Effects of reactant composition and nonuniformities on temperature fronts

Hot zones evolution and dynamics in heterogeneous catalytic systems

Stationary and complex moving hot regions formed for temperatures close to the extinction temperature of uniformly ignited states of several catalytic systems, such as thin rings and hollow cylinders, a thin radial flow reactor (RFR) and a shallow packed bed. IR imaging revealed that the hot and cold regions (temperature difference of the order of 100 degrees C) were separated by a sharp (about 3 mm wide) temperature front. The transition from the branch of uniformly ignited to the states with a hot region was usually supercritical. In some experiments a disjoint branch of states with hot regions existed and two qualitatively different states with hot zones existed under the same operating conditions. A very intricate periodic motion of a hot zone was observed in a shallow packed bed reactor. For example, Fig. 16 shows a hot zone which splits and later coalesces several times during the long (14 h) period. Hot pulse motions were observed on a single catalytic pellet. These were caused by global coupling between the surface reaction rate and the ambient reactant concentration and the inherent nonuniformity of the catalytic activity. It is not yet clear what rate processes generate the transversal hot zones in uniform packed bed reactors. (c) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

Temperature patterns on a hollow cylindrical catalytic pellet

The atmospheric oxidation of a mixture containing 6 vol % carbon monoxide was carried out on a hollow cylindrical catalytic pellet. The catalyst was held in a conical reactor which enabled simultaneous measurement of the temperature patterns on the top and side of the pellet by an IR imager. Upon a decrease in the reactor temperature the fully ignited, high temperature state of the pellet is transformed to a nonuniform one with temperature fronts separating high and low temperature regions. The transition and the resulting states are rather intricate and are strongly influenced by the nonuniformity of the catalyst and the transport to and from it, as well as the global coupling, which stabilizes temperature fronts and patterns, which would not exist in its absence. Intricate pulse splitting and extinction were observed both on the top and the side of the pellet. Highly irregular motions and conversions were obtained following a decrease in the reactor temperature. (c) 1999 American Institute of Physics.