Beforal

For liquid mixtures containing both condensable and noncondensable components. Equation (15) is applicable. However it is now convenient to rewrite that equation. Neglecting, as before, the last term in Equation (15), we obtain ... 

It is important to stress that unnecessary thermodynamic function evaluations must be avoided in equilibrium separation calculations. Thus, for example, in an adiabatic vapor-liquid flash, no attempt should be made iteratively to correct compositions (and K s) at current estimates of T and a before proceeding with the Newton-Raphson iteration. Similarly, in liquid-liquid separations, iterations on phase compositions at the current estimate of phase ratio (a)r or at some estimate of the conjugate phase composition, are almost always counterproductive. Each thermodynamic function evaluation (set of K ) should be used to improve estimates of all variables in the system. 

Figure 1.46 shows a flowsheet without any heat integration for the different reactor and separation system. As before, this is probably too inefficient in the use of energy, and heat integration schemes can be explored. Figure 1.5 shows two of the many possible flowsheets. 

Figure 1.6 The onion model of process design. A reactor design is needed before the separation ind recycle system can be designed, and so on. (From Smith and Linnhoff, Trans. IChemE, CkERD, 66 195, 1988 reproduced by permission of the Institution of Chemical Engineers.)...

Before we can proceed with the choice of reactor and operating conditions, some general classifications must be made regarding the types of reaction systems likely to be encountered. We can classify reaction systems into five broad types ... 

This termination step stops the subsequent growth of the polymer chain. The period during which the chain length grows, i.e., before termination, is known as the active life of the polymer. Other termination steps are possible. 

Before we can explore how reactor conditions can be chosen, we require some measure of reactor performance. For polymerization reactors, the most important measure of performance is the distribution of molecular weights in the polymer product. The distribution of molecular weights dictates the mechanical properties of the polymer. For other types of reactors, three important parameters are used to describe their performance ... 

When more than one reactant is used, it is often desirable to use an excess of one of the reactants. It is sometimes desirable to feed an inert material to the reactor or to separate the product partway through the reaction before carrying out further reaction. Sometimes it is desirable to recycle unwanted byproducts to the reactor. Let us now examine these cases. 

However, before extrapolating the arguments from the gross patterns through the reactor for homogeneous reactions to solid-catalyzed reactions, it must be recognized that in catalytic reactions the fluid in the interior of catalyst pellets may diSer from the main body of fluid. The local inhomogeneities caused by lowered reactant concentration within the catalyst pellets result in a product distribution different from that which would otherwise be observed. 

Having made an initial specification for the reactor, attention is turned to separation of the reactor effluent. In addition, it might be necessary to carry out separation before the reactor to purify the feed. Whether before or after the reactor, the overall separation task normally must be broken down into a number of intermediate separation tasks. The first consideration is the choice of separator for the intermediate separation tasks. Later we shall consider how these separation tasks should be connected to the reactor. As with reactors, we shall concentrate on the choice of separator and not its detailed sizing. 

Separation of the different phases of a heterogeneous mixture should be carried out before homogeneous separation, taking advantage of what already exists. Phase separation tends to be easier and... 

Despite these problems, a choice of separation system must be made and the design progressed further before it can be properly assessed. 

The last design variable which needs to be fixed before the design can proceed, but which is of lesser importance, is feed condition. Subcooled feed (i.e., below bubble point)... 

If an azeotropic mixture is to be separated by distillation, then use of pressure change to alter the azeotropic composition should be considered before use of an extraneous mass-separating agent. Avoiding the use of extraneous materials often can prevent environmental problems later in the design. 

Whether an extraneous component, product, or feed is used as a heat carrier, the actual configuration, as before, depends on the order of the volatilities (again assuming distillation as the means of separation). 

The reactor now becomes batch, requiring the reaction to be completed before the separation can take place. Figure 4.14 shows the time-event chart for a repeated batch cycle. Note in Fig. 4.14 that there is a small overlap between the process steps. This is to allow for the fact that emptying of one step and filling of the following step occur at the same time. 

First consider thermal coupling of the simple sequences from Fig. 5.1. Figure 5.14a shows a thermally coupled direct sequence. The reboiler of the first column is replaced by a thermal coupling. Liquid from the bottom of the first column is transferred to the second as before, but now the vapor required by the first column is supplied by the second column instead of by a reboiler on the first column. The four column sections are marked as 1, 2, 3, and 4 in Fig. 5.14a. In... 

Details of how this design was developed in Fig. 6.9 are included in Chap. 16. For now, simply take note that the targets set by the composite curves are achievable in design, providing that the pinch is recognized, there is no transfer of heat ac ss it, and no inappropriate use of utilities occurs. However, insight into the pinch is needed to analyze some of the important decisions still to be made before network design is addressed. 

In Fig. 6.27, the flue gas is cooled to pinch temperature before being released to the atmosphere. The heat releaised from the flue gas between pinch and ambient temperature is the stack loss. Thus, in Fig. 6.27, for a given grand composite curve and theoretical flcune temperature, the heat from fuel amd stack loss can be determined. 

In Figs. 6.27 and 6.28, the flue gas is capable of being cooled to pinch temperature before being released to the atmosphere. This is... 

Figure 6.30 shows the grand composite curve plotted from the problem table cascade in Fig. 6.186. The starting point for the flue gas is an actual temperature of 1800 C, which corresponds to a shifl ed temperature of (1800 — 25) = mS C on the grand composite curve. The flue gas profile is not restricted above the pinch and can be cooled to pinch temperature corresponding to a shifted temperature of 145 C before venting to the atmosphere. The actual stack temperature is thus 145 + 25= 170°C. This is just above the acid dew point of 160 C. Now calculate the fuel consumption ...

Before suggesting an approach for predicting the minimum number of shells for an entire network, a more convenient method for determining the number of shells in a single unit must first be found. Adopting the design criterion given by Eq. (7.13) as the basis, then any need for trial and error can be eliminated, since an explicit... 

Now there are two global variables in the optimization. These are reactor conversion (as before) but now also the concentration of IMPURITY in the recycle. For each setting of the IMPURITY concentration in the recycle, a set of tradeoffs can be produced analogous to those shown in Figs. 8.3 and 8.4. 

However, the concentration of impurity in the recycle is varied as shown in Fig. 8.5, so each component cost shows a family of curves when plotted against reactor conversion. Reactor cost (capital only) increases as before with increasing conversion (see Fig. 8.5a). Separation and recycle costs decrease as before (see Fig. 8.56). Figure 8.5c shows the cost of the heat exchanger network and utilities to again decrease with increasing conversion. In Fig. 8.5d, the purge... 

The batch cycle time has been reduced from 2.6 to 1.3 hours. This means that a greater number of batches can be processed, and hence, if there are two reactors each with the original capacity, the process capacity has increased. However, the increase in capacity has been achieved at the expense of increased capital cost for the second reactor. An economic assessment is required before we can judge whether the tradeoff is justified. 

Vapor Treatment. The vapors from the tank space can be sent to a treatment system (condenser, absorption, etc.) before venting. The system shown in Fig. 9.1 uses a vacuum-pressure relief valve which allows air in from the atmosphere when the liquid level falls (Fig. 9.1a) but forces the vapor through a treatment system when the tank is filled (Fig. 9.16). If inert gas blanketing is required, because of the flammable nature of the material, then a similar system can be adopted which draws inert gas rather than air when the liquid level falls. 

Product removal during reaction. Separation of the product before completion of the reaction can force a higher conversion, as discussed in Chap. 2. Figure 2.4 showed how this is done in sulfuric acid processes. Sometimes the product (or one of the products) can be removed continuously from the reactor as the reaction progresses, e.g., by allowing it to vaporize from a liquid phase reactor. 

Separate the product partway through the reaction before carrying out further reaction and separation. 

Heterogeneous catalysts are more common. However, they degrade and need replacement. If contaminants in the feed material or recycle shorten catalyst life, then extra separation to remove these contaminants before the feed enters the reactor might be justified. If the cataylst is sensitive to extreme conditions, such as high temperature, then some measures can help to avoid local hot spots and extend catalyst life ... 

Wastewater leaves the process from the bottom of the second column and the decanter of the azeotropic distillation column. Although both these streams are essentially pure water, they will nevertheless contain small quantities of organics and must be treated before final discharge. This treatment can be avoided altogether by recycling the wastewater to the reactor inlet to substitute part of the freshwater feed (see Fig. 10.36). 

In general, the best way to deal with a feed impurity is to purify the feed before it enters the process. Let us return to the isopropyl alcohol process from Fig. 10.3. Propylene is fed to the process containing propane as a feed impurity. In Fig. 10.3 the propane is removed from the process using a purge. This causes waste of... 

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