A Pilot-Scale HiGee-Aided Fixed Bed Reactor: Size Characteristics of Microbubbles in Diesel

Abstract

Microbubble technology is very promising in the diesel hydrogenation process. However, the effects of catalyst bed and operation parameters on the size characteristics of microbubbles is not clear, which seriously hinders the industrial application of diesel hydrogenation process intensification with microbubble technology. In this work, a pilot-scale HiGee-aided fixed bed reactor (HFBR), including a HiGee microbubble generator and a catalyst bed, was developed. The bubble size distribution and Sauter mean diameter (d32) of microbubbles in diesel were investigated in HFBR. Experiment results showed the presence of catalyst bed would affect the movement of microbubbles, resulting in the coalescence of microbubbles and the d32 at the outlet of catalyst bed being 1.5–3 times that at the inlet. An empirical correlation and an artificial neural network model have been successfully established to predict (d32)o/(d32)i. This study provides significant data for the design of the industrial-scale HFBR.