화학공학소재연구정보센터
Catalysis Today, Vol.48, No.1-4, 175-184, 1999
Optimization of the reactor-regenerator system with catalytic parallel-consecutive reactions
The system with moving deactivating catalyst, composed of a cocurrent tubular reactor and a catalyst regenerator with an additional flux of a fresh catalyst, has been investigated. For the temperature dependent catalyst deactivation, the optimization problem has been formulated in which a maximum of a process profit flux is achieved by a best choice of temperature profile along tubular reactor, best catalyst recycle ratio and best catalyst activity after regeneration. The set of parallel-consecutive reactions, A+B-->R and R+B-->S, with desired product R has been taken into account. A relatively unknown, powerful discrete algorithm in which a suitably defined Hamiltonian is constant along the optimal path, has been applied for optimization. The optimal solutions have been discussed. In particular, it has been shown that an increase of the unit cost of catalyst regeneration or an increase of the catalyst recycle ratio causes such optimal temperatures in reactor which save the catalyst, as the optimal temperature profiles are then shifted towards lower temperatures. Finally these profiles reach isothermal shape at the level of minimum allowable temperature and then there is no further possibility to control the reactor process by the temperature profile. Thus the catalyst activity after regeneration, as well as an average catalyst activity in the reactor do decrease when the unit catalyst regeneration cost increases. This is a new form of catalyst saving, as the catalyst deactivation rate becomes reduced when an average catalyst activity is allowed to decrease. It is important that this form of catalyst saving appears in the region where any saving of the catalyst by an optimal choice of temperature profile is impossible. It has been also shown that for small values of the catalyst recycle ratio, the catalyst regenerator should be removed from the system. In such a case, the renewal of catalyst takes place due to a fresh catalyst input, exclusively.