Geometry and reactor synthesis: maximizing conversion of the ethyl acetate process

Abstract

This paper describes how experimentally generated results were used to optimize conversion of a process using adiabatic batch reactor systems. The process used in the experiment was exothermic reversible process. The experiments were conducted using Dewar Thermos-flask operating under adiabatic conditions. Equilibrium conversions were determined from temperature–time information. Temperatures were determined using negative temperature coefficient thermistor. For a single batch process, the equilibrium conversion determined experimentally was shown to be 0.55 and 0.21 with respect to acetic acid using two initial temperatures of 283 K and 295 K, respectively. It is shown by a simple geometrical approach that without the knowledge of the kinetics of the process, by increasing the number of reactors and considering internal cooling systems, the reaction equilibrium lines were crossed and conversion improved significantly. The paper also shows that one can attain the maximum possible conversion of 0.72, thus increasing equilibrium conversions by 31 % by adding a single adiabatic reactor to the single-stage adiabatic reactor by this geometrical technique, and hence proposes the optimal reactor configuration with interstage cooling system to achieve this optimal conversion.