CFD simulation of the ethylbenzene dehydrogenation reaction in the fixed bed reactor with a cylindrical catalyst of various sizes
Sergei Solovev, Olga Soloveva, Daniel L. Paluku, А. А. Ламберов
Abstract
Abstract In this paper, the Discrete Element Method of simulation was used to study the catalytic granule size effect on the efficiency of a bed reactor for the ethylbenzene dehydrogenation reaction. The model constructed for the laboratory experiment was made of catalyst granules of lengths 3, 6 and 9 mm, and diameters 2.8, 3, and 3.2 mm. A detailed evaluation of the catalyst total surface area and porosity effect was conducted owing to the analysis of particles size effect on the packing. Different results were observed for a wide feed gas mixture rate. Calculations performed allowed to deduce dependences of the reaction product concentration, the pressure drops, and the reactor productivity for all the particle sizes investigated.