Gas-lift reactors for rapid reactions with appreciable gas consumption

Gas-lift reactors offer important advantages for a number of gas/liquid and gas/liquid/solid reactions. However, the design and operation of these reactors can be complex when there is a substantial change in the molar gas flow rate along the length of the reactor, e.g., when a gaseous reactant is converted into a liquid product. In this situation, there is a strong coupling between reactor hydrodynamics and reaction kinetics, which arises from the fact that the rate of liquid circulation through the reactor and the longitudinal profile of gas holdup in the riser are mutually dependent. Several one-dimensional models have been developed to describe kinetic/hydrodynamic coupling in gas-lift reactors. These models offer useful insights into the parameters that affect reactor performance. The models can also be used to explore different approaches to scale-up.