United Arab Emirates University

Faculty of Engineering Chemical & Petroleum Engineering Department

This lecture aims at introducing more practical examples on balances on reactive systems. Upon completion this lecture, you should be able to do the followings: List the balance methods used in reactive systems Write the balance equation of each balance method used in reactive systems Define recycle streams Discuss the importance of recycle streams Define single pass, and overall conversions Define and identify purge streams Explain the importance of purge streams Given a process description that has recycle and purge streams, (a) draw and fully label a flowchart; (b) choose a convenient basis of calculation; (c) write the balance equations needed; and (d) perform the calculations

Balances on Reactive Systems

Molecular Balance Method

Extent of Reaction Method

Atomic Balance Method

 Molecular Balance Method: Input +Generation = Output + Consumption + Accumulation Extent of Reaction Method:
(ni)out = (ni)in +Sj nij zj

Atomic Balance Method: Input = Output

 Consider the process shown below, can you define a recycle stream? Recycle Stream

Reactor

Separator

 Chemical reactions usually do not proceed to completion in the reactors, and thus, the reactor effluent will have some amounts of the reactants. To discard these reactants will cost you money. We can separate these reactants from the product and Recycle them to the reactor so that they can be used again. The stream that is recycled to the reactor is called a There are other reasons for using recycle streams in chemical processes, such as Recovery of the catalyst Control of process variables (e.g., T, P)

As just discussed, unreacted reactants may be separated and recycled to the reactor. Then, two types of conversion are important for such cases

1. Overall conversion (OC) =

2. Single pass conversion (SPC) =

 Consider the process shown below, calculate the overall and single pass conversions of reactant A. 20 moles of A

50 moles of A

25 moles of A

Solution: conversion example Any Conclusions?????????

 Consider the process shown below, can you define a purge stream?
Recycle Stream Purge Stream

A purge stream is a portion of the recycle stream that is withdrawn

from it.

Why Purging?
In some cases when we are using recycling and one material that is entered with the fresh feed or is produced in a reaction remains entirely in the recycle stream, this material would continuously enter the process and would have no way of leaving, it would therefore accumulate, making the attainment of steady state impossible. To prevent this accumulation, a portion of the recycle stream must be withdrawn as a purge stream. Notice that the purge stream will have the same composition as the recycle stream.

The Al Jubail (AR RAZI 4) methanol plant See the web-sites: http://www.chemicalstechnology.com/projects/aljubail/
http://www.chemicals-technology.com/projects/starchem/ www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings/ CAFE/alternativefuels/availability2.htm www.mathjmendl.org/AltFuels/default.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell

Methanol is produced in the reaction of carbon dioxide and hydrogen: CO2 + 3 H2 CH3OH + H2O

The fresh feed to the process contains hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and 0.400 mole% inert (I). The reactor effluent passes to a condenser that removes essentially all of the methanol and water formed and none of the reactants or inert. The later substances are recycled to the reactor. To avoid buildup of the inerts in the system, a purge stream is withdrawn from the recycle. The feed to the reactor contains 28.0 mol% CO2 , 70.0 mol% H2 and 2.0 mol% inerts. The single-pass conversion of hydrogen is 60%. For a methanol production rate of 155 kmol/h, Calculate: the molar flow rate and molar compositions of i) the fresh feed; ii) the total feed to the reactor; iii) the recycle stream, and the purge stream.
Solution: Methanol Production

 The general balance equation is given by: Input + Generation = Output + Consumption + Accumulation

Atomic Balance, Extent of Reaction, and Molecular Balance are the common methods used in carrying out Balances on reactive systems.
A recycle stream is used to send unused raw materials emerging from a process unit back to the unit. A purge stream is used to prevent the accumulation of inert materials in the reactor when using recycling.