APPROXIMATE MODELS APPLICATION FOR MODELLING OF FIXED BED REACTORS

Abstract

The approximate linear driving-force model which is typical and commonly used for diffusion processes, fails in the case of diffusion with reaction processes (e.g. heterogeneous catalysis). This results from the rapidity of the mass transfer for processes with chemical reaction. A method based on a solution for a single catalyst pellet has been used to evaluate coefficients of the mentioned approximate formula. The application of this formula for modeling of an isothermal fixed-bed reactor with non-linear kinetic rate is presented. Accuracy of the proposed model is very good. The error does not exceed 0.02 for the steady state.