Serge Tretjak

Optimization of an acrolein production process in a pilot-scale fixed-bed reactor

Abstract A validated two-dimensional pseudo-homogeneous model was used for simulation and optimization of acrolein production process in a pilot-scale fixed-bed reactor. More specifically, spacevarying profiles of many operating variables such as coolant temperature, feed rate and inlet pressure on the yield of acrolein were determined. They show that the variations of the yield exhibit a maximum against the feed rate, whereas no significant improvement is observed when increasing the number of the cooling sections with different temperatures.

Modeling and parameter estimation of coke combustion kinetics in a glycerol catalytic conversion reactor

A two dimensional, heterogeneous model was developed for the simulation of a coked catalyst regeneration fixed-bed reactor in a green acrylics process. A kinetic model which consists of combustion of coke containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen was derived. The unknown parameters (including the kinetic parameters, initial composition and concentration of coke, heat transfer parameters and catalyst pore diameter) were identified using the results of regeneration experiments with the coke formed in a glycerol dehydration process. Good agreements between the model predictions and experimental results were obtained.

Optimization of acrolein production in a fixed-bed reactor system

A two-dimensional fixed-bed catalytic reactor model for acrolein production has been developped. The reactor and kinetic models have been identified by using both laboratory-scale and pilot-scale measurements. Many operating conditions such as coolant temperature, feeding rate, inlet pressure and temperature have great influence on the yield of acrolein and also on the bed temperature which are two very important parameters. More specifically, the coolant temperature and feeding rate are the two most important parameters for the acrolein production. With a set of different feed rates, the coolant temperature and the reactor inlet temperature were optimized to maximise the yield of acrolein for a given reactor length and inlet pressure. There was an optimal feeding rate for the maximum yield of acrolein. The study of the influence of number of the cooling sections with different temperatures shows that there was no significant improvement in the yield of acrolein.