MOVING BED

Moving bed reactors are catalytic reactors in which the catalyst moves through the
reactor along with the reactants. They are open systems and operate at steady state.
The animation below shows the operation of a moving-bed reactor. Reactants
(green) and catalyst (white) enter the top of the reactor and move through the
vessel. Once at the bottom the catalyst (black) is removed and regenerated;
products (blue) are removed from the reaction system and the catalyst is
regenerated and brought to the top of the reactor.

EQUIPMENT DESIGN
This animation shows the basic operation within a moving bed reactor. Solid catalyst
pellets are continuously introduced at the top of the reactor, as are the fluid phase
reactants. The catalyst and the fluid flow together down the reactor. The reaction
takes place along the way, which establishes a concentration gradient.

ADVANTAGES

Easy to regenerate catalyst

Have plug flow characteristics
Low catalyst handling cost
High conversion rate
Good selectivity

DISADVANTAGES

Flow of solids not easy to maintain

Poor heat transfer characteristics
Fluid reactant may bypass catalyst
bed
Solid distribution difficult to
maintain
Stagnation may occur
Attrition, break-up of catalyst
pellets due to impact against
reactor walls, may occur

PACKED BED REACTORS

Packed bed reactors, also known as fixed bed reactors, are often used for catalytic
processes. Pictured below is a fixed bed reactor used in a synthetic process. Pictured
below is a packed bed reactor used in the NASA Glenn Research Center. The
experiment is designed to develop packed bed reactors for microgravity environments
by studying fluid flow though porous media in microgravity.
When designing a packed bed reactor one must take into account the active life of
the catalyst. This will affect the length of time a bed of catalyst may be used and
thus how long the reactor may be run before the catalyst needs to be regenerated.
Catalyst pellets are usually granular, with diameters from 1 - 5 mm. They can be
loaded into the reactor in several ways: as a single bed, separate shells, or in tubes.
Catalysts are typically made from nickel, copper, osmium, platinum, and rhodium.

The catalysts shown below are made of precious metal on 3.175 mm ceramic beads
and are used in an electric catalytic oxidizer that treats air streams contaminated
with volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

USAGE EXAMPLES
Packed bed reactors have a wide range of uses for catalytic reactions. They are also
widely used in small scale commercial reactions. The picture below shows soil
scientists using a small scale packed-bed reactor to test cost-effective methods of
removing ammonia from livestock wastewater.

ADVANTAGES

High conversion rate per weight of

catalyst.
Easy to build.
More contact between reactant and
catalyst than in other types of
reactors.
More product is formed due to
increased reactant/catalyst
contact.
Low cost of construction, operation,
and maintenance.
Effective at high temperatures and
pressures.

DISADVANTAGES

Difficult temperature control.

Temperature gradients may occur.
Catalyst difficult to replace.
Channeling of gas stream can occur,
leading to ineffective regions in the
reactor.
Side reactions possible.
Heat transfer to or from reactor can
be difficult