Optimal catalyst activity profiles .11. The case of multiple-step distributions

For reactions where the rate varies linearly with catalyst loading, for any performance index such as effectiveness, selectivity, or yield, the optimal active element distribution is a step function, where the number and location of the steps depend upon the specific problem under study. In all cases reported to date in the literature, single-step distributions have been found to be optimal. In this work, an example involving two parallel reactions is presented, where a multiple-step distribution is optimal