Vessel & Reactor Cooling

The heat released over the batch, as a curve if possible, along with the batch volume and the temperature the reaction must hold. Calorimetry data from the lab is ideal. Without it, the peak rate has to be estimated conservatively, which usually means more surface than the process really needs.

Strongly, because the film on the process side of the wall is often the largest resistance. A faster or better agitator thins that film and can raise the overall coefficient more than any change to the jacket. Send the agitator type, diameter and speed, and whether it runs during the whole cooling period.

Temperature climbs, the reaction speeds up, and heat release climbs faster again, which is how a runaway starts. The cooling system is one layer of protection, alongside dosing control and relief, not the whole answer. Size the jacket to the peak with margin, and tell us the maximum safe temperature so we can show how close the design runs to it.

Zoning helps when the liquid level changes through the batch, since only wetted panels should take medium. It also lets a lower zone run harder during a peak. The cost is more piping and valves, so it earns its place mainly on vessels with large level swings.

The switch takes as long as the medium in the jacket and piping takes to flush and change temperature. Inflated panels hold little medium, so the change is quicker than with a conventional jacket. Hot medium meeting cold, or steam meeting chilled glycol, needs a purge sequence, so tell us the media and the cycle.