Local transport and reaction rates in a fixed bed reactor tube: Endothermic steam methane reforming

The results illustrate 3-D distributions of flow, temperature, species and reaction rates inside a 0.7 m length of packed tube. These show large variations on near-wall particle external surfaces, and non-symmetric distributions inside the catalyst particles on cross-sections through the bed. The detailed CFD approach allows statistical analysis of the particle-to-particle reaction rate variations, the correlation of rate with location in the bed, and the intrinsic variability of radial temperature and species mass fraction profiles. Comparisons to a 1-D reactor tube heterogeneous effective medium model showed that axial profiles of cross-sectional average temperature, species and velocity could not be reproduced using particle-fluid heat and mass transfer coefficients estimated from non-reacting simulations in the same tube. Comparisons to a 2-D reactor tube heterogeneous effective medium model showed good agreement with axial profiles if radial local void fractions and axial velocities were included in the model. Improved agreement with radial temperature profiles resulted from the model with a radially-varying effective radial thermal conductivity.