Process Intensification: A Case Study

Abstract

While implementing a new chemical process, an attempt is made to design all the equipment by using best available knowledge together with pilot plant experiments. However, the status of current knowledge is closer to an "art" than the desired state of "science". Therefore, as the new knowledge gets developed with respect to time, the designs of equipment in operating plants can be improved with incremental cost for modifications. Improvements are possible in capacity, selectivity, purity and safety of the plant. The process of incorporating such improvements is called "Process Intensification". In the present work, a real case study has been described which has given substantial benefits in capacity and selectivity. It has been brought out that the key features of process intensification are: (i) to understand quantitatively all the rate processes such as mass transfer, heat transfer, chemical kinetics, etc. and (ii) to understand the fluid mechanics and relate fluid mechanical parameters to the rate processes and hence the design objectives.

Intensifying Multiphase Reactions and Reactors: Strategies and Examples

“…Sometimes you may need an optimal value of mass transfer to get better selectivity. This is illustrated by the example discussed by Lohokare et al [70]. In this example, the liquid phase reactant (A) is hydrogenated in the presence of a catalyst to give partially hydrogenated liquid phase molecules of B and completely hydrogenated molecule C. B is the desired product.…”

“…Lohokare et al [70] used reaction engineering and CFD models for optimizing external loop gas lift reactor. Darda and Ranade [113] used reaction engineering models for simulating reactive -distillation process for manufacturing isophorone.…”

“…This is illustrated by an example discussed by Lohokare et al In this example, the liquid phase reactant (A) is hydrogenated in the presence of a catalyst to give partially hydrogenated liquid phase molecules of B and completely hydrogenated molecule C. B is the desired product. The selectivity toward B was maximized by operating the reactor in a mass transfer controlled regime by realizing an appropriately low value of mass transfer coefficients ( k L a ).…”

“…Similar sectionalized bubble columns were also used to enhance selectivity of monochloroacetic acid in a continuous chlorination bubble column reactor. Lohokare et al used reaction engineering and CFD models for optimizing an external loop gas lift reactor. Darda and Ranade used reaction engineering models for simulating a reactive–distillation process for manufacturing isophorone.…”