Fabrice Chopard

Intensification of Ester Production in a Continuous Reactor

Numerous continuous intensified reactors are now accessible on the market that offer enhanced thermal performances in a continuous reactor. Such reactors are then particularly suited to fast and highly exothermic reactions. In this paper, the ability to also manage a slow and equilibrated system, the methyl acetate esterification reaction, on condition of intensification in terms of design and operating conditions is presented. To achieve this purpose, a new kinetics model has been developed and validated from experiments carried out in a lab scale batch reactor. Implemented in a simulation framework, this model leads to an intensified design of the reactor and the associated operating conditions. All this intensification methodology has been supported and validated by experimental studies.

Computational fluid dynamic simulation of the dispersed phase size distribution in a multifunctional reactor

Abstract Empirical or semi empirical models for existing process equipment are seldom reliable when designing new equipment. New concepts based on first principles are needed. In the present work, a combination of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and populations balance modelling are used to simulate the performance of a novel reactor. The simulations were performed for immiscible liquid-liquid dispersions for a wide range of different hydrodynamic conditions and for systems with different interfacial tension. Each simulation was validated with non-intrusive high speed video measurements of the size distribution. In this work theoretical closures for break-up and coalescence are taken from literature and implemented in a commercial CFD program. It is concluded from this study that by combining CFD and population balance modelling, a powerful simulation tool is obtained that can describe the dispersed phase size distribution under various conditions.