Design and Simulation to Create a Uniform Concentration Distribution in Fixed Bed Catalytic Reactor Using a Static Mixer

Abstract

In fixed bed reactor, catalyst particles are in different sizes and are randomly scattered in bed which led to the non-uniform flow pattern. Thus, non-uniform access of reactants to the catalytic surfaces will lead to a sharp fall in overall performance of reactor. Pressure drop and high energy consumption are among other problems that experts and artisans are faced with it in terms of a fixed bed reactor. In his study, it is noted to the simulation of concentration distribution in two porous catalytic fixed bed reactors to investigate the heterogeneous catalysis of nitrogen, one of the reactors is equipped with a static mixer. According to the results, we can see in the reactor without using of static mixer, the reaction components are not evenly distributed within the catalyst bed. This is when the static mixer makes the uniform concentration distribution of particles in the catalyst bed before entering particles to the catalyst bed. So it can be concluded. The use of a small static mixer or a few baffles in fixed bed catalytic reactor, in addition to stable and uniform concentration distribution of the catalyst bed and reduce dead space, as well as the highest purity of the material produced in the catalyst bed, the system performance will be increased as much as 20 percent.