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Optimization by catalyst packing in tubular reactors with catalyst decay
Author(s) -
Gruyaert F.,
Crowe C. M.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.5450540623
Subject(s) - catalysis , kinetics , rate equation , reaction rate , chemistry , chemical kinetics , steady state (chemistry) , thermodynamics , materials science , chemical engineering , physics , organic chemistry , classical mechanics , engineering
The optimal initial distribution of catalyst activity along the axis of a tubular fixed bed reactor is examined for a class of reaction‐deactivation problems. A general set of simultaneous reactions is considered and a quasi‐steady state approximation is used in describing the reaction kinetics. The rate of decay of the catalyst is expressed as a function of temperature, concentration or degree of conversion and catalyst activity. The influence of various initial catalyst activity distributions upon the reactor performance is studied theoretically for several types of decay rate expressions. Numerical results are presented for a single irreversible reaction with a conversion‐dependent decay rate.