Plug Flow in ProMax

Lili Lyddon

March 30, 2007

Plug flow reactors in ProMax can be used to model tubular flow reactors in which there is no mixing in the horizontal direction and perfect mixing in the radial direction. Kinetic information must be known and the reaction does not have to come to equilibrium. Reaction set data must be completed which includes stoichiometric equations, reaction order information for some combination of forward, reverse, and equilibrium reactions, rate constant information including pre-exponential and activation energy in a Arrhenius type expression, adsorption term information, and concentration type and units. In addition, heterogeneous catalysis reactions may have the rate specified per mass rather than per volume and require the catalyst particle density. Catalytic reformers are often modeled as a plug flow reactor. A lumped model may be used where a naphtha feed is represented by model paraffinic, naphthenic, and aromatic compounds and reaction equations for naphthene dehydrogenation, paraffin cyclization, and hydrocracking are included.

Authored by Lili Lyddon (BR&E Technical Support and Help Author)