Thermal Responses of Packed Beds at Low Reynolds Numbers

Abstract

Thermal response experiments were conducted for packed beds at low Reynolds numbers (Re<6). The experimental temperature signals (temperature-time curves) were compared with the theoretically predicted signal curves, and it was found that the axial thermal dispersion coefficients were anomalously high compared with the gas thermal diffusivity value.
The particle-to-gas heat transfer coefficients were also found to be large; Nusselt numbers were not to be less than 0.1 at Reynolds numbers less than six. Interpretation was made for the reason of high axial thermal dispersion coefficients.