Estimation of Time to Maximum Rate Under Adiabatic Conditions(TMR_(ad)) Using Kinetic Parameters Derived From DSC-Investigation of Thermal Behavior of 3-Methyl-4-Nitrophenol

Kinetic parameters of the decomposition of hazardous chemicals can be applied for the estimation of their thermal behavior under any temperature profile.Presented paper describes the application of the advanced kinetic approach for the determination of the thermal behavior also under adiabatic conditions occurring e.g.in batch reactors in case of cooling failure.The kinetics of the decomposition of different samples(different manufacturers and batches) of 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol were investigated by conventional DSC in non-isothermal(few heating rates varying from 0.25 to 8.0K/min) and isothermal(range of 200~260℃) modes.The kinetic parameters obtained with AKTS-Thermokinetics Software were applied for calculating reaction rate and progress under different heating rates and temperatures and verified by comparing simulated and experimental signals.After application of the heat balance to compare the amount of heat generated during reaction and its removal from the system,the knowledge of reaction rate at any temperature profiles allowed the determination of the temperature increase due to the self-heating in adiabatic and pseudo-adiabatic conditions.Applied advanced kinetic approach allowed simulation the course of the Heat-Wait-Search(HWS) mode of operation of adiabatic calorimeters.The thermal safety diagram depicting dependence of Time to Maximum Rate(TMR) on the initial temperature was calculated and compared with the results of HWS experiments carried out in the system with Ф-factor amounting to 3.2.The influence of the Ф-factor and reaction progress reached at the end of the HWS monitoring on the TMR is discussed.Presented calculations clearly indicate that even very minor reaction progress reduces the TMRad of 24h characteristic for a sample with initial reaction progress amounting to zero.Described estimation method can be verified by just one HWS-ARC,or by one correctly chosen ISO-ARC run of reasonable duration by knowing in advance the dependence of the TMR on the initial temperature for any Ф-factor.Proposed procedure results in significant shortening of the measuring time compared to a safety hazard approach based on series of ARC experiments carried out at the beginning of a process safety evaluation.

A three dimensional CFD simulation and optimization of direct DME synthesis in a fixed bed reactor

In this study, a comprehensive three-dimensional dynamic model was developed for simulating the flow behavior and catalytic coupling reactions for direct synthesis of dimethyl ether （DME） from syngas including CO2 in a fixed bed reactor at commercial scale under both adiabatic and isothermal conditions. For this purpose, a computational fluid dynamic （CFD） simulation was carried out through which the standard κ-ε model with 10% turbulence tolerations was implemented. At first, an adiabatic fixed bed reactor was simulated and the obtained results were compared with those of an equivalent commercial slurry reactor. Then the concentration and temperature profiles along the reactor were predicted. Consequently, the optimum temperature, pressure, hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio in the feedstock and the reactor height under different operation conditions were determined. Finally, the results obtained from this three-dimensional dynamic model under appropriate industrial boundary conditions were compared with those of others available in literature to verify the model. Next, through changing the boundary conditions, the simulation was performed for an isothermal fixed bed reactor. Furthermore, it was revealed that, under isothermal conditions, the performed equilibrium simulations were done for a single phase system. Considering the simultaneous effects of temperature and pressure, the optimum operation conditions for the isothermal and adiabatic fixed bed reactors were investigated. The results of the H2＋CO conversions indicated that, under isothermal condition, higher conversion could be achieved, in compared with that under adiabatic conditions. Then, the effects of various operating parameters, including the pressure and temperature, of the reactor on the DME production were examined. Ultimately, the CFD modeling results generated in the present work showed reasonable agreement with previously obtained data available in the literature.