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Advantage of the single pellet string reactor for testing real-size industrial pellets of potassium-doped CoMnAl catalyst for the decomposition of N2O

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Abstract

Two tubular laboratory reactors, the single pellet string reactor (i.d. = 0.55 cm) and the fixed bed reactor (i.d. = 5 cm) were compared on the basis of laboratory experiments of N2O catalytic decomposition and measurements of residence time distribution curves. K/Co4MnAlOx mixed oxide in the form of cylinders (5.1 mm × 5.1 mm) was used as a catalyst. The influence of external diffusion, deviation from plug flow and influence of axial dispersion on N2O conversion obtained in both reactors were discussed. The influence of macroscopic phenomena on the rate of catalytic reaction was significantly lower in the single pellet string reactor, which predetermined it as a suitable laboratory reactor for testing of real-size industrial catalysts. Experimentally obtained results were confirmed by mathematical modeling.

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Abbreviations

C A :

Concentration of component A (N2O) (mol m−3)

\(C_{{A_{0} }}\) :

Initial concentration of component A (N2O) (mol m−3)

D eff :

Effective diffusion coefficient (m2 s−1)

\(\bar{D}\) :

Overall diffusivity (m2 s−1)

D k :

Knudsen diffusivity (m2 s−1)

D ij :

Binary diffusion coefficient of molecular diffusivity (m2 s−1)

d k :

Catalyst particle diameter (m)

dm :

Weight of catalyst (kg)

k :

Kinetic constant, 1st order rate law (m3 s−1 kg−1)

k c :

Mass transfer coefficient (m s−1)

M i :

Molar weight of compound i (g mol−1)

Pe :

Peclet number

p :

Pressure (Pa)

q :

Tortuosity

Re :

Reynolds number

r p :

Catalyst particle radius (m)

r 0 :

Catalyst pore radius (m)

Sh :

Sherwood number

Sc :

Schmidt number

\(\bar{t}\) :

The mean of the tracer curve

\(\dot{V}\) :

Volumetric flow (m3 s−1)

v :

Superficial velocity (m s−1)

\(\left( {\sum v } \right)\) :

Diffusion volume

V :

Volume of the catalyst bed (m3)

w :

Reaction rate per unit volume of catalyst bed (mol m−3 s−1)

X A :

Conversion of component A (N2O)

x i :

Molar fraction of i compound

y :

Concentration of Ar in He in the reactors outlet

y 0 :

Concentrations of Ar in He in the reactors inlet

μ :

Dynamic viscosity of gas (Pa.s)

η :

Internal effectiveness factor

Ω :

Overall effectiveness factor

Φ :

Thiele modul

γ i :

Stoichiometric coefficient of component i (N2O)

\(\varepsilon\) :

Porosity of catalyst bed

\(\varepsilon_{p}\) :

Porosity of catalyst particle

\(\sigma_{f}^{2}\) :

Variance of a tracer curve (\({\text{F}}(t/\bar{t})\))

\(\sigma_{t}^{2}\) :

Variance of a tracer curve (F(t))

ρ b :

Bulk density of the catalyst bed (kg m−3)

ρ C :

Bulk density of the catalyst (kg m−3)

ρ :

Density of gas (kg m−3)

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Czech Science Foundation (project GA14-13750S) and by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic in the “National Feasibility Program I”, project LO1208 “Theoretical Aspects of Energetic Treatment of Waste and Environment Protection against Negative Impacts” and by project of specific research SP2014/48 and SP2015/125.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environmental Technology, VŠB - Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, Ostrava, Czech Republic

    Anna Klyushina, Kateřina Pacultová & Lucie Obalová

  2. Faculty of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, VŠB - Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, Ostrava, Czech Republic

    Lucie Obalová

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  1. Anna Klyushina
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  2. Kateřina Pacultová
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Correspondence to Lucie Obalová.

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Klyushina, A., Pacultová, K. & Obalová, L. Advantage of the single pellet string reactor for testing real-size industrial pellets of potassium-doped CoMnAl catalyst for the decomposition of N2O. Reac Kinet Mech Cat 115, 651–662 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11144-015-0871-y

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