Work

Study of the Ignition Behavior in Slender Packed Bed Reactors Using Direct Numerical Simulation and 1D Phenomenological Models

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Packed bed reactors are widely used in the chemical process industry. This study compares particle-resolved computational fluid dynamics (PR-CFD) with 1D models to analyze ignition phenomena in slender packed beds under varying column-to-particle ratios ( N = 7, 5.25, 4.2), Reynolds numbers ( Re = 20, 50, 100), and Thiele moduli (ϕ 0 = 0.5, 1.0, 3.0). Higher inlet velocity produces weaker ignition, whereas the opposite is found for faster reactions. In adiabatic operation, ignition location is independent of N, whereas in wall-cooled cases, lower N shifts ignition downstream and reduces its intensity. Three ignition regimes are identified: no ignition, downstream ignition, and inlet ignition. While the 1D model captures ignition behavior in adiabatic cases, it fails in wall-cooled conditions due to its inability to resolve radial profiles and intraparticle temperature asymmetry. These findings quantify the intrinsic failure modes of 1D models under wall-cooled conditions and identify when higher-dimensional models become necessary.

Source: Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research

DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.5c02946

Authors: C. M. Y. Claassen, M. W. Baltussen, E. A. J. F. Peters, J. A. M. Kuipers

Institution: Eindhoven University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Heat and Mass Transfer in Porous Media

Subfield: Computational Mechanics

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: Toegepaste en Technische Wetenschappen, NWO, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek

Awards: G5650381969, Reactive gas-liquid two-phase flow in porous media