Optimal operation of simulated-moving-bed reactors for nonlinear adsorption isotherms and equilibrium reactions

An explicit design procedure for simulated-moving-bed reactors (SMBRs) is presented, incorporating a nonlinear, competitive isotherm, and an equilibrium reaction involving three species, e.g., A⇔B+C. This design procedure is based on an equilibrium theory model of a true-moving-bed (TMB) reactor and it is in close analogy to the well-known design procedure for purely separative SMB-units, the so-called 'triangle theory' (Journal of Chromatography A, 769, 3 (1997)). It allows an easy determination of the optimal point of operation and can also evaluate the robustness of an operation point. The operating region of full conversion and complete separation for the TMBR is compared to the one of a purely separative TMB unit, to which only the products are fed. The underlying explicit relations for the new design procedure are presented and their reliability is validated by comparison with experimental data of a SMBR for the synthesis of methyl acetate.