Optimization of a Thermal Cracking Reactor Using Genetic Algorithm and Water Cycle Algorithm.

With the global production of 150 million tons in 2016, ethylene is one of the most significant building blocks in today's chemical industry. Most ethylene is now produced in cracking furnaces by thermal cracking of fossil feedstocks with steam. This process consumes around 8% of the main energy used in the petrochemical industry, making it the single most energy-intensive process in the chemical industry.

Entropy Generation Analysis of a Thermal Cracking Reactor.

The present paper analyzes the entropy generation of a tabular thermal cracking reactor with propane feed, as well as the molecular mechanism of the reaction. The reaction model is obtained and the flow, reaction, momentum, and energy are determined with knowledge of the outer wall temperature. Then, the equations of entropy generation in the tabular reactor are solved and the rate of entropy generated by three sources along the reactor is determined.