Improving the efficiency of a sulphur dioxide converter in a sulfonation plant to produce detergents
Two models (two-dimensional and one-dimensional) have been developed for the simulation of the SO2 converter of a sulfonation plant. Both models can be managed using both global pseudo-homogenous kinetic equations, as well as heterogeneous equations, to incorporate speed limitations by mass transfer and diffusion inside the catalytic particles. It has been found that radial gradients along the columns of the converter can be neglected. However, heat losses at the entrances and exits not isolated from the columns, make it necessary to correct the temperatures recorded in the plant. Intra-particular gradients of temperature and composition of the fluid phase have also been calculated, which make the use of heterogeneous equations essential.
Simulation calculations in this case have been made possible with the introduction of a precalculated three-dimensional matrix of the total efficiency coefficient of the catalyst, whereby iterative integration operations of a system of two ordinary differential equations have been simplified to an interpolation direct linear The results form the basis for the subsequent dynamic analysis of the converter.
Project Leader:
Luis Arteaga Weill, MSc..
E-mail: larteaga@upb.edu
Researchers:
Santiago Zegada Escóbar, Est.
Luis Arteaga Weill, MSc.
References about the project: Director CIPI rescalera@upb.edu
