(380a) Reaction Kinetics for Fluidized Bed Reactor Scale-up

Advances in catalyst technology continue to enable more energy-efficient and capital-efficient process technology in the form of fluidized-bed reactor systems. Fluidized-bed reactors are well-suited for highly endothermic and exothermic reactions over heterogeneous catalysts and reacting solids, particularly at high temperatures that give high reaction rates, as heat transfer is more efficient than in fixed bed reactors. Likewise, circulating fluidized-bed systems are useful for frequent catalyst regeneration or for operations designed to remove heat from or add heat to the circulating solids outside of the reaction zone. Often, the high intrinsic rates and transient nature of fluidized reactor systems bring measurement challenges to the early stages of the reactor design process. The fluidized bed scale-up literature is dominated by guidance on characterizing and controlling the hydrodynamic features of these systems. However, most authors implicitly assume that the reaction kinetics are known. In our experience, accurate measurements of reaction kinetics in these systems are often challenging and sometimes nearly impossible to obtain. This presentation will describe the challenges faced by reaction engineers seeking to develop kinetic models for fluidized-bed systems, share alternative approaches, and provide our opinion regarding the best options for measuring these reaction rates in laboratory-scale equipment.