Modelling and Optimisation of an Industrial Ethylene Oxide Reactor

Abstract

A dynamic model of an industrial packed-bed multi-tubular reactor was developed to investigate performance of an industrial ethylene oxide (EO) reactor, conducting epoxidation of ethylene over a silver-based catalyst. The set of nonlinear kinetic rate equations for the catalytic oxidation process in the presence of ethylene dichloride (EDC) as a moderator was coupled with the governing heat and mass transfer equations along the packed bed. Catalyst deactivation was modelled as a nonlinear function of operating time and the equation was benchmarked against plant data for the period of operation. Our process model was compared with experimental data obtained from an industrial EO reactor. The model predictions were found to agree well with the plant data. The influences of operating parameters such as EDC level, reactant concentrations, reactor pressure, coolant temperature and the feed temperature on reactor performance were investigated. The variables having significant impact on work rate and selectivity were identified. The model was used to optimise the performance of ethylene oxide reactor for maximising work rate and selectivity.

Effect of catalyst preparation and storage on chemical looping epoxidation of ethylene

“…The direct epoxidation of C2H4 with O2(g) catalysed by pure Ag particles has a selectivity of ~50%, which can be successfully boosted to 90% when halogen and alkali promoters are added to the gas feed or deposited on the catalyst surface [4]. The process is also optimised by applying pressures of 10-30 bar and varying the temperatures between 200 and 300°C; both are adjusted for the best performance when the activity of the catalyst decreases with time [3,6]. Because of decrease in selectivity for EO with conversion of C2H4, industrial reactors are operated under small conversion and residence times of ~1 second [3].…”

“…Because of decrease in selectivity for EO with conversion of C2H4, industrial reactors are operated under small conversion and residence times of ~1 second [3]. Running the process at low conversions is also safer as it requires the gas stream outside the flammability limits, and minimises the risk of an uncontrolled runaway reaction: the combustion of EO [6].…”

Heterogeneous Reactor Modeling of an Industrial Multitubular Packed‐Bed Ethylene Oxide Reactor

“…Avi 9 developed both dynamic heterogeneous and pseudo‐homogeneous models for the EO reactor. Aryana et al 10 modeled an oil‐coolant EO reactor, ignoring the mass balance on the catalyst for certain species. Lahiri and Khalfe 11 used an integrating support vector regression and genetic algorithm to model an EO reactor.…”

Development of a Hybrid Model for Industrial Ethylene Oxide Reactor

“…Zhou optimized an industrial ethylene epoxidation process in terms of feed composition, feeding rate, and operating pressure using a one-dimensional homogeneous model under steady-state conditions. Aryana modeled and optimized an industrial ethylene oxide oil-coolant reactor. However, they ignored the mass balance on the catalyst for species.…”