Design trade-offs in a column with side-reactor configuration for improving selectivity in multiple reaction systems

Abstract The configuration of columns with side-reactors (SRC) can effectively enhance the performance of reaction–separation processes, particularly where the operational limitations of conventional multifunctional reactors, such as reactive distillation systems, negate the overall benefits. Industrial manufacturing processes often use multiple reaction schemes that result in both desired and undesired products. The selectivity and yield of the desired product are usually improved by using large reaction vessels or high recycle flow rates of excess reactant. Therefore, in multiunit chemical processes, the foremost design trade-off is between the reaction vessel volume and the recycle flow rate. In this study, we investigate the competition of these parameters in SRC configurations in achieving specific conversion or yield criteria. Two real chemical processes involving side-reactors of non-reactive distillation columns and recycle streams are considered and their optimal design configurations are detailed. The results affirm the importance of this trade-off and its quantitative analysis to obtain the optimal SRC configuration.