Selection of reactor design for sulfate alkylation reaction

If a single reactor is sufficient to meet the production requirements, it is not recommended to use two reactors; there are several reasons for this: 1. Using a single reactor meets the production needs, while switching to two reactors results in a significant increase in costs； 2. Starting up and shutting down the rumen alkylation unit is not that complicated; if a single reactor fails, shutting it down for maintenance will not have much impact on production when it is restarted. The key is to have spare parts for the main vulnerable components available, as well as sufficient personnel ； 3. Although having two reactors in an operational and standby configuration can ensure the continuous operation of the facility, taking the above two factors into account, it is not necessary to make such substantial investments in reactors since there are no small pumps involved; with proper oversight by the production manager, the production requirements can be fully met. This is just my personal opinion for reference only

Thank you for the advice! According to the data on the two-reactor alkylation process using the Rumsdell sulfuric acid method, the advantage of using two reactors is the reduction in energy consumption of the plant and an increase in the alkene-to-alkane ratio, which is primarily reflected in a decrease in the heating load at the bottom of the isobutane removal tower. The two-reactor approach reduces the proportion of isobutane that is returned to the reactor; the olefin feed enters the reactor in two streams, and the amount of isobutane required is much lower compared to the single-reactor approach. However, the overall alkane-to-olefin ratio is higher in the two-reactor setup. Taking into account the reduction in energy consumption, the stability and continuity of operation of the plant, as well as the initial investment required for commissioning, this investment can be recovered within about 3 years. Overall, the two-reactor approach has advantages over the single-reactor approach. The above is the content from the relevant materials; however, I personally consider two options, which differ only in terms of the reactor system equipment. The investment for these two options is about 15% higher than that for a single unit, but the investment required for the acid circulation pump is even higher (the exact amount by which it is higher is not clear) ； After operating with the two-reactor setup, the power consumption of the acid pump is higher compared to that in the single-reactor setup. Taking into account both the increased power consumption and the reduced heating steam required for the isobutane removal tower, it is uncertain whether the overall energy consumption of the plant will decrease; this is my biggest concern.

Guys, do you have any process technology or information related to the Rums low-temperature alkyl sulfate method? Kneel in gratitude!

May I ask, are the two reactors connected in parallel or in series? ? If connected in parallel, how can the use of isobutane be reduced? ? I didn’t understand