Dynamics of filtration in monolith reactors using electrical capacitance tomography

The filtration of gas/(kaolin-kerosene) suspension flows in monolith reactors was monitored using electrical capacitance tomography. Two flow modulation modes (fast and semi-fast) were compared to constant-throughput feeds of the suspension in a quest for strategies for the reduction of fines accumulation. The effects of initial distribution of liquid suspension and superficial velocities, and base-pulse time splitting of flow modulation were found to affect both the structure of deposition and the amount of deposited fines. One major finding concerned dampening of liquid hydrodynamic waves generated in flow modulation which could severely limit implementation of self-cleaning fast-modulation strategies of monolith reactors subject to filtration of suspensions.