Modeling of radial heat transfer in cooled fixed-bed reactors by one- and two-dimensional models : Fischer-Tropsch synthesis as a case study

Title data

Kern, Christoph ; Jess, Andreas:
Modeling of radial heat transfer in cooled fixed-bed reactors by one- and two-dimensional models : Fischer-Tropsch synthesis as a case study.
In: Chemical Engineering Science. Vol. 314 (2025) . - 121817.
ISSN 0009-2509
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2025.121817

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Abstract in another language

New correlations for the overall heat transfer coefficient Uth, designed for use in one-dimensional reactor models for wall-cooled tubular fixed-bed reactors, are presented. These correlations are applicable for estimating both critical conditions related to thermal runaway and reactor performance under safe operating conditions. They were derived by comparing a 1D and a 2D model, initially for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) as a case study, and subsequently extended beyond this specific reaction system. Additionally, a novel approach is introduced for estimating critical runaway conditions without relying on a reactor model. This method is based solely on reaction kinetics, the effective thermal conductivity λrad, and the heat transfer coefficient αwall, which accounts for heat transfer near the reactor wall.