Simulation Studies on the Performance Enhancement in Periodically Operated Trickle-Bed Reactors Based on Experimental Local Liquid Distribution Measurements

Previous simulations used to predict the enhancement in performance available through the periodic operation of trickle-bed reactors have been hampered by the use of volume-averaged models and correlations, which patently fail to describe fully the observable intricacies of the flow field and their often decisive consequences for the mass transfer and reaction behavior. NMR-tomography measurements of local liquid distribution can be utilized to ascertain the true local dynamics of catalyst particle wetting, which, in conjunction with previously developed models for periodically wetted catalyst particles, can provide both a more reliable assessment of the benefits of periodic operation and indications of geometric and other design parameters that might be modified to amplify its effects.