ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT

REACTORS BATCH
BATCH
Batch reactors are perhaps the simplest reactors used in chemical processes. The batch
CONTINUOUS reactor shown below has a stirrer on the top.
STIRRED TANK
REACTORS

FLUIDIZED BED
REACTORS

FIXED FILM

MOVING BED

PACKED BED
REACTORS

PLUG FLOW
REACTORS

SEMI‐BATCH

SLURRY

TRICKLE BED (Copyright Pfaudler Inc., Rochester, NY)

BIOREACTORS
GENERAL INFORMATION
When using batch reactors, reactants are first placed inside the reactor and then allowed to
CHEMICAL VAPOR react over time. Batch reactors are closed systems that operate under unsteady‐state
DEPOSITION conditions. The reactors shown below are used in the dairy industry.
REACTORS

FUEL CELLS

NUCLEAR
REACTORS

OXIDIZERS

CATALYSTS

SOURCES
(Copyright DCI Inc., St. Cloud, MN)

EQUIPMENT DESIGN
The movie below shows the basic operation of a batch reactor. The reactants are placed into
the reactor and then allowed to react, and products form inside the reactor. The products
and unreacted reactants are then removed and the process is repeated.

0:00

While batch reactors are used in a variety of situations, they have some common design
features.

Batch reactors contain ports for injecting reactants and removing products, and can be
outfitted with a heat exchanger or a stirring system. While batch reactors are generally of
constant volume, some are designed to maintain a constant pressure by varying the reactor
volume.

The picture below shows the top of a batch reactor. Note the stirring device.

(Copyright Pfaudler Inc., Rochester, NY)

Pressure Control
An autoclave can also be made into a batch reactor so that the reactions can run at higher
pressures. These are mainly used for reactions that need pressures above 5,000 psi. Instead of
having a mechanical agitator the reaction is stirred by a magnetic stirrer. Sensors and valves
are also necessary to ensure the safety of the system since it is being ran at such high
pressures.

Temperature control
Quick response to heating and cooling loads and proper wall temperature control are critical
for the successful operation of a batch reactor.

A typical batch reactor body, like the one in the figure below, is surrounded by an outer
jacket which circulates heat transfer fluid. Larger vessels have multiple injection points to
better distribute the heat transfer fluid within the jacket.

(Copyright Chemical Engineering, Access Intelligence, LLC)

The picture below shows two common designs of batch reactor jackets. The one on the left is
the one‐piece jacket, which forms an outer chamber around the vessel. Heat transfer fluid is
injected tangentially into the jacket at high speed to support mixing and dispersion of heat
transfer fluid within the jacket. The one on the right is the "half coil" jacket. This one
consists of a series of pipes cut along their longitude and welded outside the vessel. Heat
transfer fluid travels in a plug flow manner through the channels.

(Copyright Chemical Engineering, Access Intelligence, LLC)

Pictured below is a batch reacting vessel with a one‐piece jacket used for temperatures up to
400°F.
 (Copyright Central Fabricators, Cincinnati, OH)

The picture below shows a batch reactor with a constant heat flux control system. This
system is a good solution to many temperature control problems in batch reactors.

(Copyright Chemical Engineering Magazine, Access Intelligence, LLC)

This constant flux jacket is composed of multiple small heat‐transfer channels. Each one of
these channels is a pipe clamped or welded around the external surface of the vessel and
connected to a multi‐port piston valve. Heat transfer area is effectively controlled by varying
the number of coils in service. Therefore, the system can change heating or cooling power at
constant jacket heat flux. Constant flux jackets have essentially constant jacket
temperatures.

USAGE EXAMPLES
Batch reactors are used in a wide variety of applications. Typically, they are used for liquid
phase reactions that require a fairly long reaction time. The reactors below are used for
beverage processes.

(Copyright DCI Inc., St. Cloud, MN)

Batch reactors are also used when only a small amount of product is desired. For this reason
batch reactors are favored when a process is still in the testing phase, or when the desired
product is expensive. Batch reactors, like the one below, are used in the pharmaceutical
industry, which requires consistent, high quality results. One batch reactor may also be used
to make a variety of products at different times.
 (Copyright DCI Inc., St. Cloud, MN)

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
High conversions can be obtained by High cost of labor per unit of
leaving reactants in reactor for production.
extended periods of time. Difficult to maintain large scale
Batch reactor jackets allow the system production.
to change heating or cooling power at Long downtime for cleaning leads to
constant jacket heat flux. periods of no production.
Versatile, can be used to make many
products consecutively.
Good for producing small amounts of
products while still in testing phase.
Easy to clean.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Central Fabricators, Cincinnati, OH
Chemical Engineering, Access Intelligence, LLC
DCI Inc., St. Cloud, MN
Pfaudler, Inc., Rochester, NY

REFERENCES
Fogler, Scott H. Essentials of Chemical Reaction Engineering. Westford, MA: Prentice‐Hall,
2011. Print.
Hill, Charles G., Jr. An Introduction to Chemical Engineering Kinetics and Reactor Design.
New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1977. Print.
Perry, Robert H., and Don W. Green. Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook. 7th ed. New
York: McGraw‐Hill Inc., 1997: 7‐15 ‐ 7‐17. Print.
Phelan, Matthew. "Sensing Change in Batch Reactors." Chemical Engineering March 2008:
56‐59. Print.
Trambouze, Pierre, Van Landeghem, Hugo, and Wauquier, Jean‐Pierre. Chemical Reactors.
Houston: Gulf Publishing Company, 1988. Print.
Walas, Stanley M. Chemical Process Equipment: Selection and Design. Boston: Butterworth‐
Heinemann, 1990. Print.

DEVELOPERS
Sam Catalano
Steve Wesorick
Abigail Nalbandian
Kelsey Kaplan

Return to Top