Choosing the right packing in millipacked bed reactors under single phase gas flow

Packed bed reactors with diameters below 1 cm, millipacked beds hereafter, are often used to test catalysts. The prospect of using these for catalytic kinetic measurements is quite attractive, but it requires a better knowledge the flow characteristics reactors. This study focuses on main hydrodynamic features in single phase gas flow. effects length, velocity, reactor/particle diameter ratio (?) and use fine inert powder as porosity filler investigated via residence time distribution reactive tests. When spherical particles, values ratios between < ? 3, behavior Peclet number, Pe, not monotonous. Lower Pe number specific corresponding large void spaces particles and/or walls, have been observed. For > 3 higher numbers observed, particular at high velocities, due transition more uniform packing where walls no longer major constraint. cylindrical dispersion observed when cylinders align each other along reactor axis, compared they randomly arranged reactor. A criterion calculate maximum conversion that can be achieved neglecting has proposed, highlighting situations caution. neglected. In case fulfilled, filling reduces dispersion. Using fillers internal 2 4 mm showed an improvement conversions n-heptane reforming methylcyclohexane dehydrogenation, which attributed external mass transfer improvement. Fine powders fill yield lower transfer.