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A Feasibility Study for Synthesis Gas Production by Considering Carbon Dioxide Capturing in an Industrial-Scale Methanol Synthesis Plant

  • Research Article - Chemical Engineering
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Abstract

In this paper, a feasibility study for the application of chemical-looping combustion (CLC) instead of fired furnace for synthesis gas production during methanol synthesis in an industrial-scale conventional steam reformers (CSR) has been considered. The aims are the prevention of large emission of CO2 to atmosphere and enhancement of synthesis gas production. For this purpose, employment of Ni18–Al2O3, Ni40–Al2O3, and Fe45–Al2O3 oxygen carrier (OC) has been investigated. Simulation results show that complete oxidation and reduction of OC occurs in air reactor and fuel reactor (FR), respectively. Also, combustion efficiency reaches to 1 in the FR part of CLC-SR with all types of OCs. Utilizing CLC instead of fired furnace enhances CH4 conversion and H2 yield in SR side of CLC-SR. Results indicate that in CLC-SR, CH4 conversion is equal to 26.4, 27.96, and 26.33 % via Ni18–Al2O3, Ni40–Al2O3, and Fe45–Al2O3 OC, respectively, in comparison with 26 % in CSR. Slightly higher conversion is observed with Ni40–Al2O3, i.e., from 26 % to almost 28 %. Synthesis gas production increases from 3633 kmol h−1 in CSR to 3639, 3868, and 3673 kmol h−1 in CLC-SR via Ni18–Al2O3, Ni40–Al2O3, and Fe45–Al2O3 OC, respectively. Results illustrate that by increasing FR feed temperature from 800 to 1000 K, CH4 conversion in SR side increases 4.99, 7.93, and 4.57 % by using Ni18–Al2O3, Ni40–Al2O3, and Fe45–Al2O3 OC, respectively, in comparison with CSR. Also, synthesis gas production enhances 15 and 26.01 % via Ni18–Al2O3, Ni40–Al2O3, and Fe45–Al2O3 OC, respectively, in comparison with CSR.

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Abbreviations

A c :

Cross-sectional area (m2)

A i :

Inside area of inner tubes (m2)

A o :

Outside area of inner tubes (m2)

a v :

Specific surface area of catalyst pellet (m2 m−3)

C t :

Total concentration (mol m−3)

C p :

Specific heat of the gas at constant pressure (J mol−1)

d p :

Particle diameter (m)

D i :

Tube inside diameter (m)

D o :

Tube outside diameter (m)

D ij :

Binary diffusion coefficient of component i in j (m2 s−1)

D im :

Diffusion coefficient of component i in the mixture (m2 s−1)

D o :

Tube outside diameter (m)

E a :

Activation energy (J mol−1)

F i :

Flow rate of component I (mol s −1)

F b :

Molar flow in bubble phase (mol s −1)

F e :

Molar flow in emulsion phase (mol s −1)

h f :

Gas–solid heat transfer coefficient (Wm−2 K−1)

h i and h o :

Heat transfer coefficient between fluid phase and reactor wall in exothermic and endothermic sides with convection (Wm−2 K−1)

k 1 :

Reaction rate constant for the first rate equation (mol kg−1 s−1)

k 2 :

Reaction rate constant for the second rate equation (mol kg−1s−1)

k 3 :

Reaction rate constant for the third rate equation (mol kg−1 s−1)

k i :

Rate constant of reaction i (mol kg−1  s−1bar −1/2)

k g,i :

Mass transfer coefficient for component i (ms−1)

K :

Conductivity of fluid phase (Wm−1 K−1)

K w :

Thermal conductivity of reactor walls (Wm−1 K−1)

k 0i :

Pre-exponential factor of chemical reaction rate constant for oxidation and reduction of oxygen carriers (\({{\rm mol}^{{\rm 1-n}}{\rm m}^{{\rm 3n-2}}{\rm s}^{-1}}\))

L :

Reactor length (m)

M i :

Molecular weight of component i (g mol−1)

n :

reaction order for oxidation and reduction of OCs

P :

Total pressure (Pa)

P i :

Partial pressure of component i (Pa)

R :

Universal gas constant (J mol−1K−1)

Re :

Reynolds number

Sc i :

Schmidt number of component i

T :

Temperature (K)

t :

Time (s)

u :

Superficial velocity of fluid phase (ms−1)

u g :

Linear velocity of fluid phase (ms−1)

U :

Overall heat transfer coefficient between exothermic and endothermic sides based on convection (W m−2 K−1)

U AS :

Overall heat transfer coefficient between AR side and SR side (Wm−2 K−1)

U AF :

Overall heat transfer coefficient between AR side and FR side (Wm−2 K−1)

X OC :

Conversion of oxidized OCs

y i :

Mole fraction of component i

z :

Axial reactor coordinate (m)

\({\mu}\) :

Viscosity of fluid phase (kgm−1 s−1)

\({\rho}\) :

Density of fluid phase (kgm−3)

\({\rho_{{\rm b}}}\) :

Density of catalytic bed (kgm−3)

\({\tau_{{\rm i}}}\) :

Time needed for full conversion (s)

\({\nu_{{\rm ci}}}\) :

Critical volume of component i (cm3 mol−1)

\({\Delta H_{{\rm f,i}}}\) :

Enthalpy of formation of component i (J mol−1)

\({\varepsilon_{{\rm b}}}\) :

Void fraction of catalytic bed

\({\delta}\) :

Bubble phase volume as a fraction of total bed volume

\({\gamma}\) :

Volume fraction of catalyst occupied by solid particle in bubble

\({\phi}\) :

OC circulation flow rate to fuel flow rate

\({\eta_{{\rm c}}}\) :

combustion efficiency

\({\eta}\) :

effectivenessfactor

g :

In bulk gas phase

s :

At surface catalyst

0:

Inlet conditions

i :

Chemical species

j :

Reactor side

AR:

Air reactor

FR:

Fuel reactor

SR:

Steam reforming

OC:

Oxygen carrier

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Persian Gulf University, 75169, Bushehr, Iran

    Mohsen Abbasi

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, Shiraz University of Technology, 71555-313, Shiraz, Iran

    Mehdi Farniaei

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Shiraz University, 71345, Shiraz, Iran

    Mohammad Reza Rahimpour & Alireza Shariati

Authors
  1. Mohsen Abbasi
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  2. Mehdi Farniaei
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  3. Mohammad Reza Rahimpour
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  4. Alireza Shariati
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Correspondence to Mohsen Abbasi.

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Abbasi, M., Farniaei, M., Rahimpour, M.R. et al. A Feasibility Study for Synthesis Gas Production by Considering Carbon Dioxide Capturing in an Industrial-Scale Methanol Synthesis Plant. Arab J Sci Eng 40, 1255–1268 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-015-1598-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-015-1598-9

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