In this work, we present a finite-element model for radio frequency (RF) heating of catalytic reactors; we also compare the model with our experimental data on RF heating for catalytic Propane Dehydrogenation (PDH) reaction. We perform RF heating using a parallel plate applicator on a Pt/Alumina catalyst, with functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes serving as the RF susceptor. Through electromagnetics simulations, we were able to obtain the electric field of the parallel plate applicator. Subsequently, we performed heat transfer simulations for the catalyst, which showed broad qualitative and quantitative agreement with our experimental heating data. The simulations also confirm that the frequency at which the reflection (S11) of RF fields is lowest corresponds to the frequency at which heating rate of the catalyst is highest. We modeled the kinetics of the endothermic PDH reaction, coupled with heat transfer and electromagnetics. Finally, we conducted simulations in which the catalyst diameter is scaled up to evaluate the thermal distribution of the catalyst and reflection of RF fields in parallel plate applicator. This work highlights the potential for electrothermal radio frequency heating of endothermic chemical reactions.
