Engineering Commons^™

Parametric Study Of Unsteady-State Flow Modulation In Trickle-Bed Reactors, M. R. Khadilkar, M. (Muthanna) H. Al-Dahhan, M. P. Duduković

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Unsteady-State Liquid Flow Modulation (Periodic Operation) Was Investigated for Hydrogenation of Alpha-Methylstyrene to Cumene in a Hexane Solvent over 0.5% Pd on Alumina Spheres. This Test Reaction Was Run under Both Gas and Liquid Reactant-Limited Conditions. It is Shown that Periodic Liquid Flow Modulation Can Alter the Supply of Liquid and Gaseous Reactants to the Catalyst and Result in Reactor Performance Different from that Obtained under Steady-State Conditions. the Effect of Key Parameters Such as Extent of Gas/liquid Limitation, Total Cycle Period, Cycle Split, and Liquid Mass Velocity Were Investigated Experimentally to Demonstrate the Cause-Effect Relationships in Periodic Operation. Performance …