Reactors, Kinetics, and Catalysis

Temperature wave-trains of periodically forced networks of catalytic reactors

  1. Pietro Altimari1,*,
  2. Erasmo Mancusi2,*,
  3. Lucia Russo3,
  4. Silvestro Crescitelli4

Article first published online: 22 MAR 2011

DOI: 10.1002/aic.12601

Issue

AIChE Journal

AIChE Journal

Volume 58, Issue 3, pages 899–913, March 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Altimari, P., Mancusi, E., Russo, L. and Crescitelli, S. (2012), Temperature wave-trains of periodically forced networks of catalytic reactors. AIChE J., 58: 899–913. doi: 10.1002/aic.12601

Author Information

  1. 1

    Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica e Alimentare, Università di Salerno, Via Ponte Don Melillo, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy

  2. 2

    Facoltà di Ingegneria, Università del Sannio, Piazza Roma, 82100, Benevento, Italy

  3. 3

    CNR, Istituto di Ricerca sulla Combustione, P.le Tecchio 80, Napoli, 80125, Italy

  4. 4

    Dipartimento d'Ingegneria Chimica, Università “Federico II” Piazzale Tecchio 80, I-80125 Napoli, Italy

*Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica e Alimentare Università di Salerno, Via Ponte Don Melillo, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 6 FEB 2012
  2. Article first published online: 22 MAR 2011
  3. Accepted manuscript online: 25 FEB 2011 09:58AM EST
  4. Manuscript Revised: 10 FEB 2011
  5. Manuscript Received: 3 APR 2010

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Keywords:

  • pattern formation;
  • symmetric spatiotemporal patterns;
  • periodically forced reactors;
  • loop reactor;
  • simulated moving bed;
  • networks of reactors;
  • temperature fronts;
  • wave trains

Abstract

Networks of N identical catalytic reactors with periodically switched inlet and outlet sections are studied for first-order irreversible exothermic reactions. Switching strategies with inlet and outlet sections periodically jumping a fixed number ns of reactors are considered and the mechanisms governing the formation of traveling temperature wave-trains are analyzed as ns and N are varied. To this aim, a geometric approach to the analysis of the network energy balance is developed. Based on this approach, infinite domains of traveling temperature wave-trains are predicted for any ns and N. Analytical approximations are derived for the stability limits and the spatiotemporal patterns of these regimes. Stability boundaries predicted analytically include for any solution the largest part of the stability region computed by numerical simulation. Moreover, good agreement is found between the structure of the spatiotemporal patterns computed numerically and that predicted based on the proposed approach. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012

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