Oscillatory motion of trickle-bed reactor can break up liquid channeling and thus increase reaction efficiency

We report that applying an oscillatory pitching motion can substantially increase the reaction efficiency in trickle-bed reactors used for the hydrogenation of liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC). In the present experiments, steady-state reaction was reached 14 times faster and with approx. 25% larger mean efficiency for the pitching reactor compared to the conventional non-moving reactor. Increasing the pitching amplitude from 1° to 4° accelerated the reaction by about 45%. Strong memory effects were observed, with increased reaction efficiency being maintained for 2 h in a non-moving reactor, if the reactor had been operated under oscillatory pitching motion beforehand. Therefore, the present results indicate that substantial efficiency increases do not require continuous oscillations, instead already occasional reactor motions may suffice. We hypothesize that the increase in efficiency is due to breaking-up of liquid channels. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations and cold-flow experiments are reported that strongly support this theory. It is anticipated that the present findings will be applicable to many other types of trickle-bed reactors as well.

Subjects

Computational fluid dynamics

Liquid organic hydrogen carrier

Oscillating reactor

Reaction efficiency

Trickle-bead reactor

DDC Class

660.2: Chemical Engineering

Funding(s)

Projekt DEAL

Lizenz

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Publication version

publishedVersion

Name

1-s2.0-S1385894726068294-main.pdf

Type

Main Article

Size

8.62 MB

Format

Adobe PDF

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Oscillatory motion of trickle-bed reactor can break up liquid channeling and thus increase reaction efficiency