Structure packed bed

FIGURE 4 Static mixer left, open cross-flow structure right, structured packed bed of catalyst particles used in catalytic distillation (Sulzer Katapak S). 

A catalytic MSR can be obtained simply by using the catalytically active phase in the form of a micropacked bed. Randomly packed beds and structured packed beds are discussed here, and typical examples are presented. 

Homy et al. [51,52] used brass wires as a structured packed bed for the oxidative steam reforming of methanol. Their investigations show that the leaching by a basic medium can be carried out simultaneously with a metal doping by impregnation or precipitation. The doping was performed to increase the selectivity of the catalyst and its stability under reaction conditions. 

Figure 16.4 Packs of corrugated elements forming a structured packing bed of Montz Type A3-500.

FIG. 14-74 HETP values for Max-Pak structured packing,. 35 kPa (5 psia), two column diameters. Cyclohexane/n-heptane system, total reflux. For 0.4.3 m (1.4 ft) column perforated pipe distributor, 400 streams/m2, 3.05 m (10 ft) bed height. For 1.2 m (4.0 ft) column tubed drip pan distributor, 100 streams/m ,. 3.7 m (12 ft) bed height. Smaller column data. University of Texas/Austin Larger column data. Fractionation Research, Inc. To convert (ft/s)(lb/ft ) to (m/s)(kg/m ) , multiply by 1.2199. (Couiiesy Jaeger Troducts, Inc., Housion, Texas.)... 

Usually they are employed as porous pellets in a packed bed. Some exceptions are platinum for the oxidation of ammonia, which is in the form of several layers of fine-mesh wire gauze, and catalysts deposited on membranes. Pore surfaces can be several hundred mVg and pore diameters of the order of 100 A. The entire structure may be or catalytic material (silica or alumina, for instance, sometimes exert catalytic properties) or an active ingredient may be deposited on a porous refractory carrier as a thin film. In such cases the mass of expensive catalytic material, such as Pt or Pd, may be only a fraction of 1 percent. 

Packed-Bed Fixed-Film Systems These systems were originaUy termed anaerobic trickhng filters because the first systems were submerged columns filled with stones run under anaerobic conditions (Fig. 25-57). A wide variety of packed media is now used ranging in size from graniiles 40 mesh to 7.5-cm (3—in) stones. Many systems use open structure plastic packing similar to that used in aerobic trickhng filters. 

Structured packing used as a vapor distributor for random packed bed dislodged and blown sideways. High pressure drop. Hold down not provided. Design eiTor. 

Structured packing requires specially designed distributors recommended by the respective manufacturers to ensure the same important uniform liquid distribution across any bed of this type of packing. 

Experimental results for fixed packed beds are very sensitive to the structure of the bed which may be strongly influenced by its method of formation. GUPTA and Thodos157 have studied both heat transfer and mass transfer in fixed beds and have shown that the results for both processes may be correlated by similar equations based on. / -factors (see Section 10.8.1). Re-arrangement of the terms in the mass transfer equation, permits the results for the Sherwood number (Sh1) to be expressed as a function of the Reynolds (Re,) and Schmidt numbers (Sc) ... 

Control of emissions of CO, VOC, and NOj, is high on the agenda. Heterogeneous catalysis plays a key role and in most cases structured reactors, in particular monoliths, outperform packed beds because of (i) low pressure drop, (ii) flexibility in design for fast reactions, that is, thin catalytic layers with large geometric surface area are optimal, and (iii) attrition resistance [17]. For power plants the large flow... 

Sintered metal fibers with filaments of uniform size (2-40 (tm), made of SS, Inconel, or Fecralloy , are fabricated in the form of panels. Gauzes based on thicker wires (100-250 tm) are made from SS, nickel, or copper. They have a low surface area of about 10 m g. Several procedures are used to increase the surface area, for example, leaching procedures, analogous to the production of Ra-Nickel, and electrophoretic deposition of particles or colloid suspensions. The porosity of structures formed from metal fibers range from 70 to 90%. The heat transfer coefficients are high, up to 2 times larger than for random packed beds [67]. 

Membrane reactors are defined here based on their membrane function and catalytic activity in a structured way, predominantly following Sanchez and Tsotsis [2]. The acronym used to define the type of membrane reactor applied at the reactor level can be set up as shown in Figure 10.4. The membrane reactor is abbreviated as MR and is placed at the end of the acronym. Because the word membrane suggests that it is permselective, an N is included in the acronym in case it is nonpermselective. When the membrane is inherently catalytically active, or a thin catalytic film is deposited on top of the membrane, a C (catalytic) is included. When catalytic activity is present besides the membrane, additional letters can be included to indicate the appearance of the catalyst, for example, packed bed (PB) or fluidized bed (FB). In the case of an inert and nonpermselective... 

Reactors with a packed bed of catalyst are identical to those for gas-liquid reactions filled with inert packing. Trickle-bed reactors are probably the most commonly used reactors with a fixed bed of catalyst. A draft-tube reactor (loop reactor) can contain a catalytic packing (see Fig. 5.4-9) inside the central tube. Stmctured catalysts similar to structural packings in distillation and absorption columns or in static mixers, which are characterized by a low pressure drop, can also be inserted into the draft tube. Recently, a monolithic reactor (Fig. 5.4-11) has been developed, which is an alternative to the trickle-bed reactor. The monolith catalyst has the shape of a block with straight narrow channels on the walls of which catalytic species are deposited. The already extremely low pressure drop by friction is compensated by gravity forces. Consequently, the pressure in the gas phase is constant over the whole height of the reactor. If needed, the gas can be recirculated internally without the necessity of using an external pump. 

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