Magnetic resonance imaging of trickle flow

Abstract

AbstractTrickle bed reactors (TBR) are widely used in the chemical industries. These reactors involve gas and liquid flow through a catalyst‐packed bed. For optimal TBR performance, it is crucial to achieve a uniform distribution of gas and liquid among the catalyst particles. However, in multitubular reactors with slender tubes, flow maldistribution near the tube walls is a common issue. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of local phase and flow distribution is essential for designing and operating reactors with slender tubes. This article employs Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to characterize the three‐dimensional distribution of the two‐phase trickle flow within a slender tube. Three quantities are characterized: gas‐liquid‐solid distribution, particle wetting efficiency, and the flow field. Structure and flow MRI images are processed to calculate these quantities. Additionally, a novel postprocessing technique is introduced to determine the liquid distribution over individual particle surfaces. This distribution is determined at several axial and radial positions.