Hydrodynamics, mass transfer, and hydrogenation performance of a HiGee‐aided fixed bed reactor

Abstract

Microbubble shows great potential for hydrogenation reaction in fixed bed reactors (FBRs). However, the lack of understanding of the hydrodynamic behaviors of microbubble swarm in FBR limits the reactor design. In this work, a pilot‐scale HiGee‐aided fixed bed reactor (HFBR), including a HiGee microbubble generator (HMG) and a catalyst bed, has been developed and then applied for poly alpha olefin 4 (PAO 4) hydrogenation. An empirical correlation of Sauter mean diameter (d32) of microbubbles at the inlet and outlet of catalyst bed was established. The gas holdup (φb) of catalyst bed with HMG was 5–10 times higher than that without HMG. Based on d32 and φb, the effective interfacial area in HFBR was calculated as 2000–6000 m2/m3. Compared with static mixer‐aided fixed bed reactor, the aromatic content of PAO 4 hydrogenated in the HFBR was 56%–69% lower, which shows bright future for industrial application.