Heat-Transfer Studies in Packed-Bed Catalytic Reactors of Low Tube/Particle Diameter Ratio

2007 ◽  
Vol 46 (23) ◽  
pp. 7426-7435 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. O. Castillo-Araiza ◽  
H. Jiménez-Islas ◽  
F. López-Isunza
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Packed Bed ◽  
Diameter Ratio ◽  
Catalytic Reactors

scholarly journals Influence of Macroscopic Wall Structures on the Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer in Fixed Bed Reactors with Small Tube to Particle Diameter Ratio

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 689
Author(s):  
Thomas Eppinger ◽  
Nico Jurtz ◽  
Matthias Kraume
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Fixed Bed ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Diameter Ratio ◽  
Spherical Particles ◽  
Reactor Wall ◽  
Entry Length ◽  
Fixed Bed Reactors ◽  
Wall Structures ◽  
Small Tube

Fixed bed reactors are widely used in the chemical, nuclear and process industry. Due to the solid particle arrangement and its resulting non-homogeneous radial void fraction distribution, the heat transfer of this reactor type is inhibited, especially for fixed bed reactors with a small tube to particle diameter ratio. This work shows that, based on three-dimensional particle-resolved discrete element method (DEM) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, it is possible to reduce the maldistribution of mono-dispersed spherical particles near the reactor wall by the use of macroscopic wall structures. As a result, the lateral convection is significantly increased leading to a better radial heat transfer. This is investigated for different macroscopic wall structures, different air flow rates (Reynolds number Re = 16 ...16,000) and a variation of tube to particle diameter ratios (2.8, 4.8, 6.8, 8.8). An increase of the radial velocity of up to 40%, a reduction of the thermal entry length of 66% and an overall heat transfer increase of up to 120% are found.

The Effect of Turbulence on Momentum and Heat Transport in Packed Beds with Low Tube to Particle Diameter Ratio

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
F. I. Molina-Herrera ◽  
C. O. Castillo-Araiza ◽  
H. Jiménez-Islas ◽  
F. López-Isunza
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Heat Transport ◽  
Mass Flux ◽  
Flow Model ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Packed Bed ◽  
Diameter Ratio ◽  
Packed Beds ◽  
Measured Temperature ◽  
Orthogonal Collocation

Abstract This is a theoretical study about the influence of turbulence on momentum and heat transport in a packed-bed with low tube to particle diameter ratio. The hydrodynamics is given here by the time-averaged Navier-Stokes equations including Darcy and Forchheimer terms, plus a κ-ε two-equation model to describe a 2D pseudo-homogeneous medium. For comparison, an equivalent conventional flow model has also been tested. Both models are coupled to a heat transport equation and they are solved using spatial discretization with orthogonal collocation, while the time derivative is discretized by an implicit Euler scheme. We compared the prediction of radial and axial temperature observations from a packed-bed at particle Reynolds numbers (Rep) of 630, 767, and 1000. The conventional flow model uses effective heat transport parameters: wall heat transfer coefficient (hw) and thermal conductivity (keff), whereas the turbulent flow model includes a turbulent thermal conductivity (kt), estimating hw via least-squares with Levenberg-Marquardt method. Although predictions of axial and radial measured temperature profiles with both models show small differences, the calculated radial profiles of the axial velocity component are very different. We demonstrate that the model that includes turbulence compares well with mass flux measurements at the packed-bed inlet, yielding an error of 0.77 % in mass flux balance at Rep = 630. We suggest that this approach can be used efficiently for the hydrodynamics characterization and design and scale-up of packed beds with low tube to particle diameter ratio in several industrial applications.

An Experimental Investigation on Forced Convection Heat Transfer From a Cylinder Embedded in a Packed Bed

1994 ◽  
Vol 116 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Nasr ◽  
S. Ramadhyani ◽  
R. Viskanta
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Forced Convection ◽  
Convection Heat Transfer ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Packed Bed ◽  
Spherical Particles ◽  
Theoretical Equation ◽  
Convection Heat ◽  
Forced Convection Heat Transfer

Forced convection heat transfer from a cylinder embedded in a packed bed of spherical particles was studied experimentally. With air as the working fluid, the effects of particle diameter and particle thermal conductivity were examined for a wide range of thermal conductivities (from 200 W/m K for aluminum to 0.23 W/m K for nylon) and three nominal particle sizes (3 mm, 6 mm, and 13 mm). In the presence of particles, the measured convective heat transfer coefficient was up to seven times higher than that for a bare tube in crossflow. It was found that higher heat transfer coefficients were obtained with smaller particles and higher thermal conductivity packing materials. The experimental data were compared against the predictions of a theory based on Darcy’s law and the boundary layer approximations. While the theoretical equation was moderately successful at predicting the data, improved correlating equations were developed by modifying the form of the theoretical equation to account better for particle diameter and conductivity variations.

Hydrodynamic Models for Packed Beds with Low Tube-to-Particle Diameter Ratio

2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos O. Castillo-Araiza ◽  
Felipe Lopez-Isunza
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Effective Viscosity ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Packed Bed ◽  
Diameter Ratio ◽  
Packed Beds ◽  
Hydrodynamic Models ◽  
Viscous Term ◽  
Measured Velocity ◽  
Viscosity Parameter

In the last decade it has been a special interest to incorporate the hydrodynamics in packed bed reactor models. This seems to be important in the case of highly exothermic partial oxidation reactions normally performed in packed beds with low tube/particle diameter ratio (dt/dp< 5) because of the large void distributions in the radial and axial directions, which have a direct impact on the magnitude of radial, angular and axial profiles of the velocity field, and consequently on both, the temperature and concentration profiles in the catalytic reactor. A successful reactor model needs an adequate hydrodynamic description of the packed bed, and for this reason several models additionally incorporate empirical expressions to describe radial voidage profiles, and use viscous (Darcy) and inertial (Forchheimer) terms to account for gas-solid interactions, via Ergun's pressure drop equation. In several cases an effective viscosity parameter has also been used with the Brinkman's viscous term. The use of these various approaches introduce some uncertainty in the predicted results, as to which extent the use of a particular radial voidage expression, or the use of an effective viscosity parameter, yield reliable predictions of measured velocity profiles.In this work the predictions of radial velocity profiles in a packed bed with low tube to particle diameter ratio from six hydrodynamic models, derived from a general one, are compared. The calculations show that the use of an effective viscosity parameter to predict experimental data can be avoided, if the magnitude of the two parameters in Ergun's equation, related to viscous and inertial energy losses, are re-estimated from velocity measurements, for this particular packed bed. The predictions using both approaches adequately fit the experimental data, although the results are analyzed and discussed.

Computing Profiles of Porosity and Surface/Volume Ratio in a Packed Bed Using Monte Carlo Method

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genong Li
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Monte Carlo Method ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Volume Ratio ◽  
Packed Bed ◽  
Diameter Ratio ◽  
Accuracy Requirement ◽  
Radial Profiles ◽  
Novel Method ◽  
Rigorous Error

Porosity and surface/volume ratio are two important parameters for a packed bed. In cylindrical packed beds at low tube-to-particle diameter ratio, they vary greatly in the radial direction. In the existing literature, radial profiles of porosity and surface/volume ratio have been computed using some analytical equations which involve elliptic integrals. In this paper, a Monte Carlo method is used to compute those profiles. To the authors’ knowledge, the method has never been employed in this context. The procedure of using this novel method is explained in detail. Through a rigorous error analysis based on statistics, the accuracy of the simulation result can be controlled. Before any simulation, the number of sampling points needed in the Monte Carlo simulation can be determined given an accuracy requirement. The method is completely general and can be used to compute profiles of porosity and surface/volume ratio in any packed bed with any shape of packing elements.

scholarly journals Convection Heat Transfer Analysis in A Vertical Porous Tube

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-45
Author(s):  
Hikmat N. Abdulkareem ◽  
Kifah H. Hilal
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Flux ◽  
Convection Heat Transfer ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Vertical Channel ◽  
Packed Bed ◽  
Constant Heat Flux ◽  
Heat Transfer Analysis ◽  
Constant Heat ◽  
Flux Boundary Condition

Forced convective heat transfer in a vertical channel symmetrically heated with a constant heat flux, and packed with saturated porous media, has been investigated experimentally in the present work. The channel was padded with spherical glass of three diameter (1, 3 and 10 mm) in a range 0.0416 < (particle diameter / inner channel radius) <0.416. The experimental setup, using a copper tube as a packed bed assembly with (48 mm) inside diameter and (1150 mm) heated length with a constant heat flux boundary condition. The test section was vertically oriented with water flowing against gravity and packed with glass spheres (1, 3 and 10 mm) diameter respectively. The results show that local Nusselt number increased at 34% with increasing Reynolds number at 65% while increased at 11% with increasing heat flux at 71%. Heat transfer rate increase as the particle diameter increase at the range of (1 – 3) mm but decrease with increasing particle diameter at the range (3 – 10) mm. Pressure drop through channel minimize at 97% as porosity increase at 23%.Many empirical relations, obtained experimentally.

scholarly journals Revisiting the Role of Mass and Heat Transfer in Gas–Solid Catalytic Reactions

Processes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1599
Author(s):  
Riccardo Tesser ◽  
Elio Santacesaria
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Heat And Mass Transfer ◽  
Kinetic Studies ◽  
Packed Bed ◽  
Catalytic Reactions ◽  
Catalytic Reactors ◽  
Tremendous Progress ◽  
Mass And Heat Transfer ◽  
Energy Balances

The tremendous progress in the computing power of modern computers has in the last 20 years favored the use of numerical methods for solving complex problems in the field of chemical kinetics and of reactor simulations considering also the effect of mass and heat transfer. Many classical textbooks dealing with the topic have, therefore, become quite obsolete. The present work is a review of the role that heat and mass transfer have in the kinetic studies of gas–solid catalytic reactions. The scope was to collect in a relatively short document the necessary knowledge for a correct simulation of gas–solid catalytic reactors. The first part of the review deals with the most reliable approach to the description of the heat and mass transfer outside and inside a single catalytic particle. Some different examples of calculations allow for an easier understanding of the described methods. The second part of the review is related to the heat and mass transfer in packed bed reactors, considering the macroscopic gradients that derive from the solution of mass and energy balances on the whole reactor. Moreover, in this second part, some examples of calculations, applied to chemical reactions of industrial interest, are reported for a better understanding of the systems studied.

A Network-of-Voids Model to Assess Wall Flow Patterns and Heat Transfer for Low Aspect Ratio Packed-Bed Reactors

2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter I Chigada ◽  
Reginald Mann
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Fluid Flows ◽  
Packed Bed ◽  
Wall Heat Transfer ◽  
Transfer Coefficients ◽  
Catalytic Reactors ◽  
Heat Transfer Coefficients ◽  
Low Aspect Ratio ◽  
Random Placement

Exothermic packed bed catalytic reactors are usually characterised by a low diameter-aspect ratio to facilitate heat transfer. In operation, these reactors often exhibit localized regions with much higher temperatures referred to as hot spots. A new model based on a 2-D network-of voids (NoV) has been devised to explore wall heat transfer behaviour for such low aspect ratio packed tubes. Random placement of (packing) particles is used to provide a simple NoV framework for implicitly creating the tortuous fluid flows amongst the resulting randomized inter-connecting voids. This is a computationally tractable strategy for exploring the haphazard appearance of individual tube pin-hole burn-outs amongst the typically thousands, or tens of thousands, of tubes within high temperature industrial multi-tubular configurations. Although presently limited to 2-D, the model captures many natural features of the flow and heat transfer of randomly packed tubes, especially huge variations in wall and cross flows and consequently massive variations in local wall heat transfer coefficients along the length of individual tubes. The model is potentially superior to those based upon averaged properties, which do not properly distinguish the solid and fluid phases. The network-of-voids concept is readily extended to 3-D, in order to achieve geometric congruence of the model and assemblies of individual particles.

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