Multiplicity and Stability of Chemical Reactors with Evaporative Cooling

Abstract

This work characterizes the dynamic behavior of reactors with evaporative cooling. The process under consideration is a continuous stirred tank reactor used to carry out an exothermic irreversible first-order reaction with heat removal through the wall as well as by partial evaporation of the reacting liquid followed by return of the condensate to the reactor. Bifurcation analysis is used to classify the stability character and the types of multiplicity and oscillatory behavior to be expected. A variety of practical situations is examined, including cases of volatile reactant, volatile or nonvolatile product (liquid or solid), and volatile solvent. For a fixed vapor flowrate to the condenser, the dynamic structure of reactors with evaporative cooling is qualitatively similar to the case with wall cooling alone. Other cases show significantly different structures. Cases with five steady states and two regions of three steady states are found with evaporative cooling operation, and for some conditions even seven steady states may be possible. A rich variety of dynamic behavior is predicted.

Steady‐state multiplicity in an adiabatic continuous stirred tank reactor with vapor recycle

“…The analysis above agrees with the results of Solorzano and Ray in showing up to five steady states with two separated regions of three steady states. The results for the vapor solution agree qualitatively with those given by Waschler et al, although the latter authors do not give values for the case of second‐order reaction.…”

“…The authors do not consider the case where vapor does not form. Solorzano and Ray considered the dynamic behavior of the same system including jacket cooling and included the cases of volatile reactant, volatile or nonvolatile product (liquid or solid), and volatile solvent. They considered the case of first‐order reaction.…”

Controlling the Exothermicity of O-Arylation by Evaporative Cooling during the Process Development of Fluoxetine Hydrochloride

“…Many excellent articles are available on controlling the exothermicity of chemical reactions . The concept of evaporative cooling prevails in the polymer industry, where it is used extensively for controlling the heat of the reaction . However, the most common use of evaporative cooling is evident when any reaction is performed at the boiling point of the solvent.…”

A spray reactor concept for catalytic oxidation of p-xylene to produce high-purity terephthalic acid

“…Here evaporative cooling is a preferable heat removal method compared to the others. Evaporative cooling reactors, also known as autorefrigerated reactors, are chemical reactors in which the cooling of the liquid phase where the reaction takes place is achieved by partial evaporation of the liquid [47]. The heat generation due to the oxidation of pX to TPA in industrial oxidation reactors is partly controlled by the evaporative cooling of the solvent (acetic acid) [48].…”