Abstract
The hydrodynamics of gas-phase fluidized beds is non-ideal due to high
velocity. Micro-fluidized beds have distinct flow patterns because of
the wall and the diameter constrains bubble velocity. We measured the
gas phase RTD in a 8 mm ID quartz tube loaded with fluid catalytic
cracking catalyst (FCC). We devised a feed manifold to introduce a
4-component tracer gas as a bolus pulse. The FCC separated the gases
based on diffusivity like chromatography. At ambient temperature, the
trailing edge of CO, CH4, and CO2 have
extended tails and an axial dispersion model accounts only for 92 % of
the variance. We developed a model to characterize the tailing that
includes diffusion from the bulk gas to the FCC pores and
adsorption-desorption of the gas on the catalyst. This model accounted
for 98.6 % of the variance in the RTD. At 300°C the tailing disappeared
consistent with expectations in chromatography.