ABSTRACT
In conventional distillation, tray holdup has no effect on the steady-state design. In reactive distillation, tray holdup for amount of catalyst) can be a critical design parameter because of its effect on reaction rates. Tray holdup is not important if the forward and reverse reaction rates arc so fast that chemical equilibrium occurs on each tray. However, if reactions are kinetically limited, not equilibrium limited, tray holdup is critically important. Tray holdup depends on both the diameter of the column and weir height. The latter is limited by pressure drop. The tbrmer depends on vapor rates, which vary with tray holdup because of the interplay between reaction and separation in reactive distillation columns. Therefore, column sizing becomes more complex than is the case in conventional distillation.
