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reactor-designer skill

/plugins/babysitter/skills/babysit/process/specializations/domains/science/chemical-engineering/skills/reactor-designer

This skill designs and optimizes chemical reactors, selecting types, sizing, and configurations to improve performance and yield.

npx playbooks add skill a5c-ai/babysitter --skill reactor-designer

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

Files (1)
SKILL.md
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---
name: reactor-designer
description: Chemical reactor design skill for sizing, configuration selection, and performance optimization
allowed-tools:
  - Read
  - Write
  - Glob
  - Grep
  - Edit
  - Bash
metadata:
  specialization: chemical-engineering
  domain: science
  category: Reaction Engineering
  skill-id: CE-SK-007
---

# Reactor Designer Skill

## Purpose

The Reactor Designer Skill performs chemical reactor design calculations, including reactor type selection, sizing, configuration optimization, and performance prediction.

## Capabilities

- Reactor type selection (CSTR, PFR, batch, fluidized bed)
- Reactor sizing calculations
- Conversion and yield predictions
- Residence time distribution analysis
- Heat management design
- Multiple reactor configurations
- Recycle stream optimization
- Scale-up considerations

## Usage Guidelines

### When to Use
- Designing new reactor systems
- Optimizing existing reactor performance
- Evaluating reactor alternatives
- Scale-up reactor designs

### Prerequisites
- Kinetic model available
- Feed specifications defined
- Target conversion specified
- Operating constraints identified

### Best Practices
- Consider heat effects carefully
- Evaluate multiple configurations
- Include safety margins
- Validate with pilot data

## Process Integration

This skill integrates with:
- Kinetic Model Development
- Catalyst Evaluation and Optimization
- Process Simulation Model Development

## Configuration

```yaml
reactor-designer:
  reactor-types:
    - cstr
    - pfr
    - batch
    - semi-batch
    - fluidized-bed
  design-methods:
    - sizing
    - optimization
    - performance-prediction
```

## Output Artifacts

- Reactor specifications
- Sizing calculations
- Performance predictions
- Configuration comparisons
- Heat duty calculations

Overview

This skill performs chemical reactor design and optimization for industrial and pilot-scale processes. It helps select reactor type, compute sizing and residence times, predict conversion and yield, and evaluate heat management needs. The goal is practical, engineering-ready outputs that accelerate design decisions and scale-up planning.

How this skill works

The skill accepts kinetic models, feed specifications, target conversions, and operating constraints, then evaluates candidate reactor types (CSTR, PFR, batch, semi-batch, fluidized bed). It runs sizing calculations, residence time distribution analyses, heat duty estimates, and configuration comparisons, and can optimize recycle streams and multi-stage arrangements. Results include reactor specs, performance predictions, and trade-off metrics to support selection and scale-up.

When to use it

  • Designing a new reactor for a defined chemical reaction and feed
  • Optimizing an existing reactor to meet higher conversion or throughput
  • Comparing reactor alternatives to choose the best configuration
  • Evaluating scale-up from pilot to commercial plant
  • Assessing heat duty and temperature control requirements

Best practices

  • Provide an accurate kinetic model and validated rate expressions
  • Define feed composition, impurities, and realistic operating constraints upfront
  • Consider heat effects and coupling between reaction and temperature carefully
  • Evaluate multiple configurations and include safety and fouling margins
  • Validate model outputs against pilot or experimental data before finalizing design

Example use cases

  • Select between CSTR and PFR for a first-order exothermic reaction and size the chosen reactor
  • Calculate residence time distribution and conversion for a multi-stage recycle loop
  • Estimate heat duty and cooling requirements for a high-pressure hydrogenation reactor
  • Optimize reactor volume and recycle ratio to maximize yield while meeting space constraints
  • Generate comparison report of batch vs semi-batch operation for scale-up decision

FAQ

What inputs are required to run a design scenario?

You need a kinetic model, feed composition and flow, target conversion or yield, and operating limits (temperature, pressure, catalyst loading).

Can the skill handle scale-up from pilot data?

Yes. It includes scale-up considerations and can use pilot measurements to validate sizing, heat duty, and residence time predictions.