Heat transfer effect in scaling-up a fluidized bed reactor for propylene polymerization

The effects of operating conditions and scaling-up on reactor temperature control and performance in propylene polymerization fluidized bed reactors were studied by phenomenological and CFD models. A phenomenological model with CFD hydrodynamics parameters predicts average information, while a CFD-based reactor model provides local information. Results suggest improved productivity and reactor temperature control by cautiously increasing catalyst feed rate, operating temperature, reactor size and superficial velocity, with consideration of hot spots and catalyst deactivation. High catalyst loading increases productivity but involves risk with regards to the control of oscillating temperature and hot spots. The model identifies an operating window to improve productivity and temperature control and to study operation details. Mixing effect is important to heat transfer but not to propylene conversion. Scaling-up cannot provide similarity of heat transfer. Keeping the same temperature when scaling up from 0.2 to 4 m in diameter requires heat transfer area multiplying factors of 2.43 to 5.26 or lowering the wall temperature by 7 to 18 K. Hot spots are detected with a temperature variation of 10 to 14 K. The results are useful for analyses of laboratory and industrial scale reactors and provide information on scale up.