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Reactor diameter impact on hot zone dynamics in an adiabatic packed bed reactor
Author(s) -
Sundarram Sandhya,
Viswanathan Ganesh A.,
Luss Dan
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.11179
Subject(s) - adiabatic process , isothermal process , packed bed , continuous stirred tank reactor , dispersion (optics) , chemistry , kinetic energy , thermodynamics , mechanics , materials science , physics , chromatography , optics , quantum mechanics
Recent analysis revealed that a pseudohomogeneous model of a uniformly active, adiabatic packed bed reactor can predict formation of stable hot zones in the cross‐section of the reactor if the kinetic rate expression can lead to isothermal rate oscillations. This prediction was confirmed by simulations of CO oxidation. We show that hot zone formation in a shallow reactor can be predicted also for C 2 H 4 hydrogenation, the kinetic model of which is structurally different from that of CO oxidation. Qualitatively different spatiotemporal temperature patterns may form under the same operating conditions. Their number increases as the reactor diameter is increased. An increase in the reactor diameter increases the time constant of the transversal heat dispersion and decreases the temperature synchronization among points on the same reactor cross‐section. The interaction and conjugation among qualitatively different moving temperature patterns can lead to formation of complex motions. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2007