A bio-inspired, monolithic catalyst support structure for optimized conductive heat removal in catalytic reactors

Abstract

The performance of catalytic reactors in heterogeneous catalysis is especially dependent on the support structures the catalysts are dispersed on. They determine important properties like the pressure drop as well as the temperature distribution within catalytic reactors. The latter is especially important for reactions like the CO2 methanation, which is highly exothermic, but thermodynamically favored at low temperatures. Here we present a novel monolithic catalyst support structure inspired by the shape of diatom shells. By coupling a genetic algorithm with an FEM solver, a parametric model is optimized towards good radial heat transport. By comparing the optimized structures with honeycombs already used in industry, the beneficial thermal properties are demonstrated both for a pure conductive case as well as for superimposed fluid convection using Computational Fluid Dynamics. The optimized designs give a good basis for honeycomb-like catalyst support structures with good heat removal while preserving very low pressure drops.