Numerical Analysis of Heat Transfer in Particle-Bed Reactor with Fins in Chemical Heat Pump Using Ca(OHV CaO Reaction

Abstract

To evaluate the enhancement effect of radially inserted fins on the overall reaction rate and the heat transfer rate in the cylindical particle-bed reactor of a lab-scale chemical heat pump using Ca(OH)2 /CaO thermochemical reaction, two-dimensional (radial and circumferential) differential equations concerning both heat and mass transfer accompanied by exothermic hydration of CaO with steam were derived and solved numerically. The calculated results reproduced the experimental results fairly well with respect to temperature profile, reaction completion time, and exothermic heat amount released from the reactor. By this numerical analysis, two-dimensional profiles of both temperature and conversion in the reactant particle bed were predicted, and the effects of number, thickness and material of fin blades on reaction completion time were also studied. © 1992, The Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan. All rights reserved.