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50% conversion in Reactor

Re-Cycling
W G

100% conversion for Plant (Plant = Reactor + Re-cycle)

Re-cycling means that all the feed may eventually get the chance to be converted to product

This means that 100% of the feed can eventually be converted.

Balance involving a reaction and recycle: Methanol Plant: B kg/day CH3OH

15% Conversion

31.3kmol/d CO A kmol/d H2

Reactor (hot)

Separator (via cooling)

F1 kmol/day

CO + 2 H2 -> CH3OH What is the value of A? How many kg of CH3OH are produced per day? What is the value of F1?

Mass Balances
N2=40molmin-1 H2 F F Ammonia Reactor: 10% conversion R Condenser: 99% efficient A NH3 liquid

N2 H2 NH3 R

In = F + R In = F In = R In = F

Out = F Out = A Out = A + R Out = R

In=Out In+Prod=Out+React In=Out In+Prod=Out+React

Note: Hydrogen and CO must be in the correct stoichiometric ratio, otherwise one or the other will accumulate. From the reaction, H2/CO=2/1 => H2 = 2CO = 62.6kmold-1 = A.

Putting a box around the plant: 100% of the CO is converted to CH3OH.

From the reaction, CH3OH/CO=1/1 =>CH3OH = 31.3kmold-1. M = m/n = (m/t)/(m/t)

=> m/t = Mn/t = (12+4+16)kg.kmol-131.3kmold-1 = 1002kgd-1 = B.

Carbon Monoxide Into Reactor:

In + Produced = Out + Reacted In Produced Out = This is what we are looking for = 0kmolhr-1 = Dont know

Reacted

= 31.3kmolhr-11=31.3kmolhr-1
(According to the reaction, 1mol of CO is used

for 1 mol of CH3OH formed;

CO/ CH3OH =1/1=> CO= 1CH3OH)
Note that the methanol production rate is equal to the flow-rate in the reactor outlet which is equal to that in the plant outlet (B)

Two unknowns! Try something else

Carbon Monoxide Into Reactor:

Reacted Reacted In = 31.3kmolhr-11=31.3kmolhr-1 = Infractional conversion = 31.3kmolhr-1 = 31.3kmolhr-1/fractional conversion =207kmolhr-1

CO in F1+CO in plant feed = CO Into reactor Hence CO in F1=207kmolhr-1-31.3kmolhr-1=175.7kmolhr-1. Hydrogen Into Reactor: H2 in F1 = 175.7kmolhr-12=351.4kmolhr-1

(Assume H2 is in the correct stoichiometric ratio)

Example of Re-cycling
Methanol is produced by reacting CO and H2. Most of the methanol which leaves the reactor is condensed and removed as a product while the unreacted CO and H2 are combined with fresh feed to the reactor. The reactor exit stream flows at a rate of 275 mol/min and contains 10.6 wt% H2, 64 wt% CO and 25.4 wt% CH3OH. Determine the molar flow rates of CO and H2 in the fresh feed and the rate of removal of condensed methanol. Repeat the question if not all methanol is condensed in the condenser and the mole fraction of methanol in the recycle stream is 0.004.

Purging
In cases where an inert impurity is present in the feed of a plant.
What is the effect of this?

It may be necessary to purge some of the recycled fluid in order to limit the concentration of the impurity in the reactor.

Example of Purging
The 100 kMol/day feed to a methanol plant contains carbon monoxide, hydrogen and argon at mol fractions of 0.333, 0.666 and 0.001 respectively.

What percentage of reagents are lost if the argon concentration in the recycle is to be kept below 0.1 mol fraction by means of a purge? Assume that no methanol is recycled (i.e. 100% is separated after the reactor).

NB: Arin=Arout:
0.1kmold-1 = 0.1P (mol fraction of Ar in Purge P is 0.1) P CO+H2 = 1kmold-1=Ar+CO+H2 =0.9kmold-1.(1)

Assuming correct stoichiometric ratio, H2/CO=2/1

=> H2 = 2CO....(2)

Solving: CO = 0.3kmold-1; H2
e.g.%CO lost

= 0.6kmold-1

= 0.3kmold-1/COinto plant 100% = 1%

By-pass
Stream S 100% I

PROCESS Stream F
80% N 20% I 100kg/min Stream B 100% N

Stream P
90% N 10% I

No reactions, set up normal mass balances:

For N: 0.8100kgmin-1 =>P For I: 0.2100kgmin-1 =0S+0.9P =88.89kgmin-1 =1S+0.1P=S+8.889kgmin-1

=> S = 11.11kgmin-1.

Mass balances can also be set up for the PROCESS