CO₂ methanation: on the modeling of reacting laminar flows in structured Ni/MgAl₂O₄ catalysts

This work presents an overview of issues for the modeling of laminar flows in monolith catalysts. Both 0-D and 3-D models are evaluated for a parallel channel structured honeycomb catalyst (PC-HC), and a gyroid 3-D printed structured catalyst (G-3D). At the 0-D homogeneous reactor modeling level, the analysis is focused on the effect of the bulk porosity, as well as the model choice to represent Nusselt number effects. Results show the better suitability of a long tube Nusselt number model for the representation of the maximum temperature achievable in the 0-D homogeneous reactor, as well as a modest effect of the porosity on the catalyst CO₂ conversion. A more detailed insight on heat transfer and the core reaction zone inside the monolith can be obtained at the 3-D homogeneous reactor modeling level.