Reactor development

Many types of reactors have been used for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The chief difference between these reactors is the method provided for removing the large quantity of heat generated in the reaction. The 

I Hall, Gall, and Smith, J. Iitsl. Pelroleum, 38, 864 (1952) Andebson, Seuoman, Shultz, Kellt, and Elliott, Ind. Eng. Chem., 44, 391 (1952). 

German Fixed-bed T3T e (Early). The first commercial units built in Germany employed a fixed bed of granular or extruded catalyst. In order to provide adequate cooling surface for heat removal, the reactors were of a complex design and of low capacity. Different reactor designs were used for atmospheric- and medium-pressure (7-10 atm) operation. 

For medium pressure the reactors were constructed similar to boilers, but with double tubes arranged concentrically. Catalyst was placed in the annulus, and cooling water circulated in the inner tube and outside the outer tube. The outside diameter of the inner tube was 0.95 in. and the inside diameter of the outer tube 1.73 in., giving an annulus of 0.39 in, which was cdnsidered to be about the maximum for adequate control of temperature. A 15-ft reactor, 8 ft in diameter containing about 2,000 tubes, was required to produce 15-20 bbl of oil per day. 

The wdght, volume, and cooling surface of the atmospheric- and medium-pressure reactors of about 18 bbl-per-day capacity in the Ruhr-chemie plant are shown in Table 11-3. With low output and complex fabrication, the fixed cost per unit of product was quite hi. Other types of reactors wei-e developed because of these inherent drawbacks. 

---

In the early years of reactor development, electricity from nuclear sources was expected to be much cheaper than that from other sources. Whereas nuclear fuel cost is low, the operating and maintenance costs of a nuclear faciHty are high. Thus on average, electric power from coal and nuclear costs about the same. 

A variant of the HWR is the Eugen reactor developed by Japan. This reactor is heavy water-moderated but lightwater-cooled. It is fueled by mixed uranium—plutonium oxides. 

The original recycle reactor developed at Union Carbide Corporation in 1962 (Berty et al 1968) was modified or adapted by several people to different projects. Many recycle reactors were also designed by others for... 

A strategic structure for reactor development is illustrated in Figure 8.33. To design a commercial reactor, knowledge of the fluid dynamics should be combined with the kinetics of microscopic phenomena, viz. chemical reaction. 

One of the reactors developed a crack and had to be removed. (The crack was the result of a process modification see Section 2.6 b.) It was replaced by a temporary 20-in. pipe, which had two bends in it, to allow for the difference in height. The existing bellows were left in position at both ends of the temporary pipe (Figure 2-5). 

Zr has become available only in the last two decades as an intermediate comp orient of nuclear reactor development. The metallic form of interest to nvrntechnics is the snnnee which is... 

Nuclear reactor development began during the 1940s, following the demonstration of nuclear fission by Fermi in 1942. Since the 1950s, nuclear boilers have been used increasingly for the generation of electrical power. 

The advance of sulfur trioxide as sulfating agent largely depended on advances in sulfonation/sulfation reactor development and changes in raw material quality. Undiluted sulfur trioxide cannot be used as a sulfating agent except in special cases where suitable equipment is used because of its violent nature. Sulfur trioxide diluted in an inert gas, usually air, when used in batch processes can cause excessive dehydration and dark-colored products. However, batch processes were used years ago and inert liquid solvents were often suggested or used to moderate the reaction. Inadequate reaction conditions lead to a finished product that can contain dialkyl sulfate, dialkyl ether, isomeric alcohols, and olefins whereas inadequate neutralization conditions can increase the content of the parent alcohol due to hydrolysis of the unstable acid sulfate accompanied by an increase of mineral sulfate. 

In the above three processes, the catalysts are all composed of Cu-based methanol synthesis catalyst and methanol dehydration catalyst of AI2O3. The reactors used by JFE and APCI are slurry bubble column, while a circulating slurry bed reactor was used in the pilot plant in Chongqing. It can be foxmd from Table 1 that conversion of CO obtained in the circulating slurry bed reactor developed by Tsinghua University is obvious higher and the operation conditions are milder than the others. 

Nature as model for micro-reactor development general advantages of micro flow onset of industrial interest micro heat exchanger vision of mefhanol-fuel reforming costs stiU too prohibitive [231],... 

Chemiker sind der Zelle auf der Spur, Handelsblatt, August 2000 Plant cells as model for micro-reactor development availability of micro-flow devices German leadership first production applications BASF s motivation spotting for DNA arrays materials for micro reactors Merck production plant smallness for efficiency, but not an end in itself [232],... 

Chemiefabrik in der Grojie eines Chips, Handdsblatt, May 1996 Vision of shoe box-sized micro reactors plant cells as model for micro-reactor development cost, performance, and safety advantages LIGA process numbering-up safety processing of hazardous substances [237]. 

Sichere Chemie in Mikroreaktoren, Frankjurter Allgemeine Zeitung, December 1995 Plant cells as model for micro-reactor development micro-fabrication techniques DuPont s investigations DECHEMA s initiation of micro-reactor platform BASF s investigations general advantages of micro flow [238]. 

Petrochemistry has always been a topic in the discussion of possible micro-reactor applications. However, reported micro-reactor developments have not yet entered the field. This may be due to the large gap between the size of current micro reactors and that required for petrochemistry. Already the first demonstrators probably need to be of considerable size. It would not be surprising if an industry that is used to handling very large-scale equipment was the latest to enter such a new emerging field as micro-chemical processing. 

So far, micro-reactor developments apart from pTAS sector have not been used to a great extent for analytical purposes. Merging this technology base with that of pTAS devices, e.g. for hybrid assemblies, could have some potential. 

Wole, A., Microreactors - a new efricient tool for reactor development, Chem. Eng. Technol. 24, 2 (2001) 138-143. 

This micro-chip reaction system was developed for pioneering industrial investigations at the beginning of micro-reactor developments [71]. 

The synthesis of Ciproflaxin was one among several syntheses being performed in contract research by a micro reactor developer for the pharmaceutical industry [83]. In this multi-step synthesis, alkylaminodefluorinations were an essential part of the chemistry. 

Pallerla, S. and Chambers, R.P., Reactor development for biodegradation of pentachlorophenol, Catal. Today, 40, 103-111, 1998. 

In 1974, after failure and indications of failure of three commercial reprocessing ventures, the AEC reassigned programs for support of commercial fuel reprocessing to emphasize successful experience and lessons learned from that experience. Responsibilities were transferred from the AEC Division of Reactor Development and Oak Ridge National Laboratory with their pilot plant reprocessing model, to the Division of Production and DuPont Company-operated SRP with their safe, successful production-scale reprocessing experience. 

This facility design concept was not considered in White House reviews of reprocessing during the Ford and Carter Administrations, nor as an option for support by President Reagan, who had been elected on a platform to support reprocessing of commercial spent firel. The ERDA and the DOE had reassigned responsibilities for commercial fuel cycle to its Division of Reactor Development (later Office of Nuclear Energy) which supported pilot plant concepts of its national laboratories and rejected concepts based on successful experience and lessons learned from that experience. 

Tarmy, B. L., and Coulaloglou, C. A., Alpha-Omega and Beyond - Industrial View of Gas/Liquid/Solid Reactor Development, Chem. Eng. Sci., 47 3231 (1992)... 

Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the postcolumn reactor developed by Wu and Huie. One arm of the tee contains the electrophoretic capillary, which is inserted in the reaction capillary (10 cm X 200 pm id X 400 pm od) situated at the opposite arm of the tee. The tee is connected to the detection cell via an adaptator and both the electrophoretic and reaction capillaries are inserted into the detection cell through the inner core of a PTFE tubing (400 pm id X 1.5 mm od). Two reagent capillaries (15 cm X 75 pm id X 144 pm od) inserted into the central arm of the tee are used to deliver the TCPO and H202 reagents into the mixing area through the small gaps that exist between the outer surface of the electrophoretic capillary and the inner surface of the reaction capillary. (From Ref. 78, with permission.)...

A reactor system is charged accidentally with benzene and chlorosulfonic acid with the agitator off. Under this condition the two highly reactive reactants form two layers in the reactor. Develop a set of operating instructions for safely handling this situation. 

CAR [Combined autothermal reforming] A "reforming process for making "syngas from light hydrocarbons, in which the heat is provided by partial oxidation in a section of the reactor. Developed by Uhde and commercialized at an oil refinery at Strazske, Slovakia, in 1991. 

CD-Cumene A process for making cumene for subsequent conversion to phenol and acetone. The cumene is made by catalytic alkylation of benzene with propylene in a catalytic distillation reactor. Developed in 1995 by CDTech. 

The copper is crystallized out as cuprous chloride, which is then reduced with hydrogen in a fluidized bed reactor. Developed by Cyprus Mines Corporation, successor to the Cyprus Metallurgical Processes Corporation, which developed Cymet (1). See also CLEAR. 

GMD [Gas to middle distillate] A process for converting natural gas to diesel oil or synthetic crude oil. The catalyst is cobalt and rhenium on alumina, used in a slurry reactor. Developed by Statoilinthe 1980s. 

Conversion per pass is limited by reaction equilibrium after cooling to condense the product methanol, the unreacted gas is recycled to the reactor. Developed by Imperial Chemical Industries in the late 1960s, since when it has been the leading process. As of 1991, 41 plants had been commissioned and a further 7 were under contract or construction. 

IFP Oxypyrolysis Also called NGOP. A process for converting natural gas to gasoline, based on the oxidative coupling of methane to ethane in a fixed-bed reactor. Developed in 1991 by the Institut Frangais du Petrole. 

LARAN [Linde anaerobic methane] An anaerobic process for treating industrial waste waters, generating methane for use as fuel. The process uses a fixed-bed loop reactor. Developed by Linde in the early 1980s, first commercialized in 1987. 

Novolen A process for making polypropylene in the gas-phase, using a vertical stirred-bed reactor. Developed by BASF and engineered by Uhde. Eight plants had been licensed as of 1985. A metallocene-catalyzed version was introduced in 1996. The name is used also for the product. 

---