Design and Performance Investigation of a Compact Catalytic Reactor Integrated with Heat Recuperator

Qiang Chen, Mingming Mao, Min Gao, Yongqi Liu, Junrui Shi and Jia Li
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Qiang Chen: School of Transportation and Vehicle Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, China
Mingming Mao: School of Transportation and Vehicle Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, China
Min Gao: School of Transportation and Vehicle Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, China
Yongqi Liu: School of Transportation and Vehicle Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, China
Junrui Shi: School of Transportation and Vehicle Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, China
Jia Li: School of Transportation and Vehicle Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, China

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 2, 1-19

Abstract: The catalytic combustion has the advantage of lower auto-ignition temperature and helps to expand the combustible limit of lean premixed gas. However, the intake needs to be preheated to certain temperature commonly through an independent heat exchanger. Similar to the principles of non-catalytic RTO combustion, this paper presents a similar approach whereby the combustion chamber is replaced by a catalytic combustion bed. A new catalytic reactor integrated with a heat recuperator is designed to enhance the heat recirculation effect. Using a two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model, the performance of the reactor is studied. The reaction performances of the traditional and compact reactors are compared and analyzed. Under the same conditions, the compact reactor has better reaction performance and heat recirculation effect, which can effectively decrease the ignition temperature of feed gas. The influences of the inlet velocity, the inlet temperature, the methane concentration, and the thermal conductivity of porous media on the reaction performance of integrated catalytic reactor are studied. The results show that the inlet velocity, inlet temperature, methane concentration, and thermal conductivity of porous media materials have important effects on the reactor performance and heat recirculation effect, and the thermal conductivity of porous media materials has the most obvious influence. Moreover, the reaction performance of multiunit integrated catalytic reactor is studied. The results show that the regenerative effect of multiunit integrated catalytic reactor is further enhanced. This paper is of great significance to the recycling of low calorific value gas energy and relieving energy stress in the future.

Keywords: reactor design; catalytic combustion; heat recuperator; numerical simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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