipe, through which the reactants flow comparatively

slowly to a short pipe in a high temperature furnace, where the reaction

mixture passes at near sonic velocity.

 If the reaction in a plug flow reactor is conducted under the presence of a

solid say a catalyst, it is called a fixed-bed reactor.

 Again here, designing of a plug flow reactor simply means to find the size

(volume) of a reactor for a certain amount of conversion.

 This can be obtained by using material and energy balances.

3.2 Plug flow reactor design

 Consider an idealized model of the plug flow reactor shown in Figure 3.3.

reactants are continually consumed as they flow down the length of the
reactor, Since the composition of the fluid varies from point to point along
a flow path, it is necessary to study the behavior by taking differential
section.

 For calculating the molar flow rate of the distribution of the material

balance, it has to be applied to a differential section of the reactor volume

dV
 For species J, the material balance

 For reactant A

 From stoichiometric relationship of molar flow rate and conversion equation

 Design equation of plug flow reactor

 the reactor volume for a required conversion

 Space time (θF ) is the time necessary to process one reactor volume of
fluid, given a particular sets of entrance conditions or the time it takes for
the fluid to enter the reactor completely:

where FV,0 entering volumetric flow rate

 Design equation in terms of space time

onstant density variable volumetric flow rate , const

Residence time of an element of fluid leaving a reactor is the length of time

spent by that element within the reactor, given:

For a constant volume

 To find the size (volume) of a reactor for a given feed rate and required

conversion, it can be conducted by using numerical or graphical method

Figure 3.4 Graphical finding of the size of a reactor in Plug Flow Reactor

 we need five methods to find the size of a reactor by using algorithm

3.5 Algorithm of a plug flow reactor
Example 3.2. A homogeneous gas phase reaction 𝐴 → 𝐵
is conducted at 300 ℃ and 3atm pressure in a plug
flow reactor. The feed contains 30 mole percent A and
the rest is inert gas. The feed rate of the gaseous mixture
is 20 kg mol / h and the rate equation is (−rA ) = 0.0033nA
(gmol / min • ml).

Find the reactor volume required and the mean residence

time for the desired conversion of 95 %.
 Heat effect on the plug flow reactors

 The assumption of plug flow directs that the rate of temperature rise or fall

along the reactor due to the nature of the reaction.

Figure 3.6 Characteristics of a plug flow reactor

𝑑𝑇
is determined by a heat balance.
𝑑𝑉
 Heat effect on the plug flow reactors

 General energy balance:

𝐻 − 𝐻 + 𝑑𝐻 = −𝑑𝐻 dH = KA(TS-T)dv

 The concentration eventually the rate of reaction continuously varies in

the axial direction through the reactor. To formulate the energy balance
for such situation, the reactor shall be divided into a number of sub
volumes.

 Enthalpy changes could be due to the change in composition, the energy

change due to the heat of the reaction. Or Enthalpy changes due to the
change of temperature.

The energy balance for steady state plug flow reactor is

(a) Isothermal Operation

 In isothermal operation, the reaction temperature across the length of the

reactor is constant i.e. dT=0

 During the process /reaction/ heat evolution or absorption can be regulated

by using heat exchanger (cooling or heating) or changing the flow rate of

the substance

 The temperature necessary from the heat exchanger to cool or heat to

maintain the isothermal operation is calculated by using

 This equation depicts that cooling / heating temperature medium is a

function of both the rate of reaction /conversion/ as well as the length of

the reactor
(b) Non Isothermal Operation
It is required to calculate the reaction temperature and conversion as a function of volume
of the reactor.

 To do this, material balance and energy balance should be applied simultaneously

FT𝐶𝑝𝑑𝑇 + ΔHR −rA 𝑑𝑉 = 𝐾𝐴(𝑇𝑆 − 𝑇)𝑑𝑉

 Rate of reaction is a function of both concentration and temperature,

(−rA ) = f (C,T )

 There are three variables [C(XA), T, V] to look for designing of non isothermal reactor.

 The procedure for calculation is the same for non isothermal batch reactors,

except that the reactor volume replaces time as the independent variable.
(C) Adiabatic Operation

 Plug flow reactor is working without any addition of heat or removal.

 This type of reactor may be materialized by simple insulation of the reactor against loss of

heat.

 The rise and fall of the temperature leads to unfavorable equilibrium with exothermic and

endothermic reaction.

 This problem is solved by using multi stage operation.

 No heat transfer in an adiabatic plug flow reactor, KA TS − T 𝑑𝑉 = 0

Let
 Using equilibrium conversion as a function of temperature, for exothermic

reactions, while the temperature and conversion increase down the length of the
reactor, the equilibrium conversion decreases.

 To determine the maximum conversion that can be achieved in an exothermic

reaction carried out adiabatically, we find the intersection of temperature

conversion relationship from the energy balance.

 This method is also applicable for endothermic reactions.

Figure 3 Graphical solution of equilibrium and energy balance equation to obtain adiabatic temperature & equilibrium
conversion
3.3. Design Principle and Technology

 Advantage of plug flow rector is easy to construct and produces the

highest conversion per reactor volume among any of the flow reactors.

 And its main disadvantage is the difficulty to control the temperature along

the tube, as a result the so called well known problem of hot spot can
occur, when the reaction is exothermic.

 Because of this problem, the tubes are usually very narrow to ensure a

high surface area/volume ratio for heat transfer.

 In order to get adequate reactor capacity at an acceptable pressure drop,

the industrial reactors must contain several thousands of such tubes, built
together in a single shell in which the coolant is flowing.

 The coolant might be different or the same than that of the reaction

mixture.
 3.3 Industrial plug flow reactors tubes built together in several single shell

• Depending on the heat effect of reaction, plug flow reactors available in

the industry are fairly distinct into two categories.
1. A reactor worked temperature below 500oC
 containing a concentric tube system to facilitate circulation of heat
transfer fluid/coolant mediums which are usually a transfer fluid
water, steam, organic fluids, molten salts etc
2. A reactor Worked at higher temperatures
 the tube is placed in a furnace and are heated by gas or fuel oil
burners.
 Coolant can be arranged in different flow systems based on the effect of heat of
reaction

b) Counter current, independent coolant

Figure 3.1. Arrangement for cooling the plug flow reactors

Figure 3.14 Plug flow reactors for low and high temperature reactions
3.4. Effect of pressure
 In liquid phase reaction, the concentration of the reactants is not affected by the
change of total pressures, negligible pressure drop

 In the gas phase reaction, the concentration of the reacting species is proportional
to the change of the total pressure
 effect of pressure drop on the sizing of chemical reactors important

 Similar procedure in addition to of pressure has to be taken

 Consider a first-order gas phase reaction, which is conducted in an isothermal plug

flow reactor
3.4.1. Pressure drop in Pipes

 The resistance to the gas flow is measured by the pressure drop along the
reactor.

 Pressure drop in empty pipes can be calculated by applying the normal

pressure drop correlations for the friction loss in the pipes

Figure 3.14 Gas flow in the empty pipes.

 The pressure drop along the pipes can be obtained using "Fanning Equation".

The value of f is dependent on the pipe

roughness at one hand and the Reynolds
number on the other, where the mass velocity,
G is constant along the length of the pipe.
For the reactor operating at steady-state condition, we have the mass flow
rate as a constant.

volumetric flow rate for change of density and assuming isothermal

conditions,

Assuming εX A <<1
Integrating with limit P = PO when L = O and assuming that f does not vary

Basic parameters to account pressure drop in the rate law for reactor design are
shown in the following equation
 Example 3.2 The liquid phase reaction is carried
out to convert A into R. The Stoichiometry is
A R
Experimentally, the following data are
obtained:
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 1.0 1.3 2.0
C A , mol / m3 ,
0.1 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.25 0.1 0.06 0.05 0.045 0.042
(rA ), mol / m3 min

What size of plug flow reactor would be needed

for a 80% conversion of a feed stream 1000 mol A / min
at C A,0  1.5mol / m3