MODEL GALLERY
Polymerization in a Multijet Tubular Reactor
This example considers condensation polymerization in a tubular reactor, where mixing in the reactor is achieved by impinging turbulent jets of reactants onto each other.Turbulent flows involving rapid reaction kinetics are quite common in the production of polymers, and the complex interplay between fluid dynamics and fast chemical reactions can significantly impact reactor performance. This can noticeably affect conversion and yield, while also influence the average length of polymer chains, the molecular weight distribution, cross-linking, and chain-branching.
In this example, an idealized plug-flow model will firstly be used to represent the multijet reactor. The coupled mass and energy balances of the system are set up and solved in the Reaction Engineering Lab. In a second step, the reaction model is then exported to the Chemical Engineering Module where the detailed effects of fluid dynamics and reactor geometry are taken into account.
The results and assumptions of the two models are compared, discussing the effects of mixing, the reactor flow field, and their influence on reactor performance.
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Engineering Fields
- Mass Transfer
- Momentum Transfer & CFD
- Reaction Engineering
Application Areas
- Chemical Engineering
- Chemical Reaction Engineering
- Fluid Mechanics (CFD)