Modeling catalyst effectiveness factor with space-fractional derivative using Haar wavelet collocation method

Mass transfer limitations may considerably affect the rate of a heterogeneous catalytic process. The catalyst effectiveness factor is a quantitative measure of the impact of the diffusion process inside a catalyst particle. The effectiveness factor is derived from the solution of the steady-state reaction-diffusion problem. Herein, we simulate the steady-state reaction-diffusion equation with space-fractional derivative and linear reaction kinetics. The solution to the problem is obtained numerically using the Haar wavelet collocation method. The effect of the anomalous diffusion exponent on the catalyst effectiveness factor and process parameters, e.g. reactor volume and catalyst mass, is demonstrated. We anticipate that the process efficiency will be notably improved by changing the diffusion regime from standard to superdiffusive.