Fixed bed catalytic reactor modellinguthe radial heat transfer problem

An interpretation of the state-of-the-art in modelling radial heat transfer in fixed bed catalytic reactors is presented. The persistence of the classical krhw model is discussed, problems with typical approaches to obtaining and analysing experimental heat transfer data to get kr and hw are explained, current correlations for kr are evaluated and the contentious history of hw is elaborated. A brief discussion of alternatives to the krhw approach and their pros and cons is attempted, and the review is concluded by a look at computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in fixed bed radial heat transfer modelling. (C) 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering