CATALYST WETTING EFFICIENCY IN TRICKLE-BED REACTORS AT HIGH-PRESSURE

Trickle-bed reactors are widely used in industrial high pressure opera tions (up to 30 MPa). The knowledge of catalyst wetting efficiency as a function of operating conditions is needed for relating laboratory a nd pilot scale reactor data to large scale reactor operation. The avai lable predictions of the wetting efficiency rest on data collected at atmospheric pressure. In this study a phenomenological analysis has be en developed to relate the wetting efficiency with operating condition s such as reactor pressure, gas and liquid how rate. Experimental data for the wetting efficiency at high pressure have been obtained via a tracer technique. The data support the developed model which can be ex pressed by the following correlation: eta(CE) = 1.104 Re-L(1/3) [1+[(D elta P/Z)/rho(L)g]/Ga-L](1/9). This correlation is also in good agreem ent with the data correlated previously at atmospheric pressure and pr ovides the means for assessing liquid-catalyst contacting at all opera ting pressures.