Effect of Catalyst Shape on Yield and Performance of Packed Beds

Design of packed bed reactors is a challenging proposition. Experimental work to investigate the kinetics, heat transfer and fluid flow is inseparable part of the design process. Numerical modeling (CFD) has been also used to investigate some intangible aspects such as the hydrodynamics of this process by resolving particle scale geometries. Therefore such numerical simulations are themselves time consuming and cumbersome due to the intricate geometry and meshing requirements. Recent advances in the field of discrete element modeling (DEM) have made the feasibility of CFD simulation of hydrodynamics somewhat less cumbersome.  In the past, we have presented results on modeling of such reactors. This work is now extended to look at the effects of various shapes of the catalyst to elucidate the best choice based on velocity, species and temperature variations along the axial direction.

This concept is then extended to investigate catalytic foams, an alternative to fixed bed reactors. Some preliminary work on simulating catalytic foams is presented as well.