Loop Venturi ReactorA Feasible Alternative to Stirred Tank Reactors?

Abstract

During the past decennia, the stirred tank reactor, especially for gas−liquid operations, has received much attention. However, proper design of turbine-stirred gas−liquid reactors on an industrial scale can still be difficult to make. On the large scale, the removal of heat may become a limiting factor. Installation of additional cooling coils into the reactor vessel makes the design problems even more complex. The development of loop Venturi designs offers some new solutions to the scale-up questions, especially when high pressures are involved. Recent publications on this type of reactor demonstrate fast mixing (including micromixing), high mass-transfer rate, and an independently designed heat exchanger in the circulation loop of the reactor. The gas loop ensuring complete gas mixing represents an additional favorable feature. On the whole, the loop Venturi reactors can be viewed as an efficient alternative to the stirred tank reactors, offering easier scale-up. This conclusion is supported by the less dependency of the mass-transfer rate and mixing on the reactor scale.