PRESSURE DROP

IN REACTORS
CHE362

• Liquid Phase Reactions

• Gas Phase Reactions
• Engineering Analysis of Pressure Drop
Pressure Drop in PBRs
FA
Concentration Flow System: CA =
υ

T P0
Gas Phase Flow System: υ = υ 0 (1 + εX )
T0 P

FA FA0 (1 − X ) C (1 − X ) T0 P
CA = = = A0
υ υ 0 (1 + εX )
T P0 (1 + εX ) T P0
T0 P
 b   b 
FA0  Θ B − X  C A0  Θ B − X 
FB  a   a  T0 P
CB = = =
υ υ (1 + εX ) T P0 (1 + εX ) T P0
0
T0 P 2
Pressure Drop in PBRs
Note: Pressure Drop does NOT affect liquid phase reactions

Sample Question:
Analyze the following second order gas phase reaction that occurs isothermally
in a PBR:
AB
Mole Balances
Must use the differential form of the mole balance to separate variables:
dX
FA0 = −rA′
Rate Laws dW
Second order in A and irreversible:
− rA′ = kC A2

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Pressure Drop in PBRs
Stoichiometry FA (1 − X ) P T0
CA = = CA 0
υ (1+ εX ) P0 T
Isothermal, T=T0 (1 − X ) P
CA = CA 0
(1+ εX ) P0
2
dX kC (1 − X )  P 
2 2
Combine: = A0
 
2 
dW FA0 (1 + εX )  P0 

Need to find (P/P0) as a function of W (or V if you have a PFR)

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Pressure Drop in PBRs
 
Ergun Equation: dP − G  1 − φ  150(1 − φ )µ 
=  3   + 1
.75
G 
dz ρg c D p  φ   Dp
 TURBULENT 
 LAMINAR 
Constant mass flow: m = m 0
ρυ = ρ 0υ0
υ0
ρ = ρ0
υ
FT P0 T
υ = υ0
FT 0 P T0
P0 T
υ = υ0 (1 + εX )
P T0 5
Pressure Drop in PBRs
P T0 FT 0
Variable Density ρ = ρ0
P0 T FT

dP −G  1 − φ  150(1 − φ )µ  P0 T FT
=  3   + 1.75G 
dz ρ 0 g c D p  φ   Dp  P T0 FT 0

G  1 − φ  150(1 − φ )µ 
Let β0 =  3   + 1.75G 
ρ0 gc Dp  φ   Dp 

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Pressure Drop in PBRs
Catalyst Weight W = zAc ρ b = zAc (1 − φ )ρ c

Where ρ b = bulk density

ρ c = solid catalyst density
φ = porosity (a.k.a., void fraction)
(1 − φ ) =
solid fraction
dP − β0 P0 T FT
=
dW Ac (1 − φ )ρ c P T0 FT 0

2β 0 1
Let α=
Ac (1 − φ )ρ c P0
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Pressure Drop in PBRs

We will use this form for single reactions:

d (P P0 ) α 1 T
=− (1 + εX )
dW 2 (P P0 ) T0

Isothermal case

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Pressure Drop in PBRs

dX
= f ( X , P ) and dP = f ( X , P ) or
dW dW
The two expressions are coupled ordinary differential equations. We can
only solve them simultaneously using an ODE solver such as Polymath.
For the special case of isothermal operation and epsilon = 0, we can
obtain an analytical solution.
Polymath will combine the Mole Balances, Rate Laws and
Stoichiometry.

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Packed Bed Reactors

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1 Pressure Drop in a PBR
P

W
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2 Concentration Profile in a PBR
CA P
CA = CA 0 (1 − X )
P0

No ∆P
∆P

W
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 3 Reaction Rate in a PBR

-rA
2
2 2P
−rA = kC = k (1 − X )  
A
 P0 

No ∆P

∆P

W
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4 Conversion in a PBR
X

No ∆P
∆P

W
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 5 Flow Rate in a PBR
∆P
For ε = 0 :

υ  P0 
υ = υ0  
f = P
υ0
1
No ∆P

W
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 P0 T
υ = υ0 (1 + εX )
P T0

T = T0

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Example 1:
Gas Phase Reaction in PBR for =0
Gas Phase reaction in PBR with δ = 0 (Analytical
Solution)
A + B  2C
Repeat the previous one with equimolar feed of A
and B and:

kA = 1.5dm6/mol/kg/min C A0 = C B 0
α = 0.0099 kg-1
Find X at 100 kg
C A0 X =?
CB 0
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Example 1:
Gas Phase Reaction in PBR for =0
1) Mole Balance dX − r ' A
=
dW FA0

2) Rate Law − r ' A = kC AC B

3) Stoichiometry

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Example 1:
Gas Phase Reaction in PBR for =0

W =0 ,

4) Combine

dX kC
=
2
A0 (1 − X ) (1 − αW )
2

dW FA0

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Example 1:
Gas Phase Reaction in PBR for =0
dX kC A2 0
= (1 − αW )dW
(1 − X ) FA0
2

X kC A2 0  αW 2 
= W − 
1− X FA0  2 

W = 0, X = 0, W = W , X = X
X = 0.6 (with pressure drop )
X = 0.75 (without pressure drop, i.e. α = 0 )

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Example 2:
Gas Phase Reaction in PBR for ≠0
The reaction
A + 2B  C
is carried out in a packed bed reactor in which there is pressure drop.
The feed is stoichiometric in A and B.

Plot the conversion and pressure ratio y = P/P0 as a function of catalyst

weight up to 100 kg.
Additional Information
kA = 6 dm9/mol2/kg/min α = 0.02 kg-1
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Example 2:
Gas Phase Reaction in PBR for ≠0
A + 2B  C

1) Mole Balance dX − rA′

=
dW FA0

2) Rate Law − rA′ = kC AC B2

3) Stoichiometry: Gas, Isothermal

P0
υ = υ0 (1 + εX )
P

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Example 2:
Gas Phase Reaction in PBR for ≠0
4)

5)

6)
1 2
7) ε = y A0 [1 − 1 − 2] = [−2] = −
3 3
C A0 = 2, FA0 = 2, k = 6, α = 0.02
Initial values: W=0, X=0, p=1
Final values: W=100
Combine with Polymath.
If δ≠0, polymath must be used to solve. 23
Example 2:
Gas Phase Reaction in PBR for ≠0

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Example 2:
Gas Phase Reaction in PBR for ≠0

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T = T0

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Robert the Worrier wonders: What if we increase the catalyst
size by a factor of 2?
Pressure Drop
Engineering Analysis

𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 ∗ 𝑃𝑃0
𝜌𝜌0 = 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 ∗ 𝐶𝐶𝑇𝑇𝑇 =
𝑅𝑅𝑇𝑇0

2𝑅𝑅𝑇𝑇0 150 1 − 𝜙𝜙 𝜇𝜇
𝛼𝛼 = 𝐺𝐺 + 1.75𝐺𝐺
𝐴𝐴𝐶𝐶 𝜌𝜌𝐶𝐶 𝑔𝑔𝐶𝐶 𝑃𝑃02 𝐷𝐷𝑃𝑃 𝜙𝜙 3 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 𝐷𝐷𝑃𝑃

2
1
𝛼𝛼 ≈
𝑃𝑃0

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Pressure Drop
Engineering Analysis

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Pressure Drop
Engineering Analysis

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 Heat Effects

Isothermal Design

Stoichiometry

Rate Laws

Mole Balance

31
End of Lecture 8

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Pressure Drop - Summary
• Pressure Drop
• Liquid Phase Reactions
• Pressure Drop does not affect concentrations in liquid phase reactions.
• Gas Phase Reactions
• Epsilon does not equal to zero
d(P)/d(W)=…
Polymath will combine with d(X)/d(W) =… for you
• Epsilon = 0 and isothermal
P=f(W)
Combine then separate variables (X,W) and integrate
• Engineering Analysis of Pressure Drop

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Pressure Change – Molar Flow Rate
FT P0 T
β0
dP FT 0 P T0
=−
dW ρA c (1 − ϕ)ρc

2β0
α=
P0 A C (1 − ϕ)ρC

Use for heat effects,

multiple rxns
FT
= (1 + εX ) Isothermal: T = T0
FT 0
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Example 1:
Gas Phase Reaction in PBR for =0
A + B  2C
dm 6
k = 1.5 , α = 0.0099kg −1 , C B 0 = C A0
mol ⋅ kg ⋅ min
Case 1: W = 100kg , X =? , P=?
1
Case 2: DP = 2 DP1 , P02 = P01 , X =? , P=?
2

C A0 X =?
CB 0 P=?
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PBR

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