AM-02-50 STRATCO® ContactorTM Reactor Performance Upgrade:

Description:

At the “heart” of STRATCO’s Effluent Refrigerated Alkylation Technology is the STRATCO® Contactor™ reactor (Figure 1). The Contactor reactor is a horizontal pressure vessel containing an inner circulation tube, a tube bundle to remove the heat of reaction, and a mixing impeller. The hydrocarbon feed and sulfuric acid enter on the suction side of the impeller inside the circulation tube. As the feeds pass across the impeller, an emulsion of hydrocarbon and acid is formed. The emulsion in the Contactor reactor is continuously circulated at very high rates. The superior mixing and high internal circulation of the Contactor reactor allows for efficient removal of the heat of reaction and minimizes the temperature difference between any two points in the reaction zone (less than 1°F (0.6°C)). This reduces the possibility of localized hot spots that lead to degradation of the alkylate product and increased chances for corrosion. The intense mixing in the Contactor reactor also provides uniform distribution of the hydrocarbons in the acid emulsion. This prevents localized areas of non-optimum isobutane to olefin ratios and acid to olefin ratios, both of which promote olefin polymerization reactions.