Experimental and computational study of catalytic conversion in open-cell foam catalytic reactors

Experimental and computational study of catalytic conversion in open-cell foam catalytic reactors
1st promotor: Prof. Hans Kuipers
1st supervisor and co-promotor: Assistant Prof. Fernanda Neira D’Angelo
2nd supervisor and co-promotor: Assistant Prof. Frank Peters
Affiliation: Eindhoven University of Technology
Research theme: Smart Biomass Conversion

In a typical catalytic reactor reactants enter as a fluid and chemical conversion takes place at catalytic sites that are immobilized on a solid. In conventional packed columns the solids volume fraction is high and, thus, pressure losses are significant. An open-cell foam is an attractive alternative for particle packings. It has a low flow resistance due to its open structure. In a laboratory setting this catalytic carrier has superior properties compared to conventional packings. In the current project we will investigate its potential for industrial scale reactors.

To assess this we will perform an upscaling study. A lab-scale setup will be used to characterize the performance of open-cell foam for a model reaction. Within a multi-scale framework the measurements will also be used to validate a computational model that is used to develop closure relations for momentum, mass and heat transfer. Second, the preparation of coated open-cell foams for large scale reactors will be studied. A mid-scale reactor will be build and characterized. Simultaneously a large scale reactor model, using the closure relations will be developed, validated and deployed. The final aim is to assess the applicability of open-cell foams for industrial scale processes such as biomass conversion.

Keywords:

• Open-cell foam
• Catalytic reactor
• Upscaling
• Reactor performance
• Multi-scale modelling