Question

Difference between packed beg column and fluidised bed column

Answer 1

• A2A
• Forgive me if I am wrong, it has been a while since I touched reactor design.

The key different between a fixed bed and packed bed reactor is the reaction location.

In fixed bed reactor, the reaction is done on the surface of the pellet inside the reactor, and the pellet act as a catalyst for the reaction.

In packed bed reactor, the reaction is done by finely mixing the 2 stream of chemicals through physical mixing. The pellet has no relation to chemical reaction but facilitating physical mixing of 2 phases.

In term of pellet design, fixed bed reactor emphasizes on reactivity and surface area of pellets. In packed bed reactor, the pellets are made to be inert and sometimes have special shapes to promote mixing.