PREDICTION OF PRESSURE-DROP AND LIQUID SATURATION IN TRICKLE-BED REACTORS OPERATED IN HIGH INTERACTION REGIMES

Simple models, based on liquid-solid and gas-liquid interaction are pr oposed in order to model a gas-liquid flow in trickle-bed reactors ope rating in high interaction regimes. Good results are obtained, when th e liquid-solid and the gas-liquid interactions are modeled separately. Besides the classical Ergun equation, a simple model of the liquid-so lid interaction, based on a boundary layer flow is proposed. This appr oach results in a relation which is very close to the well-known liqui d saturation correlation proposed by Specchia and Baldi (1977, Chem. E ngng Sci. 32, 515-523), and might be its theoretical justification. Th e gas-liquid interaction is modeled using a drift-flux approach. The d ifferent models are tested against the data bank of about 1500 saturat ion and pressure drop measurements, established mainly by the Nancy re search group. The importance of the geometrical characteristics of the porous media and their incomplete description are emphasized. Finally simple predictive correlations based on the models are proposed, test ed against the data bank and compared to literature correlations. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.