(59x) Advanced Two-Tip Optical Fiber Probe Technique to Local Gas and Liquid Saturation and Velocities Measurement within Various Commercial Catalyst Shapes in Pilot Plant Trickle Bed Reactors (TBRs)

Advanced two-tip optical fiber probe (OFP) was manufactured and developed in Multiphase Flows Reactor and Engineering and Applications Laboratory (mfReal) in Missouri University of Science and Technology. The OFP has been implemented to study vital hydrodynamic parameters in multiphase reactors and flow systems. OFP is promised techniques to assess different dynamic flow parameters (channeling, bypassing, phase distribution, catalyst utilization, and local phase velocity). Plexiglas transparent column with 14 cm inside diameter and 200 cm height packed within different industrial catalyst shapes (Trilobe, Quadralobe, Spherical, and Cylindrical) and wide range of gas and liquid velocities. The acquired data by OFP were validated with the data obtained by a syringe pump and x-ray digital industrial radiography (DIR). Local gas and liquid saturation represent a crucial parameter in TBRs which play a central role to predicate most the dynamic flow parameters in modeling and correlations and supply window to track the phase distribution along the height bed with diameter profile as well. Meanwhile, provide a high contribution by measuring local gas and liquid velocities which represent in high demand information for industry to support and improve heat and mass transfer coefficient study, modeling and CFD simulation as well. In the current study, the results have been showed a high capability and high reliability for OFP to measure dynamic flow parameters (local gas and liquid saturation and velocities) within different catalyst shapes. Also, a significant impact of catalyst shapes on the hydrodynamic parameters in pilot plant TBRs.