| REACTORS: PBR: Main Menu Packed bed reactors, also known as fized bed reactors, are often used for catalytic processes. Pictured to the leftis a feed bed reactor used in a synthetic process GENERAL INFORMATION EQUIPMENT DESIGN USAGE EXAMPLES: ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES REFERENCES AT (Courtesy of O'Cormar Tanks Ltd., Toraao, thastio} BACK TO PREVIOUS MENU| REACTORS: PBR: General Information Packed bed reactors consist of a cylindrical shell with convex heads Most are vertical, and allow reactants to flow by gravity Inside the reactor 1s an immobilized, or fired, bed of catalyst. Packed bed reactors are heterogeneous reaction systems The picture on the right shows an apparatus used to study flow through a packed column (Courtesy of Annfield Inc., Denicom, 1A) BACK TO PREVIOUS MENU PAGE 1 OF 1| REACTORS: PBR: Equipment Design The animation on the left shows the basic operation of a packed bed reactor. The reactants (green) enter the reactor on the top, then flow through Upon entenng the reactor the reactants flow through the packed bed of catalyst By contacting with the catalyst pellets, the reactants react to form products (blue), which then exit the reactor on the bottom. Mote the concentration gradient wathin the reactor. BACK TO PREVIOUS MENU PAGE 1 OF2(Courtesy of Srup-Tite, Inc, Erie DA) BACK TO PREVIOUS MENU When designing a packed bed reactor one rust take into account the active life of the catalyst. This will affect the length of time a bed of catalyst may be used and thus how long the reactor may be nun before the catalyst needs to be regenerated Catalyst pellets are usually granular, with diameters from 1- Simm. They can be loaded mto the reactor in several ways, as a single bed, separate shells, or in tubes The picture to the left shows several types of catalysts, Catalysts are typically thade from tuckel copper, osmmm, platinum, and rhodiam. << iast] PAGE 2 OF 2| REACTORS: PBR: Advantages/Disadvantages ADVANTAGES - High conversion rate per weight of catalyst - Easy to build - More contact between reactant and catalyst than in other types of reactors - More product ts formed due to mcreased reactant/catalyst contact - Low cost of construction, operation, and maintenance - Effective at igh temperatures and pressures DISADVANTAGES - Difficult temperature control. - Temperature gradients may occur. - Catalyst difficult to replace. - Channeling of gas stream can occur, leading to meffective regions in the reactor. - Side reactions possible. - Heat transfer to or from reactor can be difficult BACK TO PREVIOUS MENU PAGE 1 OF 1