Simulation Study of Radial Heat and Mass Transfer Inside a Fixed Bed Catalytic Reactor
A rigorous two-dimensional model is developed for simulating the operation of a less-investigated type steam reformer having a considerably lower operating Reynolds number, higher tube diameter, and non-availability of extra steam in the feed compared with conventional steam reformers. Simulation results show that reasonable predictions can only be achieved when certain correlations for wall to fluid heat transfer equations are applied. Due to severe operating conditions, in all cases, strong radial temperature gradients inside the reformer tubes have been found. Furthermore, the results show how a certain catalyst loading profile will affect the operation of the reformer.
[1] Akers, W. W., Camp, D.P., "Kinetics of the Methane-Steam Reaction",
AIChE. J. 4 (1955) 471-474.
[2] Beek, J., "Advances in Chemical Engineering", Vol. 3, Academic Press,
New York (1962).
[3] Borkink, J. G. H., Westerterp, K. R., "Influence of Tube and Particle
Diameter on Heat Transfer in Packed Beds", AIChE. J. 38 (1992) 703-
715.
[4] Daubert, T.E., Danner, R.P., Design Institute for Physical Property Data,
American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Hemispher Publishing
(1991).
[5] De Deken, J. C., Devos, E. F., Froment, G. F., "Steam Reforming of
Natural Gas: Intrinsic Kinetics, Diffusional Influences, and Reactor
Design", Chemical Reaction Engineering, ACS Symp. Ser., 196, Boston
(1982).
[6] Derkx, O. R., Dixon, A. G.," Determination of the Fixed Bed Wall Heat
Transfer Coefficient using Computational Fluid Dynamics", Numer.
Heat Transfer, Part A, 29 (1996) 777-785.
[7] Design and Construction of a Methanol Pilot Plant Based on Reforming
Technology, National Iranian Petrochemical Company (NIPC) Project
NO. 81118018, Iran (2005).
[8] Dixon, A.G., Nijemeisland, M., Stitt., E.H, "CFD Study of Heat Transfer
near and at the Wall of a Fixed Bed Reactor Tube: Effect of Wall
Conduction", Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 44 (2005).
[9] Elnashaie, S. S. E. H., Soliman, M.A., Al-Ubaid, A.S., Adris, A., "On
the Non-monotonic Behavior of Methane-Steam Reforming Kinetics",
Chem. Eng. Sci., 45 (1990) 491-501.
[10] Ergun, S., "Fluid Flow through Packed Beds" Chem. Eng. Prog. 48
(1952) 89-94.
[11] Farhadi, F., Motamed Hashemi, M.M.Y., Bahrami Babaheidari, M.,
"Modeling and Simulation of Syngas Unit in Large Scale Direct
Reduction Plant", Ironmaking and Steelmaking, 30 (2003) 35-41.
[12] Filla, M., "An Improved Roesler-type Flux Method for Radiative Heat
Transfer in One-dimensional Furnaces", Chem. Eng. Sci. 39 (1984) 159-
161.
[13] Froment, G. F., Bischoff, K. B., Chemical Reactor Analysis and Design,
Wiley, New York (1990).
[14] Golebiowski, A., Wasala, T., "Thermal Processes in Catalytic
Reforming of Methane with Water Vapor", International Chem. Eng.,
13 (1973) 133-139.
[15] Gunn, D. J., "Axial and Radial Dispersion in Fixed Beds", Chem. Eng.
Sci. 42 (1987) 363-373.
[16] Hyman, M.H., "Simulate Methane Reformer Reactions", Hydrocarbon.
Process. , 49 (1968) 131-137.
[17] Kvamsdal, H. M., Svendsen, H. F., Olsvik, O., "Dynamic simulation and
Optimization of a Catalytic Steam Reformer", Chem. Eng. Sci. 54
(1999) 2697-2706.
[18] Li, C., Finlayson, A., "Heat Transfer in Packed Beds-A Reevaluation",
Chem. Eng. Sci. 32 (1977) 1055-1066.
[19] Logtenberg, S. A., Dixon, A. G., "Computational Fluid Dynamics
Studies of the Effects of Temperature-Dependent Physical Properties on
Fixed-Bed Heat Transfer", Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 37 (1998) 739-747.
[20] Murty, V.S., Murthy, M.V.K., "Modeling and simulation of a top-fired
reformer",Ind. Eng. Chem. Res 27 (1988) 1832-1840.
[21] Pedenera, M. N., Pina, J., Borio, D.O., Bucala, V., "Use of a
Heterogeneous Two-dimensional Model to Improve the Primary Steam
Reformer Performance", Chem. Eng. J. 94 (2003) 29-40.
[22] Rajesh, J.K., Gupta, S.K., Ray, A.K., "Multiobjective optimization of
steam reformer performance using genetic algorithm", Ind. Eng. Chem.
Res. 39 (2000) 706-717.
[23] Ravi, K., Joshi, Y. K., Guha, B. K., "Simulation of Primary and
Secondary Reformers for Improved Energy Performance of an
Ammonia Plant", Chem. Eng. Technol. 12 (1989) 358-364.
[24] Roesler, F.C., "Theory of radiative heat transfer in co-current tube
furnaces", Chem. Eng. Sci. 22 (1967) 1325-1336.
[25] Rostrup-Nielsen, J. R., Catalysis. Sci. Technology, Vol IV, Springer,
Berlin (1984).
[26] Sadri, M., Vakhshouri, K., Motamed Hashemi, M. M. Y, "Coke
Formation Possibility during the Production of Reducing Gas in Large
Scale Direct Reduction Plant", Ironmaking and Steelmaking, 34 (2007) .
[27] Singh, C. P. P., Saraf, D. N., "Simulation of side-fired hydrocarbon
reformers", Ind. Eng. Chem. Process. Des. Dev 18 (1979) 1-7.
[28] Tallmadge, J. A., "Packed Bed Pressure Drop-An Extension to Higher
Reynolds Numbers", AIChE. J. 19 (1970) 1092-1093.
[29] Dixon, A. G., "Wall and Particle -Shape Effects on Heat Transfer In
Packed Beds Transfer in Fixed Beds at Very Low Tube-to-Particle
Diameter Ratio", Chem. Eng. Communication, 71 (1988) 217-237.
[30] Dixon, A. G., "Heat Transfer in Fixed Beds at Very Low Tube-to-
Particle Diameter Ratio", Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 36 (1997) 3053-3064.
[1] Akers, W. W., Camp, D.P., "Kinetics of the Methane-Steam Reaction",
AIChE. J. 4 (1955) 471-474.
[2] Beek, J., "Advances in Chemical Engineering", Vol. 3, Academic Press,
New York (1962).
[3] Borkink, J. G. H., Westerterp, K. R., "Influence of Tube and Particle
Diameter on Heat Transfer in Packed Beds", AIChE. J. 38 (1992) 703-
715.
[4] Daubert, T.E., Danner, R.P., Design Institute for Physical Property Data,
American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Hemispher Publishing
(1991).
[5] De Deken, J. C., Devos, E. F., Froment, G. F., "Steam Reforming of
Natural Gas: Intrinsic Kinetics, Diffusional Influences, and Reactor
Design", Chemical Reaction Engineering, ACS Symp. Ser., 196, Boston
(1982).
[6] Derkx, O. R., Dixon, A. G.," Determination of the Fixed Bed Wall Heat
Transfer Coefficient using Computational Fluid Dynamics", Numer.
Heat Transfer, Part A, 29 (1996) 777-785.
[7] Design and Construction of a Methanol Pilot Plant Based on Reforming
Technology, National Iranian Petrochemical Company (NIPC) Project
NO. 81118018, Iran (2005).
[8] Dixon, A.G., Nijemeisland, M., Stitt., E.H, "CFD Study of Heat Transfer
near and at the Wall of a Fixed Bed Reactor Tube: Effect of Wall
Conduction", Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 44 (2005).
[9] Elnashaie, S. S. E. H., Soliman, M.A., Al-Ubaid, A.S., Adris, A., "On
the Non-monotonic Behavior of Methane-Steam Reforming Kinetics",
Chem. Eng. Sci., 45 (1990) 491-501.
[10] Ergun, S., "Fluid Flow through Packed Beds" Chem. Eng. Prog. 48
(1952) 89-94.
[11] Farhadi, F., Motamed Hashemi, M.M.Y., Bahrami Babaheidari, M.,
"Modeling and Simulation of Syngas Unit in Large Scale Direct
Reduction Plant", Ironmaking and Steelmaking, 30 (2003) 35-41.
[12] Filla, M., "An Improved Roesler-type Flux Method for Radiative Heat
Transfer in One-dimensional Furnaces", Chem. Eng. Sci. 39 (1984) 159-
161.
[13] Froment, G. F., Bischoff, K. B., Chemical Reactor Analysis and Design,
Wiley, New York (1990).
[14] Golebiowski, A., Wasala, T., "Thermal Processes in Catalytic
Reforming of Methane with Water Vapor", International Chem. Eng.,
13 (1973) 133-139.
[15] Gunn, D. J., "Axial and Radial Dispersion in Fixed Beds", Chem. Eng.
Sci. 42 (1987) 363-373.
[16] Hyman, M.H., "Simulate Methane Reformer Reactions", Hydrocarbon.
Process. , 49 (1968) 131-137.
[17] Kvamsdal, H. M., Svendsen, H. F., Olsvik, O., "Dynamic simulation and
Optimization of a Catalytic Steam Reformer", Chem. Eng. Sci. 54
(1999) 2697-2706.
[18] Li, C., Finlayson, A., "Heat Transfer in Packed Beds-A Reevaluation",
Chem. Eng. Sci. 32 (1977) 1055-1066.
[19] Logtenberg, S. A., Dixon, A. G., "Computational Fluid Dynamics
Studies of the Effects of Temperature-Dependent Physical Properties on
Fixed-Bed Heat Transfer", Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 37 (1998) 739-747.
[20] Murty, V.S., Murthy, M.V.K., "Modeling and simulation of a top-fired
reformer",Ind. Eng. Chem. Res 27 (1988) 1832-1840.
[21] Pedenera, M. N., Pina, J., Borio, D.O., Bucala, V., "Use of a
Heterogeneous Two-dimensional Model to Improve the Primary Steam
Reformer Performance", Chem. Eng. J. 94 (2003) 29-40.
[22] Rajesh, J.K., Gupta, S.K., Ray, A.K., "Multiobjective optimization of
steam reformer performance using genetic algorithm", Ind. Eng. Chem.
Res. 39 (2000) 706-717.
[23] Ravi, K., Joshi, Y. K., Guha, B. K., "Simulation of Primary and
Secondary Reformers for Improved Energy Performance of an
Ammonia Plant", Chem. Eng. Technol. 12 (1989) 358-364.
[24] Roesler, F.C., "Theory of radiative heat transfer in co-current tube
furnaces", Chem. Eng. Sci. 22 (1967) 1325-1336.
[25] Rostrup-Nielsen, J. R., Catalysis. Sci. Technology, Vol IV, Springer,
Berlin (1984).
[26] Sadri, M., Vakhshouri, K., Motamed Hashemi, M. M. Y, "Coke
Formation Possibility during the Production of Reducing Gas in Large
Scale Direct Reduction Plant", Ironmaking and Steelmaking, 34 (2007) .
[27] Singh, C. P. P., Saraf, D. N., "Simulation of side-fired hydrocarbon
reformers", Ind. Eng. Chem. Process. Des. Dev 18 (1979) 1-7.
[28] Tallmadge, J. A., "Packed Bed Pressure Drop-An Extension to Higher
Reynolds Numbers", AIChE. J. 19 (1970) 1092-1093.
[29] Dixon, A. G., "Wall and Particle -Shape Effects on Heat Transfer In
Packed Beds Transfer in Fixed Beds at Very Low Tube-to-Particle
Diameter Ratio", Chem. Eng. Communication, 71 (1988) 217-237.
[30] Dixon, A. G., "Heat Transfer in Fixed Beds at Very Low Tube-to-
Particle Diameter Ratio", Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 36 (1997) 3053-3064.
@article{"International Journal of Chemical, Materials and Biomolecular Sciences:54377", author = "K. Vakhshouri and M.M. Y. Motamed Hashemi", title = "Simulation Study of Radial Heat and Mass Transfer Inside a Fixed Bed Catalytic Reactor", abstract = "A rigorous two-dimensional model is developed for simulating the operation of a less-investigated type steam reformer having a considerably lower operating Reynolds number, higher tube diameter, and non-availability of extra steam in the feed compared with conventional steam reformers. Simulation results show that reasonable predictions can only be achieved when certain correlations for wall to fluid heat transfer equations are applied. Due to severe operating conditions, in all cases, strong radial temperature gradients inside the reformer tubes have been found. Furthermore, the results show how a certain catalyst loading profile will affect the operation of the reformer.
", keywords = "Steam reforming, direct reduction, heat transfer, two-dimensional model, simulation.", volume = "1", number = "10", pages = "93-8", }
