Hydrodynamics and droplet size distribution of <scp>liquid–liquid</scp> flow in a packed bed reactor with orifice plates
Zhenyu Wu, Jinjin Cai, Dimiao Wang, Xiaojiang Liang, Qinglong Xie, Yong Nie, Jianbing Ji
Abstract
Abstract A packed bed reactor with orifice plates (PBR@OP) was designed by adding orifice plates periodically in packed beds. Hydrodynamics and droplet size distribution in PBR@OP were experimentally investigated using fatty acid methyl esters (FAME)/water as the model liquid–liquid system. In PBR@OP, the flow pattern was close to plug flow. Droplets with Sauter mean diameter ( d 32 ) of 150–550 μm were generated. The pressure drop of orifice, flow velocity and plate spacing were key parameters to control the droplet size. The reactor performance was evaluated by analyzing a FAME epoxidation process. At the same d 32 and residence time, the length and total pressure drop of PBR@OP were about 1/3 and 1/4 of those of PBR without orifice plates, respectively. Furthermore, a semi‐empirical correlation describing the d 32 change in PBR@OP was developed, revealing a relative mean deviation of 8.64%. PBR@OP presents a cost‐effective option for the intensification of liquid–liquid medium rate reactions.