Abstract
A methodology for determining the mass transfer resistances of three-phase reactions in trickle bed reactors is presented. The hydrogenation of styrene over Pd/C was used as a case study to demonstrate the methodology. The gas-liquid mass transfer resistance was experimentally approximated by changing the palladium content of the bed while the chemical reaction resistance was calculated by using the observed chemical reaction rate constant which has been experimentally approximated in two different stirred tank reactors by hydrogenating the same compound under the same temperature and using the same solvent and active catalytic metal. The liquid-solid mass transfer resistance was calculated by subtracting the gas-liquid mass transfer resistance and the chemical reaction resistance from the overall resistance. The wetting efficiency of the bed was estimated from the experimental data and it was compared to the literature by using the dimensionless numbers of Re, Fr, Mo, Ga, We and Stk. The specific gas-liquid and liquid-solid mass transfer coefficients found in agreement with the literature.
Highlights
The gas-liquid mass transfer resistance was experimentally approximated by changing the palladium content of the bed while the chemical reaction resistance was calculated by using the observed chemical reaction rate constant which has been experimentally approximated in two different stirred tank reactors by hydrogenating the same compound under the same temperature and using the same solvent and active catalytic metal
The trickle bed reactors are employed for gas-liquid-solid reactions and they consist of a stationery catalytic bed through which gas and liquid flow
The gas-liquid mass transfer resistance of the three-phase styrene hydrogenation in a trickle bed reactor was determined by changing the palladium content of the bed
Summary
The trickle bed reactors are employed for gas-liquid-solid reactions and they consist of a stationery catalytic bed through which gas and liquid flow. The gas constitutes the continuous phase while the liquid trickles down on the particles of the stationery catalytic bed. The stationery bed consists of coarse particles (supporting material) which are coated with the active catalytic phase. Regarding the gas-liquid-solid reaction, it is a complicated combination of physical and chemical processes. Each of the physical and chemical processes contributes to the overall reaction rate in different extent. An indication of the degree which each process affects the overall reaction rate is given by the mass transfer coefficients and the intrinsic reaction rate constant. The determination of the mass transfer coefficients and the intrinsic reaction rate constant is necessary for designing a trickle bed reactor
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