Hydrodynamics in a randomly packed bed of spheres: A comparison between PR‐CFD simulations and MRI experiments

Abstract

Multitubular reactors are commonly used in industry for processes involving highly exothermic chemical reactions. This reactor type consists of individual tubes, with a small diameter compared to the particle size. These slender beds facilitate heat management, but also give rise to flow maldistribution, which decreases the reactor efficiency. The aim of this article is to validate particle‐resolved simulations using Magnetic Resonance Imaging experiments while focusing on the flow maldistribution. The packing structure used in the simulations is reconstructed from the experimental images to facilitate a one‐to‐one comparison. A good match between experiments and simulations is found for the averaged flow profile, probability density function of the velocity in axial direction and even the local velocity distributions. However, a correction of the experimental results for magnetic susceptibility artifacts is necessary to obtain a similar match in the probability density functions and the local profiles.