Modeling of a thermo-chromatographic pulse (TCP) as radio-frequency (RF)-induced selective heating effect.

By utilizing the specific influence of water adsorption on the dielectric loss factor and, consequently, selective heating of the zeolite NaY in a radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic field, a hot zone moving through the packed bed can be realized initiated by water injection. While the effect of water adsorption on RF heating and the phenomenon of the thermo-chromatographic pulse (TCP) itself were described in a previous paper, the present study presents a detailed model for the description and explanation of this effect. It involves the complex dependence of dielectric loss on temperature and moisture content, a diffusion model considering both hopping and Knudsen mechanisms and a power balance for a representative segment of the packed bed. The developed model was successfully applied to adequately describe various experimental situations observed for selective RF heating in a NaY zeolite bed.