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The objective of this study is to obtain a fundamental understanding of the behavior of reactors with a permselective wall (membrane reactors) in terms of: design parameters (reactor length, membrane thickness); operating variables (pressure ratio, feed flow rate): physical properties (rate constant, permeability of fast gas, permselectivity, equilibrium constant): and flow patterns (recycle, cocurrent, countercurrent). Pure feed reacts on the high-pressure side of the membrane, and the product(s) formed are continuously removed to the low-pressure side so that thermodynamic equilibrium is never reached. It is shown by simulation that equilibrium shift can be enhanced by: recycling unconverted reactant; shifting feed location to separate products; and maintaining high permeation rates to reduce backreaction. It is also shown that the choice between cocurrent flow and countercurrent flow depends on the system parameters.

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The purpose of this paper is to consider the well-agitated continuous stirred tank membrane reactor (CSTMR) and the plug flow membrane reactor (PFMR) from the standpoint of equilibrium shift in reversible reactions. The general behavior of both reactor types is discussed, and comparisons are made of their performance. For CSTMR, analytical criteria have been developed to predict the stability of the steady state. Results on simulation studies of ethylbenzene dehydrogenation in a * To whom correspondence concerning this article should be addressed.

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