DESIGN OF QUENCHER

CHAPTER No.7
DESIGN OF QUENCHER
7.1 QUENCHER:-

The word quencher means sudden cooling. It may be used for various purposes, e.g. for
hardening of solid surfaces, for stopping further reactions etc. In our case quenching of
the reactor product is needed for sudden cooling, for removing impurities and to avoid
side reactions. Cooling by liquid quenching is essentially accomplished by introducing
the hot gases into a liquid contacting device.
When the liquid evaporates the energy necessary to vaporize the liquid is obtained at the
expense of hot combustion gases, resulting in a reduction of gas temperature. The
temperature of the combustion gases discharge from the quencher is at the adiabatic
saturation temperature of the combustion gases if the operation is adiabatic and the gas
leaves the quencher saturated with water vapors.

7.2 WHY QUENCHING?

Quenching is choosing in contrast to heat exchanger because:

1. If an exchanger is used large area is required.

2. Also, direct contact is more efficient than indirect contact.
3. The fine particles from the reactor will also be removed which may otherwise
erode exchanger tubes.
Quenching is different from cooling in the sense that:

1. Cooling is done in a comparatively longer time.

2. It also does not stop the side reactions completely.
3. While in quencher formation of by-products are completely stopped.

7.3 TYPES OF QUENCHER:

There are three types of quenchers that may be employed.

1. Spray towers
2. Venture scrubbers
90
Production of Acrylonitrile
 DESIGN OF QUENCHER

3. Packed towers

7.4 SELECTION CRITERIA:

Spray tower is selected from the above mentioned types of quencher as:
1. Spray towers can be used for gas absorption, which removes impurities.
2. The main advantage of spray towers over other scrubber is their completely open
design. It is simple to construct. This feature eliminates many of the scale build up
and plugging problems associated with other scrubbers.
3. This is an inexpensive controlled device primarily used for gas conditioning
(cooling or humidification).
4. It requires very little space and only that amount of water is used that is needed to
maintain the desired temperature of the gases at the discharge.
5. Their installation and operation cost are generally considered to b less than that for
other cooling method.
6. Spray towers are very effective in removing pollutants (particles from reactor) if
the pollutants are highly soluble.

7.5 DEMERITS OF VENTURI SCRUBBERS:

1. In venture scrubber contact area available for water and gases is less.
2. A precooler is to be used when venture scrubber is used for removing particulates.
3. There construction is not so simple.
4. Large amount of water is required for cooling.

7.6 DEMERITS OF PACKED TOWER:

1. In packed tower pressure drop is higher.

2. Packing material increases the cost of the tower.
3. It is less efficient than cooler.
4. Problems like plugging, fouling and channeling are associated with it.

7.7 SPRAY TOWERS:-

Spray towers or spray chambers consist of empty cylindrical vessels made of steel or
plastic and nozzles that spray liquid into the vessels. The inlet gas stream usually enters
the bottom of the tower and moves upward, while liquid is sprayed downward from one
or more levels. This flow of inlet gas and liquid in the opposite direction is called

91
Production of Acrylonitrile
 DESIGN OF QUENCHER

countercurrent flow. Countercurrent flow exposes the outlet gas with the lowest pollutant
concentration to the freshest scrubbing liquid.

Many nozzles are placed across the tower at

different heights to spray all of the gas as it
moves up through the tower. The reasons for
using many nozzles is to maximize the number
of fine droplets impacting the pollutant particles
and to provide a large surface area for absorbing
gas.
Theoretically, the smaller the droplets formed,
the higher the collection efficiency achieved for
both gaseous and particulate pollutants. However,
the liquid droplets must be large enough to not be
carried out of the scrubber by the scrubbed outlet
gas stream. Therefore, spray towers use nozzles
to produce droplets that are usually 500 to 1,000
m in diameter. Although small in size, these
droplets are large compared to those created in the
venturi scrubbers that are 10 to 50 m in size.
In a spray tower, absorption can be increased by
decreasing the size of the liquid droplets and/or
increasing the liquid-to-gas ratio (L/G). However, to
accomplish either of these, an increase in both power
consumed and operating cost is required. In addition,
the physical size of the spray tower will limit the amount of liquid and the size of droplets
that can be used. Cooling hot gases with the acidic quench is relatively simple and
required very little space. Only that amount of water is used that is needed to maintain the
desire temperature of the gases at the discharge. Their installation and operating costs are
generally considered to be less than that for other cooling methods.

7.8 SPRAY NOZZLE:-

A spray nozzle is a device that facilitates the formation of spray. When a liquid is
dispersed as a stream of droplets (atomization), it is called a spray. Spray nozzles are used
to achieve two primary functions: increase liquid surface area to enhance evaporation, or
distribute a liquid over an area. It is a device which makes use of the pressure energy of a
liquid to increase its velocity through an orifice and breaks it into drops. Each nozzle type
has a specific type of characteristics and capabilities and is designed for use under certain
application conditions.

92
Production of Acrylonitrile
 DESIGN OF QUENCHER

7.9 TYPES OF SPRAY NOZZLES:

Spray nozzles can be categorized into several types based on the energy input used:

1. Hydraulic spray:

The hydraulic spray nozzle utilizes the liquid kinetic energy as the energy source to break
the liquid into droplets. This type of spray is less energy consuming than a gas atomized
or twin-fluid spray nozzle. As the fluid pressure increases the flow increases and the drop
size decreases. But this leads to problems in selecting a droplet size and to achieve a
certain flow rate at a given pressure. To overcome this situation a special hydraulic nozzle
(Lechler Spillback Nozzle) has been developed. This nozzle can vary the liquid flow rate
at a particular droplet size and pressure. This nozzle creates a better and optimum control
on the liquid spray and in certain applications can eliminate the need of expensive
compressed air.

2. Gas (air) atomized spray:

Air, steam or other gases can break up a liquid to form a spray, with the gas providing a
source of energy.

I. Internal mixing

Internal mixing nozzles mix fluids inside the nozzle.

The gas atomized spray utilizes a gaseous source to break the liquid to the droplets. The
internal mixed twin fluid spray can utilize two different ways for spraying liquid:

In the first type, the liquid impinges upon a surface for impact to break the liquid stream
and then the air is mixed to atomize it. The advantage of this process is to reduce the
amount of air required to generate the droplets but the downside is that the over time the
impact surface becomes eroded and effects the spray droplet size pattern. The nozzle life
can be very short if the liquid has impurities in it.

In the second type, the liquid is broken into droplets by using only gas. The advantage of
this type is that the nozzle lasts longer but the downside is that this type of spray needs
more gas to generate the same size of droplets.

II. External mixing

External mixing nozzles mix fluids outside the nozzle.

93
Production of Acrylonitrile
 DESIGN OF QUENCHER

This type of spray nozzle may require more air, but the mixing and atomization of liquid
takes places outside the nozzle. If a liquid is atomized using any gas which may react
with the liquid, it is possible that the reaction may damage the inside of the nozzle. This
type of nozzle is most beneficial for a liquid which may evaporate inside the mixing
chamber of an internal mix nozzle or using steam to atomize the liquid. Also this nozzle
is suitable of spraying viscous fluid.

3. Rotary (spinning disc):

Rotary atomizers use a high speed rotating disk, cup or wheel to disperse the liquid into a
hollow cone spray. The rotational speed controls the drop size. Spray drying and spray
painting are the most common uses of this technology.

4. Ultrasonic:

Ultrasonic atomizers This type of spray nozzle utilizes high (20 kHz to 50 kHz)
frequency vibration to produce nearly narrow drop size distribution and low velocity
spray from a liquid. The vibration of a piezoelectric crystal causes capillary waves on the
nozzle surface liquid film.

94
Production of Acrylonitrile
 DESIGN OF QUENCHER

7.10 DESIGN OF QUENCHER:-

Superficial Velocity = Vs = 0.5 m/s
Gas density = G = 6.9428 kg/ m3
Mass flow rate of gas = WG = 114798 kg/hr

Area of the Quencher:

Area = WG / 3600 Vs G
Area = 114798/ 3600 x 0.5 x 6.9428
A = 9.186 m2

Diameter of the Quencher :

A = D2 / 4
9.186 = 3.1416 x D2 / 4
D = 3.419 m

Log Mean Temperature Difference :

T LMTD = T1 - T2
ln ( T1/ T2)

T LMTD = 82.1 oC

Superficial Mass Velocities:

For Gas Stream, G = mass flow

area

G = 6529.26 kg/m2 .hr

For Liquid Stream, L = mass flow
Area

L= 19124
9.186

L= 2081 kg /m2 .hr

Rate Of Heat Transfer:

q = mo Cp T

95
Production of Acrylonitrile
 DESIGN OF QUENCHER

Where
mo = molar flow rate of liquid stream = 4985.94 kmol /hr
q = heat rate required to vaporize the water to discharge temperature
Cp = 7.53 J /kmol .K
T = 82.1 oC
q = 3003929.131 J/hr

Heat Transfer Coefficient:

U = 0.43 G0.8 L0.4 .. equation 4

Z0.5
Where

Z= height of Quencher
U = Heat Transfer Coefficient

Volume of Quencher :

V = q / U x T LMTD
..equation 5

Calculation of Height of Quencher :

V=Ax Z
..equation 6

Combining equations 4, 5 and 6 we get the height of the Quencher

V = q x Z 0.5 / 0.43 G 0.8 x L 0.4 x T LMTD

A x Z = q x Z 0.5 / 0.43 G 0.8 x L 0.4 x T LMTD

Z 0.5 = q / 0.43 G 0.8 x L 0.4 x A

Putting all the values,

Z 0.5 = 3.5539

Z = 12.63 m

Volume of Quencher:

V =A x Z ; V = 116.019 m3

96
Production of Acrylonitrile
 DESIGN OF QUENCHER

7.11 SPECIFICATION SHEET:

Identification
Item Quencher
Item # Q-101
Type Spray Type
No. of item 1
Function
Quenching the reactor outlet stream
Design specification
Gas inlet Temperature 220 oC
Gas outlet Temperature 85 oC
Liquid inlet Temperature 5 oC
Liquid outlet Temperature 65 oC
Operating Pressure 172 kPa
Design Temperature 350 oC
Design Pressure 200kPa
Diameter 3.419 m
Height 12.63 m
Material Carbon Steel 81 B 45
Volume 116.01 m3
Quenching mechanism
Quenching media H2SO4 (30 %)
Quenching Systems Nozzles

97
Production of Acrylonitrile