Hydroformylation Reactor Mixing via Fluid Recirculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In hydroformylation reactions, achieving uniform gas-liquid mixing and temperature distribution is challenging, leading to the formation of undesired secondary products due to non-homogeneous distribution of reagents and temperature within the reactor volume, which affects the efficiency and control of the process.
Innovation Solution
A hydroformylation reactor design that utilizes high-velocity fluid flow to create directed liquid jets at the middle to bottom of the reactor, imparting momentum and shear to mix the reaction liquid and disperse syngas bubbles without a mechanical agitator, while returning a portion of the reaction fluid at specific locations to maintain uniform temperature and gas-liquid mixing, achieving a total mixing energy of at least 0.5 kW/m3.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If conventional gas sparging and mechanical agitation are used to achieve gas-liquid mixing, then mixing can be accomplished, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the mechanical agitator from the reactor system entirely, extracting the complex moving mechanical components while maintaining effective gas-liquid mixing through optimized gas sparging design. This simplifies the reactor structure by eliminating seals, bearings, and drive mechanisms associated with mechanical agitation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses intensified gas sparging (pneumatic action) to create sufficient turbulence and mixing in the reaction liquid. By optimizing gas flow rate, sparger design, and distribution, the system achieves effective mixing without mechanical agitation, replacing mechanical hydraulic action with pneumatic-driven turbulence.
2Stability of the object's composition
If mechanical agitators are used to provide mixing energy, then gas-liquid mixing can be achieved, but device complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the mechanical agitator system entirely, eliminating the source of mechanical complexity while maintaining temperature uniformity through enhanced gas sparging-induced convection and mixing in the reaction zone.
Solution Approach 2:
The reaction fluid itself serves the mixing function through recirculation and the gas sparging process creates self-sustaining turbulence and convection currents that maintain temperature and composition uniformity without external mechanical intervention.
3Stability of the object's composition
If gas sparging is increased to improve gas-liquid mixing, then mixing efficiency improves, but gas holdup and pressure drop increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the gas sparging into multiple distributed sparger locations throughout the reactor rather than a single concentrated inlet. This segmentation of gas introduction points creates distributed mixing zones that achieve uniform dissolved CO distribution while minimizing localized gas holdup and pressure drop through better gas distribution.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design achieves remarkably uniform temperature and gas-liquid mixing, resulting in higher and more uniform gas fraction and constant temperature in the reactor, reducing the formation of undesired secondary products and improving the overall efficiency of the hydroformylation process.
Implementation Method 1
high velocity fluid flow can be utilized to form internal flows at the middle to bottom of the reactor in the form of directed liquid jets, in some embodiments, to impart momentum and shear into the reaction liquid to not only mix the reactor contents
Implementation Method 2
impart momentum and shear into the reaction liquid to not only mix the reactor contents but also to disperse the syngas bubbles produced by a conventional gas sparger
Implementation Method 3
high velocity fluid flow can be utilized to form internal flows at the middle to bottom of the reactor in the form of directed liquid jets
Implementation Method 4
returning the cooled reaction fluid to the reactor... maintaining control of the reactor temperature while providing acceptable energy usage
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, a hydroformylation reaction process comprises contacting an olefin, hydrogen, and CO in the presence of a homogeneous catalyst in a cylindrical reactor to provide a reaction fluid, wherein the reactor has a fixed height, and wherein a total mixing energy of at least 0.5 kW/m3 is delivered to the fluid in the reactor; removing a portion of the reaction fluid from the reactor; and returning at least a portion of the removed reaction fluid to the reactor, wherein the returning reaction fluid is introduced in at least two return locations positioned at a height that is less than 80% of the fixed height, wherein the at least two return locations are positioned above a location in the reactor where hydrogen and carbon monoxide are introduced to the reactor, and wherein at least 15% of the mixing energy is provided by the returning reaction fluid.