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Designing Multistage
Agitated Reactors
Gregory T. Benz, P.E. This article bridges the gap between
Benz Technology International, Inc.
theory and practice for the design of
continuous-flow mechanically agitated reactors,
with a focus on mechanical and hydraulic issues.
M
ixing is essential for many chemical reactions. Idealized reactors
Although it may be technically possible to per- The classic textbook by Levenspiel (1) describes two
form a continous-flow reaction in a single mixed idealized continuous-flow reactors: the plug flow reactor,
reactor, the large size required for such a vessel often makes in which all fluid elements remain in the reactor for exactly
this approach uneconomical. Therefore, chemical engineers the same time, with zero axial (or temporal) mixing; and the
typically consider a variety of practical reactor schemes to perfectly mixed, or ideal, reactor, which instantly mixes the
find the overall economic optimum. reactants such that the entire reactor has a uniform com-
This article discusses one way to achieve an economi- position that matches the outlet concentration. Levenspiel
cally optimal design — multistage reactors. It reviews com- explains why multiple perfectly mixed reactors connected in
mon vessel configurations to create stages in a single reactor, series require less retention time than a single mixed reac-
explains interstage backmixing, outlines some of the design tor for most reaction kinetics, and why their performance
details that depend on vessel size, provides equations for approaches that of a plug-flow reactor as the number of reac-
calculating blend time requirements and the degree of back tors approaches infinity.
mixing, discusses the effects of backmixing on residence- A reasonable physical embodiment of a mixed reactor is
time distribution and stage efficiency, and comments on the common agitated tank (Figure 1). It is sometimes referred
reaction conversion. The emphasis is on mechanical and to as a continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR), although the
hydraulic issues rather than reaction kinetics. term “stirred” implies tangential flow, which is not capable
Inlet
t Figure 1. A mixed reactor can be represented as a simple agitated tank.
q Figure 2. Mixed reactors in series can be characterized as agitated tanks in series.
Baffle Inlet
Outlet
Outlet
30 www.aiche.org/cep January 2014 CEP Copyright © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
M M M M
Inlet
Liquid Level
Stage Divider
Partition Impeller
Outlet
Half-Pipe Interstage Opening
Impeller
Copyright © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) CEP January 2014 www.aiche.org/cep 31
Reactions and Separations
Vessel
Wall
Elastomer Stage Divider Shaft Vessel
Seal
(attached to baffle Stage Divider Wall
assembly, not shown)
Impeller
p Figure 7. The internals of a small column must be assembled outside p Figure 8. Stage dividers can be welded to the wall of a medium-size
the vessel and dropped in from above. column and the impellers dropped in from above.
32 www.aiche.org/cep January 2014 CEP Copyright © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
to pass through when dropped in from above, as shown in times this is done with the column in a horizontal position
Figure 8. To reduce the interstage area and thus backmixing, before the vessel is turned upright. If the opening in the
an optional rotating disc can be added. Such a disc is often stage divider is large enough to pass the impellers before
placed slightly above or below the vessel opening, where it the split pieces are installed, the shaft and impellers may
cannot hit the stationary stage divider. be dropped in as a unit (as long as the agitator mounting
This design is also an option for large columns. Although flange will accommodate it); then the work inside the vessel
the stage efficiency is usually somewhat lower than other involves only assembling the stage dividers. A variation of
methods for large columns (described next), it is easier to this procedure is to install a flange-like ring at the vessel
assemble, and the lower efficiency can often be offset by wall with two or more split stage-divider pieces per stage.
additional stages. For any design built according to Figure 10, a manway
Large columns (>1.5 m dia.). If a person can work large enough to pass all stage divider and impeller parts is
inside the vessel to assemble shaft couplings and impellers, required at each end of the vessel.
several more options are available. Figure 9 illustrates a With any of these construction methods, regardless of
construction method in which the stage divider is welded column size, backmixing can be reduced, sometimes even
to the vessel wall, and its opening around the shaft is as eliminated, by using a standpipe instead of a simple circular
small as possible (respecting all deflections and tolerances) opening in the stage divider, as illustrated in Figure 11.
to minimize backmixing. In this construction, a manway Such a design should be used only when the column con-
is required in each stage, so that impeller parts can be tents are a single phase. For two-phase systems (gas/liquid,
assembled onto the shaft in each stage. If the opening is too solid/liquid, or liquid/liquid), phase separation and material
small to pass the impeller hubs (the component onto which buildup around the standpipe are potential problems.
the blades are attached), the hubs must either be split and Article continues on next page
installed in two pieces, or the hubs must be placed in each
stage before the shaft is inserted and the shaft threaded Large Column (T > 1.5 m) — Option 3
down through the column while a person at each stage
guides the shaft through the hubs. Plan View
To avoid the need for a manway at each stage, the stage (not to scale)
p Figure 10. Split stage dividers avoid the need for a manway at
Large Column (T > 1.5 m) — Option 2 each stage.
Shaft
Vessel
Vessel Wall
Manway Stage
Wall
at Divider
Each
Stage
Stage Divider
Copyright © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) CEP January 2014 www.aiche.org/cep 33
Reactions and Separations
Minimum mixing requirement stage. Many papers (e.g., Ref. 2), have been written on the
For the model presented in Figure 6 to be valid, each topic of agitated blend time. For turbulent conditions only,
stage must be perfectly mixed — that is, the composition Eqs. 2–4 can be used with reasonable accuracy. For laminar
throughout the stage is equal to the outlet concentration of or transition flow at the impeller, consult Ref. 2 or 3.
that stage. This requires a blend time of zero — which, in For 3-blade, axial-flow, square-pitch turbines (commonly
practice, is not possible. known as marine propellers because they have their roots in
A reasonable approach for design purposes is to require the marine-propulsion industry):
that the blend time to reach 99% uniformity in each stage
be equal to or less than the mean retention time in each t99N = (Z/T)0.5 × 12.4/(D/T)1.73 (2)
34 www.aiche.org/cep January 2014 CEP Copyright © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
calculating the backmix velocity at a feed flowrate of zero 1.2
and turbulent conditions (VB0), and then multiplying that by
0.4
0.2
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
–0.2
Θ = Dimensionless Time
Copyright © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) CEP January 2014 www.aiche.org/cep 35
Reactions and Separations
6
Closing thoughts
Many physical embodiments approach the classic case
4
of ideal mixed tanks in series. Factors to consider in the
design of mixed reactors include capital costs, the ability to
assemble and install the equipment, mechanical details, and
2
the influence of interstage backmixing on residence-time
distribution and reaction conversion.
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 Careful selection of the reaction scheme, combined with
β = Backmix Ratio either direct kinetic calculations or the simpler approach of
calculating the number of ideal stages and then using more
p Figure 13. The number of ideal stages is a function of backmixing; actual stages to closely approximate the number of ideal
these curves are for two, five, and ten ideal stages. stages, can produce considerable savings in both capi-
tal and operating costs compared to tanks in series. CEP
where n is the number of stages, and the number of equiva- The online version of this article (www.aiche.org/cep)
lent ideal stages (nideal) is the reciprocal of the standard includes two pages of supplemental material that presents
deviation: an interative procedure for evaluating exit age distribution
for tanks in series with backmixing.
36 www.aiche.org/cep January 2014 CEP Copyright © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
Copyright © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
Copyright © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)