A Numerical Model of Thermal Effects in a Microwave Irradiated Catalyst Bed

Electromagnetic and heat transfer analysis is used to determine possibility of selective heating of nanometer-sized, metallic catalyst particles attached to a ceramic support through microwave irradiation. This analysis is incorporated into a macroscopic heat transfer model of a packed and fluidized catalyst bed heated by a microwave field to predict thermal effects associated with selective heating of the catalyst sites. The model shows a dependence on particle size and microwave frequency on the selective heating of the catalyst sites. The macroscopic thermal effects are shown to be small for a typical experiment. However, changing the support material and catalyst particle size are shown to distinguish the thermal effects associated with selective heating of the metallic catalysts. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis was only made possible through the help and support of many people. Mechanical Engineering Department at the Virginia Military Institute for their help and encouragement in my pursuit of graduate studies. I must certainly thank my mother for her years of understanding and support, and giving me confidence in all my endeavors.