Modelling a reverse flow reactor for the catalytic combustion of fugitive methane emissions

This paper describes the development and validation of a computer simulator for the modelling of a reverse flow catalytic reactor for the combustion of lean mixtures of methane in air. The simulator uses a heterogeneous two dimensional model for the reactor. The reactor uses a packed bed for catalytic sections and ceramic monoliths for inert sections, although the simulator is written in a general fashion so that any combination of packing can be used, in any desired variety. Validation is performed using a 200 mm internal diameter reactor over various flowrates and methane concentrations. The reverse flow reactor is observed to yield stable auto-thermal operation even for low methane concentrations. Higher methane concentrations are observed to give dual temperature peaks in the reactor. The transfer of energy is observed to be a significant factor in the reactor operation, which is shown by comparison of the heterogeneous model to a pseudo-homogeneous reactor model. The simulator can model the pilot reactor in real time for typical operating conditions. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.