Analysis of Particle-Resolved CFD Results for Dispersion in Packed Beds

Abstract

Dispersion is the spreading of a solute while it is moved by a flowing medium. The study of dispersion in catalytic chemical reactors is fundamental to their design, since dispersion influences the reactant and product transport within the bed. In this paper, longitudinal and transverse dispersion of an inert tracer in slender packed beds of spheres and spherocylinders is studied using Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations. The focus is on the analysis of dispersion from full field data. The purpose is to develop a methodology that can later also be used to characterize dispersion from full field experimental data such as MRI measurements. Results obtained by means of particle-resolved CFD simulations are discussed. Spatial distributions and residence times are analyzed and the results are interpreted by comparison to results obtained from 1D and 2D convection-diffusion equations.