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Optimal temperature policies for catalytic transport reactors under periodic operation
Author(s) -
Sivakumar S.,
Chidambaram M.,
Shankar H. S.
Publication year - 1988
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.5450660413
Subject(s) - isothermal process , plug flow reactor model , thermodynamics , catalysis , activation energy , constant (computer programming) , inlet , plug flow , flow (mathematics) , mechanics , particle (ecology) , materials science , chemistry , physics , continuous stirred tank reactor , computer science , mechanical engineering , engineering , organic chemistry , oceanography , programming language , geology
The influence of inlet gas concentration cycling on the optimal temperature policy of catalytic transport reactors is studied theoretically. The model considered is based on plug flow of gas and catalyst particles with negligible interand intra‐particle diffusional resistances and concentration dependent deactivation kinetics. To utilise the concentration of the reactant and the activity of the deactivating catalyst fully a proper temperature sequence along the reactor is needed. Thus, a general optimal temperature policy using the continuous minimum principle is derived for the reactor under periodic operation. The model equations are solved analytically for gas concentration, activity and temperature profiles. Resonance behaviour (maximum in conversion with pulse width) is obtained using the optimal temperature policy for certain sets of parameters. The effects of activation energy groups, reaction and deactivation constant groups and inlet temperature on the optimal temperature policy under periodic operation are evaluated. In all cases an improvement in conversion with the optimal temperature policy under periodic operation over that with an isothermal policy under periodic operation is obtained. A suboptimal policy, comprising constant temperature over different reactor sections, which is useful for implementation purposes is also discussed.