Issues with the compatibility between the reactor and the condenser
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There has always been a question: when installing a new reactor equipped with a condenser, the cooling area of the condenser is a factor that comes up. Experienced workers usually make their choices based on experience – for example, a 500L reactor is paired with a condenser having a cooling area of 5 square meters, while a 1000L reactor uses a condenser with a cooling area of 10–15 square meters. But how exactly is this calculated? What is an appropriate cooling area for 100L or 200L reactors? Is that type of condenser cost-effective to use?
It should be calculated based on the amount of evaporation, right?
It should be a process that involves heat release; first, a heat balance is conducted, and then, based on the process requirements, if the material needs to be cooled from 50° to 30°, the 20° decrease in temperature represents the amount of heat that needs to be removed—Q. The temperature difference between the inlet and outlet water of the heat exchanger then allows for the determination of the heat exchange area.
Is this using forced external circulation of the material to remove the reaction heat?
The estimated heat exchange area calculated by experienced workers is relatively conservative; in small factories, the most common size is a condenser with a capacity of 2000L and an area of 3–5 m2. The size of the condenser is determined primarily based on the heat load.
The area of the heat exchanger should be calculated based on the evaporation rate of the material or the volume inside the reactor.
Could you share the sizes of condensers corresponding to reactors of various specifications? It depends on the properties of the material, and I really don’t want to do the calculations
There is no such thing as a standard configuration that requires a condenser to be installed on a reaction vessel; its size is determined based on the amount of evaporation and cooling required during the reaction process. This calculation isn’t complicated – professionals are meant to handle such tasks. Based on experience, it’s better to have a condenser of sufficient size; however, if it’s too large, it becomes uneconomical. Therefore, calculations are necessary. If things get more complex, it involves the design of heat exchangers. I’m not sure if the original poster is a process engineer; if they are, then designing heat exchangers shouldn’t be difficult.
The dripping rate must be taken into account; the heat of reaction is calculated based on this rate, which then allows the amount of vaporization to be determined. The heat exchange area is calculated further using the difference in boiling points between the cooling medium and the solvent. Additionally, mistakes or too rapid addition must also be taken into account, so it should be enlarged appropriately.
Is a heat exchange area of 3 to 5 square meters sufficient? Sometimes theoretical calculations are sufficient, but in practical applications they often aren’t enough. Do you have any good suggestions on this issue, brother?
In the recirculation mode, there are no non-condensable gases; the cryogenic brine condenses, and the area of the condenser is 1.5 times that of the reactor jacket. If the solvent’s boiling point is too low, or if there is a large amount of non-condensable gas, two-stage or three-stage condensation is required, and the condensation area needs to be increased.