Forced Cycling of Catalytic Reactors: Systems With Two Inputs

An experimental study of feed composition square-wave cycling during CO oxidation on a supported platinum catalyst was performed. Significant rate enhancement relative to steady-state reactor operation was achieved. It was found that the phasing of the oxygen and CO input cycles had a dramatic effect on the time-average reaction rates. The maximum rates occurred when the oxygen input led the CO input, with the oxygen and CO inputs in-phase for a portion of the overall cycle. The observed rate enhancement could be quantitatively described only by a surface phase transformation model incorporating CO self-exclusion.