Simulating the hydrocarbon waste pyrolysis in reactors of various designs

Abstract

The study presents a simulation of pyrolysis reactors of various designs performed in the COMSOL Multiphysics software package. The non-isothermal flow (k–ε turbulent flow) module is used. The advantages this technique has over other commonly used ones are shown. The results indicate that under the same conditions, heating in sectional reactors is more intense. To achieve optimal results, the coolant flow rate in new reactors maybe by an order of magnitude less compared to the conventional design. The use of sectional reactors for multi-flow processing of hydrocarbon waste is advisable. Keywords: sectional reactor; pyrolysis; hydrocarbon waste; heat transfer; turbulent flow.