Parallel Hydrogenation for the Quantification of Wetting Efficiency and Liquid-Solid Mass Transfer in a Trickle-Bed Reactor

A novel method for the measurement of wetting efficiency in a trickle-bed reactor under reaction conditions is introduced. The method exploits reaction rate differences of two first-order liquid-limited reactions occurring in parallel, to infer wetting efficiencies without any other knowledge of the reaction kinetics or external mass transfer characteristics. Using the hydrogenation of linear-and isooctenes, wetting efficiency is measured in a 50-mm internal diameter, high-pressure trickle-bed reactor. Liquid-solid mass transfer coefficients are also estimated from the experimental conversion data. Measurements were performed for upflow operation and two literature-defined boundaries of hydrodynamic multiplicity in trickle flow. Hydrodynamic multiplicity in trickle flow gave rise to as much as 10% variation in wetting efficiency, and 10-20% variation in the specific liquid-solid mass transfer coefficient. Conversions for upflow operation were significantly higher in trickle-flow operation, because of complete wetting and better liquid-solid mass transfer characteristics. (C) 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 57: 1310-1319, 2011