Transient behaviour and start-up of periodic flow reversal reactors for catalytic decontamination of waste gases

A full dynamic one-dimensional model for the simulation of the catalytic reverse-flow reactor and a code for its solution have been developed. A wide set of simulations has been carried out for the combustion of lean mixtures of methane. The influence of changes in the design parameters (bed length, cycle period and fraction of inert material) and in the operating parameters (inlet concentration and flow rate) on the transient starting has been investigated in detail.