| Catalytic packed-bed reactors in which both gas and liquid flow concurrently downward are becoming more important in chemical processing, especially in the petrochemical industry. A number of experimental and theoretical studies describing the hydrodynamic phenomena of two-phase downflow through a packed-bed reactor have been published in the past twenty years. None of these discuss the simulation of a gaseous reaction producing a liquid product. One practical example of this type reactions is the Fischer-Tropsch reaction.; In this study an acrylic column, 609 cm long and 10.1 cm inside diameter, is used for experimental research. Both 5 mm glass spheres and 3.2 mm by 3.2 mm ceramic cylinders were used as packing particles. Nine discrete side streams were fed into the column to simulate the production of liquid products from a Fischer-Tropsch reaction. Flowmaps and their structure were defined. The effect of side-stream feeds on pressure drop and holdup was studied and analyzed. |
