Chemical Engineering Department

ChE 321: Chemical Reaction Engineering

Week 10

Pressure drop in reactors

(Chapter 4 in Fogler)
 Flow regimes: vertical catalytic reactor
pressure drop is

and
imp for gases
bed with
packed

Catalyst

CHE 521 2
 Transition from fixed bed to fluidization
 Many of gas phase reactions take place in a tubular packed bed
of catalyst or inert particles. The pressure drop given by:
defines velocity O
u  1    1501  /
N

dP 
Ar

pressure
  3    1.75u 
drop in terms
oflength
dz gC (d P )     d P 
↑
I
always
 If the flow is high enough to cause
a drag force higher than the packed
bed weight (u>umf), then the reactor
shift from a static to suspension

umf 
d  
p
2
p   g  
 mf
3


150 f 1 
 mf 

CHE 521 3
Geldart’s particle classification

Group Group
(A) (B)

Group Group
(C) (D)
worst one

CHE 521 4
 When he
Pressure Drop in Reactors
liquid phase - by default P constant. But for gases you need to check
says is
always
• In liquid phase, effect of pressure drop can be ignored since the
concentration of reactants is insignificantly affected by relatively
large changes in the total pressure.
• However, in gas phase, the concentration of reactants is
proportional to the total pressure.
C A0   j  v j X  T0 P
Fj
Cj  
 1   X  T P0
• For isothermal operation with changing pressure:
C A0   j  v j X  P
Cj 
1   X  P0

CHE 521 5
Second-Order Gas-Phase Reaction in a PBR
dX
Mole balance (must use differential form), FA0  rA'

Rate law,  r  kC
' 2 assume and order if.e ↑
dW -
wagtime
A A of
weight in
It
1 X
Stoichiometry, C A  C A0  P Cataly
 PBR
 1  X  Po
2 2
Combine, dX kC A0  1  X   P  then we integrate,

0  1   X   Po 
but how do we get
dW are
cuz rest constant
P in terms ofX

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

CHE 521 6
Pressure Drop in Packed Bed Reactors
Continuity equation:
asked
be
might
to
= (( u+ 1.75
i
m0  m  00  
↓ d derive
in the reactor
atconstant
it. I
any put
Recalling: initial
↳
FT P0 T 0 P  T0  FT 0
  0    0  0  
FT 0 P T0  P0  T  FT

Combining with Ergun equation:

3U

G  1    1501     P0  T  FT
-

dP
  3    1.75G   
dz  0 gC d P    
L
dP
d  P  T0  FT 0
spaceinsido
e r ne
constant
mass is constant
SU:
bcz G: flux,
mass

G 1    1501   
=0.A
 dP P T  F
Given  0  3 
 1.75G     0 0   T
 0 g c d P  dP  dz P  T0  FT 0
CHE 521 7
Catalyst weight
The catalyst weight up to a distance z down the reactor is:
all are constant except 2

AX= cross sectional area

W  1   AX Z c ρc= solid catalyst density
length
dP 0 P0  T  FT
  
dW Ac (1   )  c P  T0  FT 0
20
Let y  P / P0 and 
AX  c 1   P0
alal
dy  T FT be
might
asked to derive
then, 
dW 2 y T0 FT 0

CHE 521 8
Catalyst weight-continue
Recalling: YAo
 F 
FT  FT 0  FA0 X  FT  FT 0  1  A0  X 
 FT 0 
FT
 FT 0
   1  X L

FT 0
iS
othermal E
R

dy  T Po X

 
Par

   O 0
1 X y  P / P0 Pr O x1

dW 2y T0
-

P,X
-

0
Pe -
8 - X2
0
P, -
0 -x P
S
↑ Po W

Recalling the combined mole balance, rate law and stoichiometry

equation
2 2
dX kC A0  1  X   P 

dW 0  1   X   Po 
2 coupled ODEs that must be solve simultaneously
CHE 521 9
 Analytical Solution
yawsdiluteener
If  = 0 or X << 1 analytical solution for isothermal operation
dy  T dy 
 1   X    0, T  To
  
dW 2y T0 dW 2y
for this ch

hell ask us to derive all!

dy dy 2
Syd
Rearranging: 2y    
dW dW SdlyYfdll-aw
1- aw
y
Taking y inside the derivative: y 2  1  W
y 11
= -
xw)"
E0
1
only if
=

P
Integrating with y = 1 (P = P0) at W = 0: y  (1  W ) or conv, is small
2
P0 in
original equ
now
plug
have one
and we'll only
P 2  0 z 12
Using W  1    Ac z  c y  (1  ↓) eqn
P0 P0
length
all are constant
of reactor
CHE 521 finding Pat z
10
Pressure Drop in PBRs
AB, 2nd order isothermal reaction
dX
 rA
be
Mole balance: FA0 formulas
a
wontbe
given, exceptthis may
dW

 rA  kCA
2 then
Rate Law:
F

Stoichiometry: Gas phase isothermal reaction with ε = 0;

T P0 0
   0 1   X   
T0 P y
1
FA
CA   C A0 (1  X ) y whereby y  (1  W ) 2

1
then plug back to
C A  C A0 (1  X )(1  W ) 2

I EX bc2 E0
=

CHE 521 11
 Pressure Drop in PBRs
be asked to derive
might dX kC A0
2
 1

2

Combining:  (1  X ) (1  W ) 2 
dW FA0  
FA0 dX
Separating variables:  (1  W )dW
kCA0 (1  X )
2 2

Integrating with limits X=0 at W=0 and substituting for FA0=CA0v0:

0 X
dX
W

kC A0 0 (1  X )2   (dW  WdW )
0

0 X W
 W (1  )
kC A0 (1  X ) 2
kC A0 W 2
(W  ) all are constant

Solving for conversion gives; 0 2

X  except X and
kC A0 W 2
1 (W  ) W
0 2
CHE 521 12
Pressure Drop in PBRs
kC A0 W 2
(W  )
0 2
X 
kC A0 W 2
1 (W  )
0 2

Re-arranging in a quadratic equation form and solving for the

catalyst weight

1  1  2 0 / kC A0  X /(1  X )

1/ 2
W 


CHE 521 13