IMPLEMENTATION OF RADIAL POROSITY AND VELOCITY DISTRIBUTION IN A REACTOR MODEL FOR HETEROGENEOUS CATALYTIC GAS-PHASE REACTIONS (TORUS-MODEL)

Based on experimental data of the radial porosity distribution (aquired by scanning vertical cuts of the bed), a mathematical model was developed to describe the porosity distribution in a fixed bed filled with cylindrical particles with a tube- to particle diameter ratio of 4-12. This model implements the axial and radial velocity distribution in a fixed bed, described as the effect of the porosity distribution gradient. The calculated velocity profiles were compared to experimental data (aquired with a hot wire anemometer methode). It could be shown, that in the region of 500 < Rep < 2000 the model is able to describe the radial velocity distribution and the axial development of this distribution in an adequate way. The implementation of this model in a heterogeneous reactor model (TORUS-Model) led to a better prediction of the axial and radial temperature profiles in a packed bed (measured in a cooled tubular reactor). © 1990.