Synthesis of Reactive Mass-Exchange Networks

Publisher Summary The synthesis of a network of reactive mass exchangers involves the same challenges as in synthesizing physical MENs. The problem is further compounded by virtue of the reactivity of the MSAs. Typically, reactive MSAs have a greater capacity and selectivity to remove an undesirable component than physical MSAs. Furthermore, because they react with the undesirable species, it may be possible to convert pollutants into other species that may either be reused within the plant itself or sold. The problem of synthesizing reactive mass-exchange networks (REAMENs) was developed, along with systematic techniques for its solution. The first step in synthesizing a REAMEN is to establish the conditions for which the reactive mass exchange is thermodynamically feasible. To establish the conditions for thermodynamic feasibility of reactive mass exchange, it is necessary to invoke the basic principles of mass transfer with chemical reactions. After a procedure for establishing the corresponding composition scales for the rich-lean pairs of streams has been outlined, it is possible to develop the CID. However, it should be noted that the conversion among the corresponding composition scales may be more laborious because of the nonlinearity of equilibrium relations. The necessary thermodynamic concepts are covered in the chapter along with chemical equilibrium, which is tackled in a manner that renders the REAMEN synthesis task close to the MEN problem. Finally, an optimization-based approach is presented and illustrated by a case study.