Simulation of direct chlorination of ethylene in a two-phase reactor by coupling equilibrium, kinetic and population balance models
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Z. Moradi
Abstract
The purpose of presented research is the mathematical simulation and sensitivity analysis of ethylene dichloride synthesis (EDC) through direct chlorination of ethylene in a bubble column reactor at steady state condition. In the first step, the reactor is heterogeneously simulated based on the energy and mass balance equations by coupling the mass and energy, kinetic, equilibrium, and population balance models. In the considered process, the gaseous ethylene and chlorine are dispersed and dissolved in the liquid medium and converted to EDC at the presence of a homogeneous catalyst. The population balance model is applied to calculate the heat and mass transfer area along the reactor. To investigate the accuracy of established model, the results of simulation are compared with the plant data. It is confirmed that temperature, pressure, rate of mass transfer, breakage, and coalescence phenomena change the bubble diameter and distribution in the chlorination reactor. In the second step, the effects of operating pressure and temperature on the EDC production rate are investigated by the developed model. In the third step, considering EDC production rate as the cost function the optimal operating temperature of reactor is developed at steady state condition. Based on the obtained results, the optimal operating temperature is 357 K and EDC production at the optimal condition is 23.79 mol s−1.
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Author contribution: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
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Research funding: None declared.
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Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Research Articles
- CFD study of heat transfer effect on nanofluid of Newtonian and non-Newtonian type under vibration
- Performance assessment of high temperature water-gas-shift reaction for hydrogen generation and its purification in a membrane reactor/separator of hydrogen or of carbon dioxide
- Carbon dioxide utilization in methanol synthesis plant: process modeling
- Estimating fouling and hydraulic debottlenecking of a clarifier piping system in the expansion of a chemical manufacturing plant
- Robust optimal centralized PI controller for a fluid catalytic cracking unit
- Simulation of direct chlorination of ethylene in a two-phase reactor by coupling equilibrium, kinetic and population balance models
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Research Articles
- CFD study of heat transfer effect on nanofluid of Newtonian and non-Newtonian type under vibration
- Performance assessment of high temperature water-gas-shift reaction for hydrogen generation and its purification in a membrane reactor/separator of hydrogen or of carbon dioxide
- Carbon dioxide utilization in methanol synthesis plant: process modeling
- Estimating fouling and hydraulic debottlenecking of a clarifier piping system in the expansion of a chemical manufacturing plant
- Robust optimal centralized PI controller for a fluid catalytic cracking unit
- Simulation of direct chlorination of ethylene in a two-phase reactor by coupling equilibrium, kinetic and population balance models
