Pilot plants selection

Fig. 6 A typical pilot plant selection process. (View this art in color at www.dekker.com.)...

Dehydrogenation of Propionates. Oxidative dehydrogenation of propionates to acrylates employing vapor-phase reactions at high temperatures (400—700°C) and short contact times is possible. Although selective catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of isobutyric acid to methacrylic acid have been developed in recent years (see Methacrylic ACID AND DERIVATIVES) and a route to methacrylic acid from propylene to isobutyric acid is under pilot-plant development in Europe, this route to acrylates is not presentiy of commercial interest because of the combination of low selectivity, high raw material costs, and purification difficulties. 

The product quaUty considerations for nonphotosynthetic microorganisms are similar to those for algae. Tables 6 and 7 present composition and amino acid analyses, respectively, for selected bacteria, yeasts, molds, and higher fungi produced on a large pilot-plant or commercial scale. Table 8 summarizes results of proteia quaUty and digestibiUty studies. 

The Tokuyama Soda single-step catalyst consists of a zirconium phosphate catalyst loaded with 0.1—0.5 wt % paHadium (93—97). Pilot-plant data report (93) that at 140°C, 3 MPa, and a H2 acetone mole ratio of 0.2, the MIBK selectivity is 95% at an acetone conversion of 30%. The reactor product does not contain light methyl substituted methyl pentanes, and allows MIBK recovery in a three-column train with a phase separator between the first and second columns. 

Defining the requirements for a pilot-plant control system is often difficult because process plant experience for comparison and evaluation is commonly lacking and the design is frequentiy performed by personnel inexperienced in either instmmentation systems or pilot-plant operations. The isolated and often intermittent nature of pilot-plant operations also inhibits evolution and promotes individual unique installations. This compHcates the selection process. 

C to give the expected 2-methyl-1-butene in high selectivites (24). The AI2O2 catalyzed process can be optimized to give di- -pentyl ether as the exclusive product (23). Dehydration of 1-pentanol over an alkah metal promoted AI2O2 catalyst at 300—350°C provides 1-pentene at selectivities of 92% (29,30). Purification produces polymerization grade (99.9% purity) 1-pentene. A flow chart has been shown for a pilot-plant process (29). 

Specific reactor characteristics depend on the particular use of the reactor as a laboratory, pilot plant, or industrial unit. AH reactors have in common selected characteristics of four basic reactor types the weH-stirred batch reactor, the semibatch reactor, the continuous-flow stirred-tank reactor, and the tubular reactor (Fig. 1). A reactor may be represented by or modeled after one or a combination of these. SuitabHity of a model depends on the extent to which the impacts of the reactions, and thermal and transport processes, are predicted for conditions outside of the database used in developing the model (1-4). 

Distributors in industrial units typically have large numbers of injection points of quite diverse design characteristics, some of which are depicted in Eigure 16 for fluidized-bed appHcations. Flow variations through these parallel paths can lead to poor flow distributions within a reactor, thus reducing product yields and selectivity. In some circumstances, undesirable side products can foul portions of the distributor and further upset flow patterns. Where this is important, or where the possibiHties and consequences are insufficiently understood and independent means caimot be employed to assure adequate distribution, the pilot plant must be sized to accommodate such a distributor. Spacing should be comparable to those distributors that are anticipated to be... 

Atomic- Vapor Laser Isotope-Separation. Although the technology has been around since the 1970s, laser isotope separation has only recently matured to the point of industrialization. In particular, laser isotope separation for the production of fuel and moderators for nuclear power generation is on the threshold of pilot-plant demonstrations in several countries. In the atomic vapor laser isotope-separation (AVLIS) process, vibrationaHy cooled U metal atoms are selectively ionized by means of a high power (1—2 kW) tunable copper vapor or dye laser operated at high (kHz) repetition rates (51,59,60). 

Equipment Selection Ideally, selection of equipment to produce a gas-in-hquid dispersion should be made on the basis of a complete economic analysis. The design engineer and especially the pilot-plant engineer seldom have sufficient information or time to do... 

Selection of Equipment If a new product is being considered, the preliminaiy study must be highly detailed. Laboratory or pilot-plant work must be done to establish the controhing factors. The problem is then to select and instaU equipment which 1 operate for quantity production at minimum overall cost. Most equipment vendors have pilot equipment available on a rental basis or can conduct test runs in their own customer-demonstration facilities. 

Isolation procedures for many biochemicals are based on chromatography. Practically any substance can be selected from a crude mixture and eluted at relatively high purity from a chromatographic column with the right combination of adsorbent, conditions, and eluant. For bench scale or for a small pilot plant, such chromatography has rendered alternate procedures such as electrophoresis nearly obsolete. Unfortunately, as size increases, dispersion in the column ruins resolution. To produce small amounts or up to tens of kilograms per year, chromatography is an excellent choice. When the scale-up problem is solved, these procedures should displace some of the conventional steps in the chemical process industries. 

In certain cases, it is necessary to choose materials for equipment to be used in a process developed in the laboratory and not yet in operation on a plant scale. Under such circumstances, it is obviously impossible to make plant tests. A good procedure in such cases is to construct a pilot plant, using either the cheapest materials available or some other materials selected on the basis of past experience or of laboratory tests. While the pilot plant is being operated to check on the process itself, specimens can be exposed in the operating equipment as a guide to the choice of materials for the large-scale plant or as a means of confirming the suitability of the materials chosen for the pilot plant. 

IGT selected Harshaw Ni-0104T nickel-on-kieselghur catalyst formed in 4 X y in. cylindrical pellets for the initial catalyst charge to the methanation section of the HYGAS pilot plant. This selection was based on high activity over a range of temperatures (274°-516°C) and space velocities. Catalyst activity life tests were conducted for 1420 hrs without deterioration (Table I) consequently, we felt that suitable longevity could be obtained in the pilot-plant methanation reactors. 

Table IV. Selected Operating Data from HYGAS Pilot Plant Methanation Tests...

A simple cell design is required to reduce capital costs. The cost of the raw materials, HF and electricity, are not negligible, but they are minor. The pilot plant cell design shown in Fig. 16 is derived from the callandria cell developed for the Phillips ECF process.14 The cell body and internals are of mild steel pipe selected to be resistant to hydrogen embrittlement. Figure 17 is a horizontal section through the working part of the cell. 

Increased computational resources allow the widespread application of fundamental kinetic models. Relumped single-event microkinetics constitute a subtle methodology matching present day s analytical techniques with the computational resources. The singleevent kinetic parameters are feedstock invariant. Current efforts are aimed at mapping catal) t properties such as acidity and shape selectivity. The use of fundamental kinetic models increases the reliability of extrapolations from laboratory or pilot plant data to industrial reactor simulation. 

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