Sulfur removal in monolithic three-phase reactors: Model and simulation

Monolith three-phase reactors are candidate reactors for implementing the catalytic process of sulfur removal from gasoil because of the good mass transfer characteristics, low pressure drop, high geometric surface area and low axial dispersion and backmixing. An integrated approach which links momentum, mass and enthalpy transport processes in a monolith three-phase reactor under high-pressure gasoil sulfur removal conditions was proposed in this work. The two-scale, non-isothermal, unsteady-state model developed was used to analyze the effects of the catalyst loading, pressure, temperature, superficial liquid and gas velocity, reactants/products concentration on the performance of the monolith three-phase reactor. The value of the simulated behavior of the monolith reactor was discussed in the light of a sensitivity analysis of the model outputs with regard to the mass transfer parameters. The sulfur removal performance of the upflow configuration of the monolith three-phase reactor was compared with the performance of a usual trickle bed reactor operated at the same liquid space velocity based on the mass of catalyst.

► High-pressure sulfur removal process in monolith three-phase reactors.
► Two-scale (channel-washcoat/particle) model to analyze the reactors performance.
► Monolith reactor is a promising concept for hydrodesulfurization process.