W.R.

Wilcox, Clarkson University, fall 2004

How to make a plug-flow reactor isothermal, calculate yield, and prepare a case study with two independent variables

Setting the reactor outlet temperature equal to a specified inlet temperature 1. Reload a converged reactor into HYSYS. 2. On the Design, Heat Transfer tab select Direct Q Value for the SS Duty Calculation Option. Select either Heating or Cooling and name the energy stream. Leave the Duty unspecified (<empty>; for an adiabatic reactor this would be set to 0). 3. On the Worksheet Conditions tab set the outlet temperature equal to the inlet temperature. Unfortunately, if the inlet temperature is changed the outlet temperature must be changed by hand in this method. To make the reactor automatically isothermal, use the following procedure: 1. On the pfd, double click on the reactor outlet stream. Unspecify the reactor product temperature. 2. Using the palette, insert a set (S) icon above the reactor. 3. Double click on the set icon to open it. 4. On the Connections page, rename this object "Set isothermal" (without the quotation marks). Set the Target Variable to the reactor product T and the Source the reactor feed. 5. On the Parameters page, set the multiplier to 1 and the offset to 0. 6. Close the Set menu and turn on the green calculate signal if it's not already on. The pfd should quickly recalculate and converge. Calculating the yield 1. Insert a spreadsheet into the pfd just below the reactor (see "help, index, spreadsheet, adding" for instructions on how to do this). 2. On the Connections page, rename the spreadsheet "Yield spreadsheet" or "yield calculator." 3. Make cell A1 of the Imported Variables the molar flow rate of desired product in the reactor effluent, A2 the molar flow rate of limiting reactant in the reactor feed, and A3 the flow rate of the limiting reactant in the reactor effluent. 4. Click on the Spreadsheet tab. The values of the above three variables should be in black in their respective cells. 5. Click on cell A4. Set Variable Type to unitless, Variable to "yield," and enter the formula "=a1/(a2-a3)" in the bar just below Variable. This should result in placing the value of the yield in cell A4 in red. Make certain "Exportable" is checked. 6. Close the spreadsheet menu. Preparing a case study with excess reactant and temperature as two independent variables 1. Open the Data Book. 2. Add yield from the Yield spreadsheet to your list of Variables. 3. Add a new Case Study entitled "Yield vs excess reactant & T," with the yield as the dependent variable and the excess reactant flow rate and reactor temperature as independent variables. 4. Select realistic bounds for the two independent variables. 5. Start the calculations and be patient while they are completed. Print out the resulting graph.