Recycle Structure of the Flowsheet

• Now that we have decided on the input-output structure of the

flow sheet, we want to add the next level of detail
• We know that product distribution dominates the design, and
therefore we add the details of the reactor system
• Also, since gas compressors are the most expensive processing
equipment, we add the annualized capital and operating costs of
any compressors required
• However, at this level of the synthesis and analysis procedure, we
treat the separation system as just a black box, and we consider
the details of the separation system later.
Decisions for the recycle structure
• How many reactor systems are required?
• How many recycle streams are required?
• Do we want to use an excess of one reactant at the
reactor inlet?
• Is a gas compressor required? What are the costs?
• Should the reactor be operated adiabatically?
• Do we want to shift the equilibrium conversion? How?
• How do the reactor costs affect the economic potential?
Number of Reactor Systems
If sets of reactions take place at different temperatures or
pressures or if they require different catalysts then we use
different reactor systems for those reactions sets.

Number of Recycle Streams

• Associate reactions steps with a reactor number
• Associate feed streams with the reactor number
• Associate the components in recycle streams with the
numbers where each component reacts.
• Find the number of product streams
• Group recycles components having neighboring
boiling points if they have same reactor destination.
• Distinguish between gas and liquid recycle streams
• Because gas recycle streams require compressors
which are always expensive
• Consider a stream to be gas recycle stream if it boils
at a lower temperature than propylene
• Liquid-recycle streams require only pumps
Components and their destination for the HDA
process are as follows:
Component NBP,°C Destination
H2 -253 Recycle + Purge-Gas
CH4 -161 Recycle + Purge-Gas
Benzene 80 Primary Product
Toluene 111 Recycle-Liquid
Diphenyl 255 Fuel by Product

Three products streams-Purge , Benzene & diphenyl

Two recycle streams – H2+CH4(gases) & Toulene (liquid)
Ex 2: Acetone Ketene + CH4 700°C , 1 atm.
Ketene CO + ½ C 2H4
Ketene + Acetic Acid Acetic Anhydride 80°C,1 atm

Two Products Streams – CH4 + CO + C2H4 and Anhydride

Two Liquid-recycle Streams – Acetone to R1 and
Acetic acid to R2
Excess Reactants:
In some cases the use of an excess reactant can shift the product
distribution.

Butene + Isobutane Isooctane

Butene + Isooctane C12 Dodecane

• Use of an excess of isobutane leads to an improved selectivity to

produce isooctane.
• The larger the excess, the greater the improvement in the
selectivity, but the larger the cost to recover and recycle the
isobutane.
• Thus, an optimum amount of excess must be determined from
an economic analysis.
Excess Reactants:
• The use of an excess can be used to shift the equilibrium
conversion
Ex: Benzene + 3H2 Cyclohexane
• We can shift the equilibrium conversion to the right by using an
excess of H2 at the reactor inlet.
Thus, the molar ratio of reactants at the reactor inlet is often a
design variable.
Excess Reactants:

The use of an excess component can also be used to force

another component to be close to complete conversion.
For example, in the production of phosgene
CO + Cl2 COCl2
which is an intermediate in the production of di-isocyanate,
the product must be free of Cl2. Thus, an excess of CO is
used to force the Cl2 conversion to be very high.
DESIGN HEURISTICS
Reversible By - products:
If we recycle a by – product formed by a reversible
reaction and let the component build up to its equilibrium
level, such as the diphenyl in the HDA process.

The recycle flow can be found out by using the equilibrium

relationship at the reactor exit.
Reactor Heat Effects:

Take decision regarding whether:

• Reactor can be operated adiabatically with direct
heating or cooling.
• Whether a diluents or heat carrier is needed.
• This would need an extraneous component as a diluent
or heat carrier.

Recycle M.B. or overall M.B. will be changed.

This decision needs to be taken before the specification of

separation system. Because the decision to add an
extraneous component normally will affect the design of
the separation system.
Reactor heat load:
For single reactions, all the fresh feed of the limiting
reactant usually gets converted in the process.
Thus for single reactions;

Heat of reaction is calculated at the reactor operating

conditions.

Adiabatic Temperature Change:

Heat Carriers:

• The reactor heat load is often fixed by the fresh feed

rate of the limiting reactant.
• The adiabatic temperature change depends primarily
on the flow through the reactor.
• Hence, we can always moderate the temperature
change through the reactor by increasing the flow rate.
• This can be done by recycling more of a reactant or by
recycling a product or a by – product.
• Sometimes, addition of an extraneous component is
done.
• The introduction of extraneous component make the
separation system more complex, so we normally try to
avoid this situation.
Heat Carriers:

• In the HDA process, the methane in the gas-recycle

stream as a heat carrier
• Thus, if we use purified hydrogen recycle stream, the
recycle flow would decrease and the reactor exit
temperature would increase.
Diluents:

• From above discussion, we have found that

temperature, pressure and molar ratio can all be used
to shift the equilibrium conversion.
• However, in some cases an extraneous component (a
diluent) is added which also causes a shift in the
equilibrium conversion.
• For example
Ethylbenzene Styrene + H2
Ethylbenzene Benzene + Ethylene
Ethylbenzene + H2 Toluene + CH4

• Where the reactions take place at about 1100 ⁰F and 20

psia.
Diluents:

• The addition of steam or methane at the reactor inlet

lowers the partial pressure of styrene and H2 and so
decreases the reverse reaction rate in first reaction.
• The steam serves in part as a heat carrier to supply
endothermic heat of reaction.
• Steam is often used as a diluent because water-
hydrocarbon mixtures are usually immiscible after
condensation.
• Hence, the separation of water can be accomplished
with a decanter.