Methane Steam Limitations and Reforming: II. Diffusional Reactor Simulation

Given the intrinsic kinetics, the tortuosity factor of a Ni/MgAI,O, catalyst was determined under reaction conditions by minimizing the sum of squares of residuals of the experimental and the simulated conversions. The parallel cross-linked pore model with uncorrelated pore size distribution and orientation was used in the calculation of the effective diffusivities. A modified collocation method was used to obtain the partial pressure profiles of the reacting components in the catalyst pellet. The simulation of the experimental reactor during the optimization of the tortuosity factor also yielded the effectiveness factors of the reactions. The results of the simulation of an industrial steam reformer are also discussed

KINETICS OF SLURRY PHASE FISCHER-TROPSCH SYNTHESIS

This report covers the fourth year of a research project conducted under the University Coal Research Program. The overall objective of this project is to develop a comprehensive kinetic model for slurry-phase Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) employing iron-based catalysts. This model will be validated with experimental data obtained in a stirred-tank slurry reactor (STSR) over a wide range of process conditions. The model will be able to predict molar flow rates and concentrations of all reactants and major product species (water, carbon dioxide, linear 1- and 2-olefins, and linear paraffins) as a function of reaction conditions in the STSR. During the fourth year of the project, an analysis of experimental data collected during the second year of this project was performed. Kinetic parameters were estimated utilizing product distributions from 27 mass balances. During the reporting period two kinetic models were employed: a comprehensive kinetic model of Dr. Li and co-workers (Yang et al., 2003) and a hydrocarbon selectivity model of Van der Laan and Beenackers (1998, 1999) The kinetic model of Yang et al. (2003) has 24 parameters (20 parameters for hydrocarbon formation, and 4 parameters for the water-gas-shift (WGS) reaction). Kinetic parameters for the WGS reaction and FTS synthesis were estimated first separately, and then simultaneously. The estimation of these kinetic parameters employed the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) method and the trust-region reflective Newton large-scale (LS) method. A genetic algorithm (GA) was incorporated into estimation of parameters for FTS reaction to provide initial estimates of model parameters. All reaction rate constants and activation energies were found to be positive, but at the 95% confidence level the intervals were large. Agreement between predicted and experimental reaction rates has been fair to good. Light hydrocarbons are predicted fairly accurately, whereas the model underpredicts values of higher molecular weight hydrocarbons. Van der Laan and Beenackers hydrocarbon selectivity model provides a very good fit of the experimental data for hydrocarbons up to about C{sub 20}. However, the experimental data shows higher paraffin formation rates in C{sub 12}-C{sub 25} region which is likely due to hydrocracking or other secondary reactions. The model accurately captures the observed experimental trends of decreasing olefin to paraffin ratio and increasing {alpha} (chain growth length) with increase in chain length

KINETICS OF SLURRY PHASE FISCHER-TROPSCH SYSTHESIS

This report covers the third year of this research grant under the University Coal Research program. The overall objective of this project is to develop a comprehensive kinetic model for slurry phase Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) on iron catalysts. This model will be validated with experimental data obtained in a stirred tank slurry reactor (STSR) over a wide range of process conditions. The model will be able to predict molar flow rates and concentrations of all reactants and major product species (H{sub 2}O, CO{sub 2}, linear 1- and 2-olefins, and linear paraffins) as a function of reaction conditions in the STSR. During the reporting period we utilized experimental data from the STSR, that were obtained during the first two years of the project, to perform vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) calculations and estimate kinetic parameters. We used a modified Peng-Robinson (PR) equation of state (EOS) with estimated values of binary interaction coefficients for the VLE calculations. Calculated vapor phase compositions were in excellent agreement with experimental values from the STSR under reaction conditions. Occasional discrepancies (for some of the experimental data) between calculated and experimental values of the liquid phase composition were ascribed to experimental errors. The VLE calculations show that the vapor and the liquid are in thermodynamic equilibrium under reaction conditions. Also, we have successfully applied the Levenberg-Marquardt method (Marquardt, 1963) to estimate parameters of a kinetic model proposed earlier by Lox and Froment (1993b) for FTS on an iron catalyst. This kinetic model is well suited for initial studies where the main goal is to learn techniques for parameter estimation and statistical analysis of estimated values of model parameters. It predicts that the chain growth parameter ({alpha}) and olefin to paraffin ratio are independent of carbon number, whereas our experimental data show that they vary with the carbon number. Predicted molar flow rates of inorganic species, n-paraffins and total olefins were generally not in good agreement with the corresponding experimental values. In the future we'll use kinetic models based on non-constant value of {alpha}

Kinetics of Slurry Phase Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

The overall objective of this project is to develop a comprehensive kinetic model for slurry-phase Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) employing iron-based catalysts. This model will be validated with experimental data obtained in a stirred-tank slurry reactor (STSR) over a wide range of process conditions. Three STSR tests of the Ruhrchemie LP 33/81 catalyst were conducted to collect data on catalyst activity and selectivity under 25 different sets of process conditions. The observed decrease in 1-olefin content and increase in 2-olefin and n-paraffin contents with the increase in conversion are consistent with a concept that 1-olefins participate in secondary reactions (e.g. 1-olefin hydrogenation, isomerization and readsorption), whereas 2-olefins and n-paraffins are formed in these reactions. Carbon number product distribution showed an increase in chain growth probability with increase in chain length. Vapor-liquid equilibrium calculations were made to check validity of the assumption that the gas and liquid phases are in equilibrium during FTS in the STSR. Calculated vapor phase compositions were in excellent agreement with experimental values from the STSR under reaction conditions. Discrepancies between the calculated and experimental values for the liquid-phase composition (for some of the experimental data) are ascribed to experimental errors in the amount of wax collected from the reactor, and the relative amounts of hydrocarbon wax and Durasyn 164 oil (start-up fluid) in the liquid samples. Kinetic parameters of four kinetic models (Lox and Froment, 1993b; Yang et al., 2003; Van der Laan and Beenackers, 1998, 1999; and an extended kinetic model of Van der Laan and Beenackers) were estimated from experimental data in the STSR tests. Two of these kinetic models (Lox and Froment, 1993b; Yang et al., 2003) can predict a complete product distribution (inorganic species and hydrocarbons), whereas the kinetic model of Van der Laan and Beenackers (1998, 1999) can be used only to fit product distribution of total olefins and n-paraffins. The kinetic model of Van der Laan and Beenackers was extended to account separately for formation of 1- and 2-olefins, as well as n-paraffins. A simplified form of the kinetic model of Lox and Froment (1993b) has only five parameters at isothermal conditions. Because of its relative simplicity, this model is well suited for initial studies where the main goal is to learn techniques for parameter estimation and statistical analysis of estimated values of model parameters. The same techniques and computer codes were used in the analysis of other kinetic models. The Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) method was employed for minimization of the objective function and kinetic parameter estimation. Predicted reaction rates of inorganic and hydrocarbon species were not in good agreement with experimental data. All reaction rate constants and activation energies (24 parameters) of the Yang et al. (2003) model were found to be positive, but the corresponding 95% confidence intervals were large. Agreement between predicted and experimental reaction rates has been fair to good. Light hydrocarbons were predicted fairly accurately, whereas the model predictions of higher molecular weight hydrocarbons values were lower than the experimental ones. The Van der Laan and Beenackers kinetic model (known as olefin readsorption product distribution model = ORPDM) provided a very good fit of the experimental data for hydrocarbons (total olefins and n-paraffins) up to about C{sub 20} (with the exception of experimental data that showed higher paraffin formation rates in C{sub 12}-C{sub 25} region, due to hydrocracking or other secondary reactions). Estimated values of all model parameters (true and pseudo-kinetic parameters) had high statistical significance after combining parameters related to olefin termination and readsorption into one (total of 7 model parameters). The original ORPDM was extended to account separately for formation of 1- and 2-olefins, and successfully employed to fit experimental data of three major groups of hydrocarbon products (n-paraffins, 1-olefins and 2-olefins). This model is referred to as an extended ORPDM (8 model parameters in its final form). In general, all three groups of products were fitted well, and the estimated model parameters were all positive and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals were small. Even though the extended ORPDM provided a very good fit of experimental data, it can not be used for the prediction of product distributions for a given set of process conditions. This model has several pseudo-kinetic parameters whose values vary with process conditions. Additional work is needed to expand capabilities of the model to predict molar flow rates of all inorganic species and major hydrocarbon products in terms of true kinetic (temperature dependent) constants

Modeling of Dual-Zone Structured Reactors for Natural Gas Steam Reforming

The performance of dual-zone structured catalytic reactors in natural gas steam reforming under typical commercial operating conditions is evaluated by means of detailed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, including detailed reaction kinetics. A hybrid CFD model is developed, combining a porous medium type description of the reactor core zone and a detailed description of the reactor internals in the near-wall region. The porous medium model parameters are determined from specific pressure drop measurements in a wide mass flow rate range. Additional pressure drop measurements with the complete structure and with pellets serve for CFD model validation. The influence of the flow and catalyst distribution over the different reactor zones and the influence of the catalyst loading are then numerically studied. A comparison with a conventional packed bed reactor is made, and advantages of the dual-zone structured reactors with respect to pressure drop, heat transfer, and catalyst effectiveness are illustrated