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Trickle‐bed reactors: Effect of wetting geometry on overall effectiveness factor
Author(s) -
Ring Z. E.,
Missen R. W.
Publication year - 1986
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.5450640117
Subject(s) - thiele modulus , biot number , wetting , isothermal process , range (aeronautics) , limiting , thermodynamics , modulus , mechanics , materials science , chemistry , composite material , physics , engineering , mass transfer , mechanical engineering
Abstract Calculations of the overall effectiveness factor in a trickle‐bed reactor are given that take into account liquid distribution on the external catalyst surface. Two cases are examined: nonvolatile limiting reactant (A), and limiting reactant present in both fluid phases (B). Parameters investigated, for first‐order, isothermal kinetics, are: number of wetted and nonwetted zones, particle shape, Thiele Modulus, wetting efficiency, and Biot numbers. The calculated results fall within the range of limiting solutions obtained independently. For case A the difference between 2‐ and 8‐zone models may reach 40% within the commercially important range of the Thiele modulus. For case B it probably does not exceed 25%. Comparison is also made with experimental data. It is concluded that a multizone model can be useful in the analysis. A new form of approximate model is proposed for case A.