Experimental, Theoretical, and Computational Comparison of Pressure Drops Occurring in Pleated Catalyst Structure

Wahid, Sabrina; Cahela, Donald R.; Tatarchuk, Bruce J.

Experimental, Theoretical, and Computational Comparison of Pressure Drops Occurring in Pleated Catalyst Structure

2013

Wahid, Sabrina | Cahela, Donald R. | Tatarchuk, Bruce J.

Gas processing operations conducted at high velocities (e.g., filtration and catalytic reaction) require specialized media and structure to achieve the highest possible level of reaction per unit of pressure drop. Flow through a porous and pleated catalytic media (thickness 3.6 mm) was examined at 10–30 m/s face velocities. The intralayer residence times varied from 825 to 69 μs, resulting in pressure drops from 0.95 to 10.58 kPa. The catalyst particles (γ-Al₂O₃, 150–250 μm, and volume fraction of 10%) were sinter-locked into metal microfibers (Ni-200 and 8 μm dia.). The critical pressure drop was determined and compared theoretically, computationally, and experimentally for both flat as well as pleated structures. For theoretical modeling, the porous media permeability (PMP) equation, which is a modified Ergun equation, was altered by a factor for dealing with the dimensional heterogeneity created by the fibers and particles, Reynolds number and shape factor dependent form drag coefficient, and a pleat factor for estimating decreased face velocities inside the media of the pleated geometry. For computational modeling, simulations were performed by ANSYS FLUENT to provide integral flow characteristics.

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