Fractional Nonlinear Dynamics of Heat and Mass Transfer in Porous Industrial Reactors

Abstract

Porous industrial reactors depend on tightly coupled heat and mass transfer within complex porous structures, where pore resistance and nonlinear reaction kinetics strongly affect thermal and species evolution. Recent studies on porous-media transport and fractional-order modeling suggest that classical integer-order formulations often fail to capture delayed relaxation and memory-dependent transfer in such systems. However, the combined effect of fractional transport, nonlinear heat generation, and species depletion in porous industrial reactors remains insufficiently understood. This research addresses that gap by developing a fractional nonlinear model for coupled heat and mass transfer in a porous reactor. The results show that lower fractional order increases hotspot localization, sharpens concentration depletion fronts, and strengthens transport asymmetry. Overall, the study demonstrates that porous-reactor behavior should be treated as both nonlinear and memory-dependent for more realistic reactor analysis.