Structure-Resolved CFD Simulations of Different Catalytic Structures in a Packed Bed

Structure-resolved simulations of fluid flow, heat transfer, and chemical reactions were performed to understand the effect of different catalytic structures on reactor performance using methane steam reforming reac-tions. For this purpose, 7-hole pellets, monolith, and foam structure with the same geometric surface area and volume were considered for a rational comparison. The monolith offered the lowest Delta P, whereas the foam gave the highest CH4 conversion. However, the monolith gave the best CH4 conversion to Delta P ratio. The effect of different catalytic structures on catalyst deactivation was investigated using propane dehydrogenation reactions. The monolith gave the highest propane conversion and also the lowest propene yield because of faster catalyst deactivation compared to the other catalytic structures. On the other hand, the propane conversion and propene yield were slightly lower for the foam compared to that for the 7-hole pellets. The present work provides quantitative comparison between the catalytic structure and the overall reactor performance.