Numerical study of atomization processes in non-evaporating hollow-cone sprays

Steam cracking is one of industrial scale methods for producing Ethylene. In this process Ethane and Propane feed to a set of reactors in a furnace and cracked to ethylene by heat. Due to ethylene conversion into byproducts at high temperature, outlet products must be cooled fast, so quench cooler is used. In this study according to kinetics of process and governing transport phenomena equations, modeling of process has been created and finally temperature, pressure profiles and conversion in each reactor and quench unit has been shown separately. Because of some limitations in the process, optimum mass flux has been calculated and selected. At last, final results of optimal design has been calculated such as number of pipes in reactor and quench, work needed to compress the products and number of compression stages and results have been compared to industrial cases.

Keywords:

Ethylene , modeling , steam cracking , quench cooler