Kinetic and mechanistic studies extending over a decade have led researchers at the Institute of Catalysis in Russia to a kinetic as well as a reactor model for SO2 oxidation capable of describing the rate of SO2 oxidation at high SO2 conversion and transient operating conditions. Using kinetic parameters and transport properties obtained for a Russian commercial catalyst, the Institute of Catalysis model was applied to simulate the experiments of Briggs et al. in which the feed to a packed bed of an industrial, potassium-promoted, vanadia/silica catalyst was periodically switched from an SO3-SO2-O-2-N-2 mixture to air. These experiments displayed rapid temperature excursions on switching and SO2 conversions that approached the equilibrium limit. Good agreement of the simulation with the measurements of Briggs et al. was obtained. This result suggests the Institute of Catalysis model is robust and will be widely applicable.