CHBE 456: External Mass Transfer

Dr. Elod Gyenge

2017 W

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 External mass transfer examples for catalytic fixed bed reactors
Plug Flow Reactor: without or
Continuous
with recycle
Stirred Tank

Catalyst
Catalyst basket
basket (rotating)
(stagnant)

http://www.chemengonline.com/
catalyst-testing-design-selection-laboratory-reactors-
2/?printmode=1
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 Pressure drop due to frictional losses in a packed-bed flow reactor

Heat exchange
fluid Catalyst
P (total pressure at pellet
length z)
z
Ab cross-sectional empty bed area
W catalyst pellet weight
- bed porosity (or bed voidage)
p catalyst pellet density

P0
(total pressure L
at inlet)
Heat exchange
fluid P = P P0 < 0; expressed by the Ergun equation (see Class Notes)

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Lennard-Jones parameter - for calculation of bulk diffusion coefficients using the Chapman-Enskog equation

[J.M. Smith,
Chemical Engineering Kinetics, 1981]

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Laser holographic interferometry visualization of the bulk-phase concentration in the vicinity of a reacting surface: Cs

0.99Cb Cb
Catalyst pellet

Surface 1

Surface 2
CS

Modified by Elod Gyenge after: Advances in Colloid and Interface Science

Volume 235, September 2016, Pages 233-246 5
 D* - dispersion coefficient
- bed voidage (porosity)
U fluid superficial mean velocity
dp pellet diameter
- fluid density
D*/Udp

- fluid dynamic viscosity