Heat Transfer in Packed Bed Elliptic-Cylindrical Reactor: The Geometry Effect

Abstract

This work aims to develop a transient three-dimensional mathematical model to predict the temperature distribution in a fixed-bed elliptical cylindrical reactor to different geometric aspect ratio (L2/L1=1.5, 2.0 and 3.0). The model considers variable thermo-physical properties, a flat temperature profile at the fluid inlet, as well as a variable porosity model. The governing equation is solved using the finite volume method, coupled with WUDS interpolation scheme and fully implicit method. Results of the temperature profile along the reactor are presented and discussed at different times. As results, it was found that the maximum rate of heat transfer within the reactor occurs near the minor half-axis region of the ellipse (cross-section area of the reactor) and it intensifies over time and that the dimensionless temperature profile is practically unchanged with the aspect ratio.

Transferência de calor em Reator Cilíndrico Elíptico de leito fixo via modelo heterogêneo: efeito da forma das partículas do leito poroso

“…Nesta pesquisa o fluido 1 é o ar enquanto o fluido 2 é a água. Trata-se de uma pesquisa puramente teórica de caráter predominantemente quantitativo, que se baseia em trabalhos reportados na literatura (Oliveira et al, 2020;Pereira et al, 2018;Pereira et al, 2020;Pereira et al, 2021;Silva Filho, 2013;Silva, 2018;Silva et al 2018, Silva et al, 2019 Fonte: Autores (2020).…”

“…Apesar da relevância do estudo de transferência de calor em reatores de leito fixo, existem ainda algumas limitações quanto ao uso de certas geometrias e ao modelo matemático pseudo-homogêneo, porém ambos tem sido frequentemente usados (Oliveira et al, 2008;Silva Filho, 2013;Silva, 2018;Silva et al 2018, Silva et al, 2019. Portanto, este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar o transporte de calor em um reator de leito fixo com uma geometria cilíndrica elíptica utilizando o modelo heterogêneo (ou modelo de duas fases), considerando o leito formado por partículas com a forma esferoidal prolata.…”

Heat Transfer in Fixed Bed Elliptic Cylindrical Reactor via Two-Phase Model

“…Despite the importance of the heat transfer study in fixed-bed reactors, the pseudo-homogeneous model has been frequently used, both in circular [1,2] and in elliptic [3][4][5][6][7] geometries. In this sense, the objective of this work was to study the heat transfer in a fixed bed reactor with an elliptical cylindrical geometry using the two-phase (heterogeneous) model.…”