82
P a r r I n s t r u m e n t C o m p a n y
Fluidized Bed Reactors
The reactor system pictured
on this page includes the fol-
lowing key components:
• A gas handling and mixing
sub-system used to blend and
regulate the flow of reactant
gas to the bottom of the
reactor.
• The reactor is roughly
one meter long with a 2.5 cm
ID. The lower portion of the
reactor incorporates an easily
replaced porous metal gas dif-
fusion plate and the top of the
reactor widens abruptly to form
a disengaging zone for the
fluidized bed. Separate heaters
are provided for both the main
reactor and disengaging zone.
A multipoint thermocouple is
The Parr Fluidized Bed Reactor features the Reactor (A), a Heated Cyclone
Separator (B), a Cooling Condenser (C), and a 600 mL Product Receiver (D).
P
etroleum and Fluidized
Bed Reactors are used
extensively in the chemical
process industries. The distin-
guishing feature of a fluidized
bed reactor is that the solids
bed or catalytic particles are
supported by an up flow of
gas. This reactor provides
easy loading and removing of
catalyst. This is advantageous
when the solids bed must
be removed and replaced
frequently. A high conversion
with a large throughput is pos-
sible with this style of reactor.
Such reactors inherently pos-
sess excellent heat transfer and
mixing characteristics.
Fluidized beds have been
significantly utilized in chemical
processes, in which parameters
such as diffusion or heat
transfer are the major design
parameters. Compared to
packed bed, a fluidized bed has
notable advantages such as
better control of temperature,
no hot spot in the bed, uniform
catalyst distribution and longer
life of the catalyst. The desir-
ability of using fluidized beds is
dependent on achieving good
mixing between the solids and
the suspending fluid.
Nearly all the significant
commercial applications of flu-
idized bed technology concern
gas-solid systems. Applications
of fluidized bed reactors
include but are not limited to
Fisher-Tropsch synthesis, cata-
lytic cracking of hydrocarbons
and related high molecular
weight petroleum fractions.
Gasification in a fluidized bed
can be utilized to convert coal,
biomass and other waste mate-
rials into synthesis gas.
A
B
C
D
provided for monitoring the
internal reactor temperature
distribution.
• A heated cyclone separator
or filter is provided imme-
diately downstream of the
reactor to capture the fines
resulting from particle attrition.
• The reaction products are
then cooled by a condenser
and collected in a 600 mL prod-
uct receiver.
• The system pressure is
maintained by a dome loaded
back pressure regulator.
• All system functions and
parameters are monitored and
maintained by a Parr 4871
Process Controller
.
