TY - JOUR
T1 - Multiscale modeling of fixed-bed reactors with porous (open-cell foam) non-spherical particles
T2 - Hydrodynamics
AU - Das, S.
AU - Deen, N.G.
AU - Kuipers, J.A.M.
PY - 2018/2/15
Y1 - 2018/2/15
N2 - An accurate numerical model is proposed to simulate flow through cylindrical fixed-bed reactors with randomly packed porous non-spherical particles. The length scale for flow outside the porous particles (made of open-cell foam) is O(102) higher than the size of the internal micro-pores of the particles. To capture the flow at these two different length scales, a multiscale modeling approach, derived using volume averaging theory (VAT), is developed. The flow through and around the porous particles is computed as a single hydrodynamic field in a Cartesian computational domain. The flow within the inter-particle space is fully resolved, whereas, flow at the scale of the intra-particle micro-pores is not resolved and instead represented by closure terms. Random packings of cubic and cuboid particles in cylindrical columns of different diameter are generated using a glued-sphere Discrete Element Method (DEM) approach. The packing structures for different particle-column combinations are analysed. The effects of particle size/shape, column diameter and internal porosity of the particles on the overall pressure drop and flow distribution are investigated. The macroscopic Reynolds number (based on the particle equivalent diameter and the superficial velocity of the bed) is varied from 0.1 to 400. The effect of Reynolds number on pressure drop is analyzed, as well as the reduction in pressure drop due to the presence of the intra-particle pores. In addition, our numerical simulations have helped to elucidate the detailed fluid-solid interaction in complex bi-disperse, dual porosity porous media.
AB - An accurate numerical model is proposed to simulate flow through cylindrical fixed-bed reactors with randomly packed porous non-spherical particles. The length scale for flow outside the porous particles (made of open-cell foam) is O(102) higher than the size of the internal micro-pores of the particles. To capture the flow at these two different length scales, a multiscale modeling approach, derived using volume averaging theory (VAT), is developed. The flow through and around the porous particles is computed as a single hydrodynamic field in a Cartesian computational domain. The flow within the inter-particle space is fully resolved, whereas, flow at the scale of the intra-particle micro-pores is not resolved and instead represented by closure terms. Random packings of cubic and cuboid particles in cylindrical columns of different diameter are generated using a glued-sphere Discrete Element Method (DEM) approach. The packing structures for different particle-column combinations are analysed. The effects of particle size/shape, column diameter and internal porosity of the particles on the overall pressure drop and flow distribution are investigated. The macroscopic Reynolds number (based on the particle equivalent diameter and the superficial velocity of the bed) is varied from 0.1 to 400. The effect of Reynolds number on pressure drop is analyzed, as well as the reduction in pressure drop due to the presence of the intra-particle pores. In addition, our numerical simulations have helped to elucidate the detailed fluid-solid interaction in complex bi-disperse, dual porosity porous media.
KW - Bi-disperse porous medium
KW - Glued-sphere Discrete Element Method (DEM)
KW - Packed bed reactor
KW - Packing generation
KW - Perfusion
KW - Volume averaging theory (VAT)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85033581665&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.cej.2017.10.047
DO - 10.1016/j.cej.2017.10.047
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85033581665
SN - 1385-8947
VL - 334
SP - 741
EP - 759
JO - Chemical Engineering Journal
JF - Chemical Engineering Journal
ER -