(567h) Modeling and Optimization of a Two-Dimensional Tubular Reactor for an Exothermic Reaction

As the world searches more energy resources at more remote locations, industry has been trying to optimize topside system of the offshore plant. One of the important aspects for this is an optimization of reactor in floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) system, where space and weight savings are crucial. In this study, a tubular reactor equipped with a cooling jacket for the exothermic reaction in topside platform was modeled based on the reaction mechanisms and kinetics obtained from experimental results. The influence of various design and operating variables (e.g. reactor length, gas flow rate, inlet temperature and concentration, and thermal conductivity) on conversion and temperature profiles along the axial and radial directions inside a reactor were studied. For this, the modeling was described in an axisymmetric coordinate system with finite element approximations using computer simulations. Lastly, the mathematical modeling of the reactor design was optimized to maximize an overall yield of the main products.

Acknowledgement
This work was supported by a research project of “Development of Integrated Interactive Model for Subsea and Topside System to Evaluate the Process Design of Offshore Platform”, funded by Ministry of Trade (project No. 10060099).