Numerical Simulation of Liquid Flow Characteristics on a Single Spherical Particle for Trickle Bed Reactor

Liquid distribution plays a crucial role in the performanceofthe trickle bed reactor (TBR). Therefore, understanding the flow behaviorof a droplet impacting a spherical catalyst particle in the TBR isessential for the design and operation of the reactor. In this study,the volume of fluid (VOF) model was used to investigate this phenomenon.The simulation results revealed two distinctive flow patterns: a uniformliquid film flow pattern and a droplet flow pattern. To quantitativelyevaluate the two flow patterns, a postprocessing method was proposedbased on the Fibonacci sequence. The results indicate that the uniformliquid film flow pattern can maintain larger total gas-liquidinterfacial area and specific interfacial area (thinner liquid film)for a longer residence time compared to the droplet flow pattern,demonstrating that the uniform liquid film flow pattern is a promisingway to optimize the TBR performance. To facilitate the formation ofa uniform liquid film on the particle, using liquids with smallercontact angles, lower surface tension, and adjusting the droplet/particlesize ratio to a suitable range can be suggested.