HZDR and Forschungszentrum Jülich LOHC dehydrogenation densitometry in Dresden; higher holdup than predictions due to pore condensation

Investigations on liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) dehydrogenation using densitometry - Publications Repository - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, HZDR

Investigations on liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) dehydrogenation using densitometry

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Bieberle, A. ; Lami, L. ; Kryk, H. ; Hampel, U. ; Wasserscheid, P. ; Geißelbrecht, M.

LOHC technology facilitates both large-scale hydrogen storage and safe transportation under ambient conditions. During liquid phase dehydrogenation of the carrier molecules perhydro benzyltoluene (H12-BT), a transition from a liquid-solid over a liquid-solid-gas system to a gas-solid system takes place in a fixed-bed reactor. Since the axial liquid holdup profile influences both heat transfer and catalyst activity and stability, quantitative knowledge of its spatial distribution under reactive conditions is essential for process optimization and predictive reactor modelling. However, such data is not available for technically relevant LOHC systems.

We present a study, in which the axially resolved liquid holdup was measured in-situ in a fixed-bed LOHC dehydrogenation pilot reactor over a wide range of reaction conditions using non-destructive densitometric measurement technique. All experimentally determined holdup values significantly exceeded predictions based on bulk vapor–liquid equilibrium. This discrepancy could be attributed to the increased capillary pressure in the pores resulting in condensation of LOHC within the pores. Based on the acquired experimental data, a first empirical correlation for the measured liquid holdup values could be developed.

This project is a collaboration of Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf and Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH.

Keywords: LOHC dehydrogenation; gamma densitometry

Densitometric scans on a LOHC Reactor ROBIS: 42445 HZDR-primary research data are used by this (Id 43324) publication

Densitometric scans on a LOHC Reactor RODARE: 4183 HZDR-primary research data are used by this (Id 43324) publication

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