Heat Transfer in a Slurry Bubble Column Reactor: A Critical Overview

Studies of heat transfer in slurry bubble column reactors have been reviewed and observed differences analyzed based on available data. Heat transfer in these reactors is a strong function of some parameters and a weak function of others. The parameters significantly influencing heat transfer in these reactors are the superficial gas velocity, thermophysical properties of liquid and solid particles, and size and concentration of the particles. Moreover, the rate of change with a parameter is dependent on the operating flow regime, particle properties, and presence of internals. Of all of the parameters, the effect of the particles is more complex and inadequately understood because particles influence the flow regime transition and thermophysical and rheological properties of the suspension, which, in turn, affect the hydrodynamic behavior and associated heat-transfer characteristics. The effects of the column diameter and internals have been investigated by a limited number of studies. A comparison of available data shows that the effect of the column diameter on heat transfer diminishes above 0.3 m. This, however, requires confirmation from larger-diameter studies together with associated hydrodynamic studies and appropriate modeling. Literature correlations for the heat-transfer coefficient have been reviewed and their limitations and applicability discussed. Axial and radial variations of heat-transfer coefficients reported in literature studies require appropriate design considerations.