A trickle-bed reactor (TBR) is a chemical reactor that uses the downward movement of a liquid and the downward (co-current) or upward (counter-current) movement of gas over a packed bed of (catalyst) particles.

Trickle bed reactors are solid-liquid-gas contacting devices wherein a liquid stream flows downward over a bed of catalyst with pressure difference serving as the driving force. The fluid flows over catalyst particles and forms fine films, rivulets, or droplets.

Trickle bed reactors comprise a family of reactors in which gas and liquid phase reactants flow in downward direction (toward the direction of gravity) over a bed of solid catalyst particles. The gas phase may flow in upward or downward direction depending on the type of application.

In a trickle bed reactor the gas and liquid flow (trickle) concurrently downward over a packed bed of catalyst particles. Industrial trickle beds are typically 3 to 6 m deep and up to 3 m in diameter and are filled with catalyst particles ranging from to in. in diameter.

Packed catalyst beds with two phase flow are used in many heterogeneous catalytic processes. Models evolved from empirical with experimental validation on reactor scale via phenomenological multiscale analysis to fundamental with sophisticated validation on all scales

Apr 16, 2019 · Trickle-bed reactors are solid-liquid-gas contacting devices where liquid flows downward over a packed bed of catalyst particles. Gas can flow concurrently or countercurrently through the bed. Liquid forms thin films over catalyst particles.

The principal alternative to using a fixed bed with two-phase flow, either upwards or downwards, is a slurry reactor or ebulliating bed in which the catalyst particles, which must now be substantially smaller, are in motion. These are also sometimes termed three-phase fluidized- bed reactors or suspended bed reactors.

Jun 7, 2022 · The progress in trickle bed reactor design and scale‐up strategies over past 50 years is summarized in this chapter with focus on hydrodynamics of TBR, models used design of TBRs and examples...

Aug 4, 1997 · A concise review of relevant experimental observations and modeling of high-pressure trickle-bed reactors, based on recent studies, is presented.

The progress in trickle bed reactor design and scale-up strategies over past 50 years is summarized in this chapter with focus on hydrodynamics of TBR, models used design of TBRs and examples of how to use these models to analyze performance and predict scale-up.