Cold-model investigation of effects of operating parameters and overflow outlet diameter on separation with a liquid–liquid cyclone reactor for isobutane alkylation catalyzed by ionic liquid

Abstract

A liquid–liquid cyclone reactor (LLCR) was designed to enhance mixing and accelerate separation between reaction products and catalysts during isobutane alkylation catalyzed by ionic liquid. The LLCR was designed on the basis of the axial-flow hydrocyclone. The effect of total inlet flow (Qt), feed ratio (rf), overflow ratio (ro) and overflow outlet diameter (Do) on the performance of LLCR (pressure drop, ΔP, and recovery, R) was investigated. The LLCR’s performance indices underflow pressure drop (ΔPu), overflow pressure drop, (ΔPo), glycerin water solution recovery (Rg), kerosene recovery (Rk), reduced efficiency were determined. The results were used to establish an empirical models predicting LLCR efficiencies from total inlet flow, feed ratio, overflow ratio and overflow outlet diameter. Besides, an optimal overflow ratio, ror, was proposed to realize the optimization of two-phase recovery, which is linear with the expression of feed ratio. The results show that the range of the empirical coefficients (k) in the expression of ror is 1.02–1.14.