Fluidized bed Reactor

Introduction
A fluidized-bed reactor is a combination of the two most common, packed-bed
and stirred tank, continuous flow reactors. It is very important to chemical engineering
because of its excellent heat and mass transfer characteristics. The fluidized-bed
reactor design can be seen below:

Figure 1: Basic design of fluidized-bed reactor

In a fluidized-bed reactor, the substrate is passed upward through the

immobilized enzyme bed at a high enough velocity to lift the particles. However, the
velocity must not be so high that the enzymes are swept away from the reactor entirely.
This causes some mixing, more than the piston-flow model in the packed-bed reactor,
but complete mixing as in the CSTR model. This type of reactor is ideal for highly
exothermic reactions because it eliminates local hot-spots, due to its mass and heat
transfer characteristics mentioned before. It is most often applied in immobilizedenzyme catalysis where viscous, particulate substrates are to be handled.
Fluidized bed reactors are generally very large. They must be designed so that
the fluid flowrate is sufficient to suspend the catalyst particles. The particles typically
range in size from 10 - 300 microns. Fluidized bed reactors are commonly used in
catalytic cracking processes. They are also used in the oxidation of naphthalene to
phtalic anhydride, roasting of sulfide ores, coking of petroleum residues, and the
calcination of limestone. They are often used when there is a need for large amounts of
heat input or output, or when closely controlled temperatures are required.

Operation of Reactor
The operation of a fluidized bed reactor starts when the reactants are pumped
into the reactor through a distributor continuously, causing the bed to become fluidized.
Before the reactor is started the catalyst pellets lie on a grate at the bottom of the
reactor. The bed's behavior after initial fluidization depends on the state of the reactant.
If it is a liquid the bed expands uniformly with increased upward flow of the reactant.
This is called homogenous fluidization.
If the reactant is a gas the bed will be non-uniform because the gas forms
bubbles in the bed, resulting in aggregative fluidization. Sometimes these bubbles in
coarse materials can grow larger than two-thirds of the bed's diameter, which can cause
slugging. Slugging can result in variable pressures, vibrations in the bed, and heat
transfer reductions. Increasing the velocity of the gas leads to a turbulent regime. In the
fast fluidization regime the bed surface starts to disappear. Increasing the gas velocity
further results in pneumatic transport, in which the bed is completely removed and the
particles are uniformly spaced in the fluid. During this process the reactants react due to
the presence of the catalyst pellets, forming products that are removed continuously.

Figure 2: Flow of catalyst in fluidized bed Reactor

When designing a fluidized bed reactor, the catalyst life must also be taken into
account. Most fluidized bed reactors, such as the one shown here have a separate
compartment to regenerate the catalyst.

Difference between fixed bed and fluidized bed reactor has been summarized in the
table below:
FIXED BED REACTORS
Used for Solid/Liquid or Solid/Gas
Contact.
Gases approximate plug flow while
passing through Fixed Bed Reactor.

FLUIDIZED BED REACTORS

Excellent Solid/Gas contact.

Rapid mixing of solids allows easily

controlled
practically
isothermal,
operations.
Effective temperature control of large No hot spots even in highly exothermic
Fixed Bed is difficult.
reactions
In highly exothermic reactions hot spots Good gas to particle and bed to wall heat
are developed which ruin catalyst.
transfer
Cant use very small size of catalyst due Small size catalysts can be used. Thus,
to high pressure drop.
preferred in fast reactions.
Preferred when catalyst has to be treated
frequently as it deactivates rapidly.

ADVANTAGES
Even temperature distribution eliminates hot spots.
Catalyst is easily replaced or regenerated.
Allows for continuous, automatically controlled operations.
More efficient contacting of gas and solid than in other catalytic reactors.