Pollutant destruction in a reverse-flow chromatographic reactor

A reverse-flow chromatographic reactor (RFCR) is a packed reactor in which the flow direction is reversed periodically and in which one of the reactants is strongly adsorbed on the catalyst. We study the performance of a RFCR used to destruct a pollutant A by a reaction with a reactant B, the emission level of which is subject to even stricter restrictions. Due to safety considerations, this reactant B is introduced in the center of the reactor. The RFCR operation enables a reduction of the regulated effluent products well below the minimum attainable under a steady-state operation of the same packed-bed reactor. Moreover, it can respond effectively to any perturbations in the pollutant feed rate and/or concentration. When the environmental regulations on the emission of B are stricter than those of A, it is often advantageous to feed slightly less B than the amount needed for complete conversion of A. We present a methodology for finding the operating conditions that lead to the minimal level of weighted emission of both A and B. A continuous feed of the reactant B is superior to operation in which the same amount of B is fed during each semi-cycle but in a non-continuous fashion.