Effect of Catalyst Shape on Yield and Performance of Packed Beds

Design of packed bed reactors is
a challenging proposition. Experimental work to investigate the kinetics, heat
transfer and fluid flow is inseparable part of the design process. Numerical
modeling (CFD) has been also used to investigate some intangible aspects such
as the hydrodynamics of this process by resolving particle scale geometries.
Therefore such numerical simulations are themselves time consuming and
cumbersome due to the intricate geometry and meshing requirements. Recent
advances in the field of discrete element modeling (DEM) have made the
feasibility of CFD simulation of hydrodynamics somewhat less cumbersome.
 In the past, we have presented results on modeling of such reactors. This
work is now extended to look at the effects of various shapes of the catalyst
to elucidate the best choice based on velocity, species and temperature
variations along the axial direction.

This concept is then extended to
investigate catalytic foams, an alternative to fixed bed reactors. Some
preliminary work on simulating catalytic foams is presented as well.