Primary reformer catalysts Shape

Also important is the effect of the size and shape of the catalysts [428] on heat transfer and consequently performance. Unlike the most processes carried out under substantially adiabatic conditions, the endothermic steam reforming reaction in the tubes of the primary reformer has to be supplied continuously with heat as the gas passes through the catalyst. The strong dependency of the reaction rate on the surface temperature of the catalyst clearly underlines the need for efficient heat transfer over the whole length and crosssection of the catalyst. However, the catalyst material itself is a very poor conductor and does not transfer heat to any significant extent. Therefore, the main mechanism of heat transfer from the inner tube wall to the gas is convection, and its efficiency will depend on how well the gas flow is distributed in the catalyst bed. It is thus evident that the geometry of the catalyst particles is important. 

Figure 33. Shaped catalyst (ICI Katalco 4-Hole) in a top-fired primary reformer...

Tubular Fixed-Bed Reactors. Bundles of downflow reactor tubes filled with catalyst and surrounded by heat-transfer media are tubular fixed-bed reactors. Such reactors are used most notably in steam reforming and phthaUc anhydride manufacture. Steam reforming is the reaction of light hydrocarbons, preferably natural gas or naphthas, with steam over a nickel-supported catalyst to form synthesis gas, which is primarily and CO with some CO2 and CH. Additional conversion to the primary products can be obtained by iron oxide-catalyzed water gas shift reactions, but these are carried out ia large-diameter, fixed-bed reactors rather than ia small-diameter tubes (65). The physical arrangement of a multitubular steam reformer ia a box-shaped furnace has been described (1). 

Pressure drop calculations in the primary and secondary reformer models are based on the Ergun relationship, as presented in Reference 25. Both the laminar flow and turbulent flow terms are included. The natural parameter that arises from the Ergun equation, which can be updated with measured pressure drop information, is the TURBULENT DP COEF term in the models of both the primary and secondary reformers. This term affects only the pressure drop, whereas another term, the bed void fraction, which might also have been used as the parameter to update with measure pressure drop, also affects all the reaction rates. The bed void fraction affects the amount of catalyst in a fixed volume reformer tube, and is not an appropriate parameter to use in this case. The void fractions of typical packed beds are shown in Figure 5.70 of Reference (26). Void fractions of 0.4 to 0.6 are typical, and can be determined for specific catalysts sizes and shapes from vendor specification sheets, by measurement, or, with more difficulty, by calculation. 

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