Multiphase reactors, mesoscales

Figure 1 Mesoscales in multiphase reactors a level-dependent concept.

Figure 2 Mesoscales in multiphase reactors dependence on reactor types and operating conditions.

As a typical multiphase and multiscale process, the research of MTO process spanning molecules, zeohtes, catalyst particles, microscale reactors, and pilot-scale reacton to industrial equipments, cross a wide time and length scales. The development of efficient mesoscale methods are expected for further optimizing the DMTO process and improving fluidized bed reactor design and operation. 

Figure 1 Schematic examples of multiphase systems in which a discrete dispersed phase is moving through, or moved by, a continuous fluid phase. The discrete phase can be a solid (left), a gas (center), or a liquid (right). In many cases, inhomogeneous mesoscale structures appear in the spatial distribution of the discrete phase, caused by interplay of hydrodynamic flow and local energy dissipation. More complicated cases with three or more phases are also possible, such as encountered in slurry reactors (where solid particles are also present in the continuous liquid phase) or trickle bed reactors (where the droplets are sprayed on a packed bed of particles). To focus on the essentials, the topical sections will focus mostly on the two-phase examples depicted here.

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