Modelling of fluidized bed reactors—II: Uniform catalyst temperature and concentration

Abstract

A model based on the simple two phase theory of fluidization including the catalyst particles as a third phase has been developed for a nonisothermal fluidized bed catalytic reactor with continuous circulation of catalyst particles. The dilute phase is assumed to be in plug flow, the emulsion phase gas is considered to be perfectly mixed and the particles are assumed to be perfectly mixed and uniform. Exact criteria for uniqueness and multiplicity of the steady state solutions are presented and some conclusions derived therefrom. Several examples illustrating the influence of some parameters on the steady state multiplicity are reported. The steady states are analyzed for local asymptatic stability using Liapunov's direct method, but the sufficient conditions for stability are found to be rather conservative. Numerical examples illustrating the transient behavior of the system are presented, and it has been found that the initial temperature of the catalyst particles is a predominant factor in determining which steady state will be approached.