Unveil carbon dioxide recycling potential throughout distributor-type membrane reactor

• Published in: Journal of CO2 utilization 2024-04, Vol.82, p.102763, Article 102763
• Main Authors: Sato, Yuya, Moździerz, Marcin, Berent, Katarzyna, Brus, Grzegorz, Nomura, Mikihiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon dioxide recycling; CFD; Distributor-type membrane reactor; Hydrogen production; Methanation
• ISSN: 2212-9820; 2212-9839
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2024.102763

With the cost of green hydrogen production decreasing year by year, methanation, a carbon dioxide hydrogenation reaction, is becoming a more critical technology for the realization of a carbon-neutral society. Here, we show the procedure of membrane preparation for a distributor-type membrane reactor that simultaneously captures and recycles CO2 together with experimental tests of the proposed reactor design. To decrease the temperature gradient in the reactor and to improve methane recovery from the inlet gas mixture, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulation of the reactor was conducted. The numerical results suggest that the distributed feed design results in a uniform distribution of carbon dioxide, preventing localized reactions at the reactor inlet. In addition, it reduces the temperature rise in the reactor by up to about 300 K compared to the case where the carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas mixture is fed from a single inlet. The effect of the feed CO2 concentration on reactivity is also discussed. Simulation results show that the membrane reactor with inlet concentration of about 15 %, such as those emitted from industrial boilers, is capable of recovering methane at concentrations about 1.5 times higher in comparison to 100 % CO2 concentration at the inlet in a classical reactor. [Display omitted] •The distributor-type reactor advances CO2 capture and recycling, aiding carbon neutrality.•The proposed reactor design lowers temperature rises by 300 K, enhancing efficiency.•Reactor achieves 1.5 times higher methane recovery, improving CO2 recycling.