Various companies may use a pinch tube reactor as part of their daily operations. This ranges from the food and beverage industry to the oil and petroleum industry.
It can be challenging to find a tubular reactor that meets quality requirements and is highly efficient. Therefore, this article answers all your questions about tubular reactors and their applications in one place.
How Do the Tubular Reactors Work?
Tubular reactors operate on the basis of continuous flow in a cylindrical shape. Here is a brief overview of how tubular reactors work. First, you fill the tubular reactor with one or more liquids that you want to combine with other reactants.
A chemical reaction occurs as the fluids move through the tube or tank. The result is the formation of an axial concentration gradient.
This results in certain substances not reacting and reactants reacting throughout the process, creating homogeneous mixtures. When the reaction is complete, unreacted products and homogeneous mixtures flow out of the tubular reactors.
Various Parts of a Tubular Reactor
Tubular reactors come with numerous components to ensure optimal reaction within the reactors. Among the tubular reactors, here are the most common components.
Agitator or Stirrer
The agitator or stirrer, which is responsible for mixing various reactants, is one of the most critical components of the tubular reactor.
Tank
The reactants of the tubular reactor are stored in this long, cylindrical, tubular container. It consists of several components that shield the internal chemical processes from external influences.
Inlet and Outlet Pipes
It also has an inlet tube at one end through which all reactants are fed into the tubular reactor. On the other end, we have a drain pipe through which the finished product is discharged after a complete chemical reaction.
Control System
This type of reactor has a control system that allows you to regulate all the chemical reaction settings of the device.
Tubular Reactors: Their Applications
Plug flow reactors are used in gas and liquid phase systems and have many applications. For example, tubular reactors are commonly used in the production of gasoline, in the cracking of oil, in the synthesis of ammonia from its constituents, and in the oxidation of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide.
Cylindrical reactors are also useful as bioreactors or for small-scale production. Tubular bioreactors are suitable for algae cultivation, for example. First, the algae are produced in a tubular bioreactor. Then the algae are pressed and dried and can be used as feed for the biodiesel reactor.
Petroleum Industry
Tubular reactors are used to produce gasoline and crack oil in the petroleum sector. A plug flow reactor is used to hydroisomerize light naphtha to produce high octane gasoline. Hydrogen and light naphtha are mixed before being fed into the reactor.
Ammonia Synthesis
Under ambient conditions, ammonia is produced from water and nitrogen using renewable energy sources such as solar/wind. Electrocatalysts are the key components for ammonia production in an electrochemical Nitrogen Reduction Reaction (NRR) system powered by renewable energy sources.
Oxidation Process
Sulfur trioxide (SO3) is an important raw material for many chemical processes. SO2 is a colorless, non-flammable, toxic gas. Tubular reactors can also oxidize sulfur dioxide to produce sulfur trioxide.
Advantages of Tubular Reactors
Tubular reactors are versatile. Therefore, they can be used by different manufacturers for various applications. The following are the main advantages of using tubular reactors:
- Since there are no moving components, they are easy to maintain and clean
- They have an exceptionally high conversion rate per reactor volume
- Product quality is consistently excellent and does not change
- They are ideal for the analysis of fast reactions.
Bottom Line
In several industries, chemical processes are carried out in tanks. Examples include the food and beverage industry or the production of printing inks. Therefore, we are confident that our chemical reactor design and services will also benefit you, regardless of the type of chemicals you work with.
Amar Equipments designs builds, installs, and commissions a wide range of chemical reactors, from stirred batch machines to complicated plug flow processes. Throughout the design and production process, we communicate extensively with our customers to ensure that their specific requirements are addressed, whether in terms of cost, design, or reactor process.
Once we have completed the design and construction of your pinch reactor, you can take advantage of our comprehensive testing service, either at your site after your reactor has been installed or at our facility. This way, you can make sure that the reactor is functioning correctly and suitable for your business.