Periodic open cellular structures (POCS) as catalyst support for intensified heat transport in the partial oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde

Busse C, Freund H, Schwieger W (2024)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2024

Journal

Chemical Engineering Journal Elsevier

Book Volume: 489

Article Number: 151139

DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2024.151139

Abstract

Heat transport in catalytic reactors is one of the most important factors in reactor design, especially for highly endo- or exothermic reactions. The limited thermal conductivity of randomly packed beds can be significantly improved when alternative catalyst supports are used. A new generation thereof are periodic open cellular structures (POCS), which are used in this study as catalyst support for the partial oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde, an exothermic gas phase reaction. A comparison to traditional packed bed reactors revealed that a POCS made of the highly conductive alloy AlSi10Mg can significantly reduce the hot-spot temperature, allowing almost isothermal operation at optimal reaction conditions. The improved temperature control allows for operation with higher methanol inlet concentrations and wall temperatures as compared to the commercial process. The beneficial heat transport properties of POCS were used to conduct isothermal kinetic measurements at elevated temperature. Based on these findings and the design freedom of additive manufacturing, an optimized cellular structure was designed and fabricated, which improved the heat transport especially in the critical inlet section of the reactor.

Authors with CRIS profile

Wilhelm Schwieger Professur für Technische Chemie (Reaktionstechnik)

Involved external institutions

Technische Universität Dortmund DE Germany (DE) Technische Hochschule Nürnberg "Georg Simon Ohm" DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Busse, C., Freund, H., & Schwieger, W. (2024). Periodic open cellular structures (POCS) as catalyst support for intensified heat transport in the partial oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde. Chemical Engineering Journal, 489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.151139

MLA:

Busse, Corinna, Hannsjörg Freund, and Wilhelm Schwieger. "Periodic open cellular structures (POCS) as catalyst support for intensified heat transport in the partial oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde." Chemical Engineering Journal 489 (2024).

BibTeX: Download