Experimental study of ignition and extinction waves and oscillatory behavior of a tubular nonadiabatic fixed bed reactor for the oxidation of carbon monoxide

Abstract

An experimental study of axial temperature profiles in a nonadiabatic tubular fixed bed reactor has been made under the transient operation. The catalytic carbon monoxide oxidation occurring on a Pt/alumina catalyst has been used. Ignition and extinction waves have been studied both in a short and a long catalyst bed. It is shown that in a short bed ignition and extinction occur at the reactor outlet while for a long bed the ignition and extinction process takes place inside the reactor and is not influenced by the outlet part of the reactor. A systematic measurement indicates that in a narrow range of inlet parameters the integral nonadiabatic nonisothermal reactor may operate in an oscillatory state. These oscillations can be periodic or aperiodic.