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Modular system shortens development times

Tube reactors based on mixer-heat exchangers
Modular system shortens development times

Modular system shortens development times
The ContiplantPilot reactor concept is based on the familiar mixer-heat exchangers
The modular Contiplant system developed by Fluitec in the framework of the EU funded “F3 Factory” project unites the advantages of flexible batch reactors with the benefits of continuous reaction processes. The modular plug & play reactor concept is based on mixer-heat exchangers in continuous operation. It allows each process to be developed quickly and precisely for the target product.

Thanks to the Fluitec Contiplant system, it is now an easy matter to test the conversion from batch to continuous reaction processes and assess the economic impact. In many cases, significant business potential can be identified based on the higher concentrations, better temperature control or other process intensification measures. Standardised functional components moreover reduce the time required for the process development phase. In the meantime, the entire synthesis workflow can be effectively converted from research laboratory to production scale with the help of the ContiplantLab, ContiplantPilot and ContiplantModul systems. This milli-reactor product series is suited for numerous exothermic reactions. Close cooperation with the owner during the evaluation phase, in which product quality is analysed continuously in the laboratory, as well as planning support from Fluitec for the production plants to be scaled up enable the following development times to be realised:

  • Development of a new product (registration /application/pilot/manufacture): 2 years
  • Conversion from a semi-batch process to continuous: 1 year (including 6 months to develop the new, continuous process)
  • Functional components
  • Since standards and regulations for continuous reactors are virtually non-existent, it makes sense to use standardised functional components which make life easier for safety officers. A handbook for continuous reaction processes, which simplifies plant planning by the owner and reduces the risk assessment work to a minimum, has been compiled for this purpose from current regulations such as TRAS 410, the Pressure Equipment Directive, the Atex manufacturer directive and various relevant standards. The continuous plug flow reactor process has been divided by Fluitec into three basic functional components in consultation with TÜV Süd. The four key safety objectives – protection against overfilling and dosing errors as well as the avoidance of inadmissible temperatures and pressures – can thus be clearly defined, resulting in an uncomplicated, logical plant design.
Plug flow at low throughputs
Empty tubes are only limitedly suitable as plug flow reactors at low volume flows because they only achieve low Reynolds numbers, even in aqueous systems. An empty tube with an inside diameter of 10 mm, for example, has a Reynolds number of just 1768 if water is flowing at a rate of 50 l/h. On the one hand this low value leads to poor plug flow characteristics while on the other, the rate of heat transfer slows dramatically – something that with exothermic reactions can very quickly give rise to a runaway scenario. If a residence time of, say, 10 minutes is wished for, the reactor must have a length of 107 m. Alternatively, a higher Reynolds number can be achieved by choosing an empty tube with a diameter of 7 mm (Re = 2530). This would entail a reactor length of 216 m without any substantial increase in the heat transfer rate. Furthermore, there are many reaction processes where the exact viscosity of the mixture is unknown, or where it changes in the course of the reaction, so that the rate of heat transfer cannot be determined with absolute precision.
Mixer-heat exchangers, by contrast, do not suffer from these drawbacks because for one thing the heat transfer rate is 5 or 10 times higher, even with laminar flow, regardless of the viscosity and for another, the plug flow characteristics are essentially independent of the Reynolds number. For a diameter DN = 50, the mixer-heat exchanger length will be a mere 4 x 1.6 m. Assuming an annual capacity of 430 t, the reactor will have a footprint of approximately 2.0 x 0.5 x 1.2 m (L x W x H). This compact design can be supplied in the form of standardised functional components.
Flexible production
Small, cutting-edge, competitive chemical plants are increasingly in demand in the speciality chemicals sector. The process is expected to provide high flexibility coupled with suitability for a broad array of products. The Fluitec PFRR (plug flow recycle reactor) was presented by Fluitec in cpp 1/2016. The reactor concept is based on the familiar mixer-heat exchangers and enables continuous reaction processes combining a very high conversion rate with reliable control of exothermic reactions. The recycling rate in the recycle reactor is reduced for this purpose such that sufficient heat removal is still guaranteed owing to the dilution of the product. In addition, a plug flow reactor is installed at the outlet of the recycle reactor in order to maximise the conversion. The PFRR was specifically designed for products used in semi-batch reactors. It is capable of controlling any strongly exothermic semi-batch reaction continuously, safely and reliably. The associated components permit quick product changes with no significant waste products. What’s more, this compact reactor can be employed very effectively in production containers. Plug flow recycle reactors with volumes from 11 ml to 40 m3 are available.
www.cpp-net.com search: cpp0217fluitec

Alain Georg
Head of R+D, Fluitec

Norbert Merkel
Project ManagementProcess Automation,Fluitec
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