Modelling of trickle bed reactors conducted under gas feed modulation.

FRANK STUBER; M. ALEJANDRA AYUDE; PATRICIA M. HAURE; J. FONT; A. FORTUNY; C. BENGOA; A. FABREGAT

Kyoto, JAPAN

Simposio; The 20th International Symposium on Chemical Reaction Engineering. Green Chemical Reaction Engineering for a Sustainable Future. Beyond the Kyoto Protocol; 2008

Steady-state and gas feed modulation modeling of a Trickle Bed Reactor was investigated for the liquid phase oxidation of phenol over a commercial activated carbon. Specifically, a dynamic non isothermal transport-reaction-adsorption model was established at pellet and reactor scale to describe the underlying phenomena occurring in phenol oxidation over activated carbon under periodic operation. To improve the model predictions, the time dependent performance of the carbon exhibited during steady and unsteady state experiments had to be incorporated in the mathematical equations. The subsequent model validation was carried out with the help of experimental data obtained under both operation modes. The so developed model was able to accurately describe experimental trends observed during steady state and gas feed modulated runs.