Abstract
A numerical model based on the concept of local thermodynamic equilibrium was developed to describe the catalytic partial oxidation processes in reactors with performance that exceeds laboratory scale. The developed model describes heat transfer in the catalytic porous layer and steel shell of the catalytic reactor, which has external heating. Computer simulation based on this model facilitates prediction of spatial temperature profiles and reactive mixture composition inside the reactor. The predictions of the numerical model are in agreement with the mixture composition at the reactor outlet as measured during steady-state working regimes in the context of different flow rates that ranged from 1.7 to 5.1 Nm(3)/h. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.