Structured folded-plate reactor for CO preferential oxidation

EDUARDO LÓPEZ; GRIGORIOS KOLIOS; GERHART EIGENBERGER

INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMICAL RESEARCH

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Lugar: Washington; Año: 2005 vol. 44 p. 9659 - 9667

0888-5885

An Au/-Fe2O3-γ-Al2O3 catalyst (0.96% w/w of Au and 4.8% of Fe2O3) was tested for activity and selectivity in an isothermal flat-bed reactor. Very good activity and selectivity values were measured for different operation temperatures and compositions. The reaction rate parameters of carbon monoxide and hydrogen oxidation were fitted. Activation energies of 11 and 36.9 kJ/mol for CO and H2 oxidation respectively were obtained. A folded-plate reactor concept with three side- and one front-port for air injection has been proposed to carry out the PrOx reaction. By means of a mathematical model of the reactor, design and optimization studies were conducted. Simulation results indicate a remarkable uniformity of the axial temperature profile in the reactor. For the calculated heat transfer parameters, a reactor configuration with only one air-side-feed injection port, is the preferred design, combining good operation performance, simplicity of design and sufficient oxygen conversion. Based upon the simulation results, a folded-plate reactor for CO-PrOx has been built up and is presently under test for an experimental proof of concept.