PATTERN-FORMATION IN FIXED-BED CATALYTIC REACTORS - II

Following Trinh and Ramkrishna (1996a, Chem. Engng Sci., in press), sp atial patterns due to steady-state multiplicity in catalyst particles in a packed-bed catalytic reactor is investigated further under isothe rmal conditions. In this work, axial dispersion is included in the flu id phase while the assumption of lumped resistance to transport (withi n the particles) at the particle surface is retained. A region is iden tified in the relevant parameter space in which spatial patterns are a ssured to exist. Conditions are established for asymptotic stability a s well as stability in a specially defined 'topology' due to Weinberge r (1982, Lecture Notes in Numer. Appl. Anal., Vol. 5, p. 354). This to pology signifies how much the prevailing profile in the reactor may va ry from a specific steady-state pattern. It is used to specify the ini tial perturbation of the reactor from the pattern in order that the re actor output stays within some stipulated range of product quality thu s allowing the reactor to remain within a particular class of patterns . (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.