Types of solid catalytic reactors

U
Fixed/packed bed reactors

H
TB
II
@
CM
N

Dr. Nitai C. Maji 1

Types of solid catalytic reactors

U
Fluidized bed reactors

H
TB
II
@
CM
N

Dr. Nitai C. Maji 2

Types of solid catalytic reactors

U
Moving bed reactors

H
TB
II
@
CM
N

Dr. Nitai C. Maji 3

Demerits of Packed-bed Reactors. Why Fluidized-bed?

U
☹Plug flow type of behaviour with considerable bypassing or

H
channelling

TB
☹Requires high catalyst loading for high conversion

☹Only favourable when contacting is very efficient

II
☹Temperature control is difficult. Create hotspots for exothermic
reaction
@
☹Fixed bed cannot handle small catalysts due to plugging and high
CM

pressure drop. Hence, pore diffusion controls the reaction rate

☹Regeneration is difficult. Batch process

N

Dr. Nitai C. Maji 4

Catalyst size is important

U
H
𝑘 """

TB
𝑀! = 𝐿 < 0.4
𝒟#

II
o The smaller size (L) supports a large value of 𝑘 """ for low value of
𝑘 """ . @
o Hence, suspended solids in fluidized bed are favoured.
CM

o Residence time is short. e.g. a few seconds for 100 feet high reactor.
N

Dr. Nitai C. Maji 5

 U
Video: Fluidization simulation

H
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0lknOovRSU&pp=ygUYZmx1aWRpemF0aW9

TB
uICBzaW11bGF0aW9u

II
Video: Fluidization experiment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aMXc3zjJZE&pp=ygUNZmx1aWRpemF0aW9
uIA%3D%3D
@
CM
N

Dr. Nitai C. Maji 6

Fluidization

U
H
TB
II
@
CM

o Minimum fluidization velocity (𝑢$% )

Ergun equation: 150 1 − 𝜖$% 𝑢$% + 1.75(𝑢$% )&(𝑑' )&

N

Dr. Nitai C. Maji 7

Fluid/Solid (F/S) contacting regimes with fluid velocity

U
H
TB
II
@
CM
N

Dr. Nitai C. Maji 8

Distribution of solids in various contact regimes

U
H
TB
II
@
CM
N

Dr. Nitai C. Maji 9

Geldart classification

U
H
TB
II
@
CM
N

Dr. Nitai C. Maji 10