Enhancement of carbon dioxide removal in a hydrogen-permselective methanol synthesis reactor

• Published in: International journal of hydrogen energy 2009-02, Vol.34 (3), p.1349-1362
• Main Authors: Rahimpour, M.R., Alizadehhesari, K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alcohols: methanol, ethanol, etc; Alternative fuels. Production and utilization; Applied sciences; Carbon dioxide; Catalysts; CO 2 removal; Dynamic model; Dynamic models; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Fuels; Global warming; Greenhouse gases; Hydrogen storage; Hydrogen-permselective; Membrane reactor; Membranes; Methyl alcohol; Reactors; Synthesis
• ISSN: 0360-3199; 1879-3487
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2008.10.089

One of the major problems facing mankind in 21st century is the global warming which is induced by the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. One of the most promising processes for controlling the atmospheric CO 2 level is conversion of CO 2 to methanol by catalytic hydrogenation. In this paper, the conversion of CO 2 in a membrane dual-type methanol synthesis reactor is investigated. A dynamic model for this methanol synthesis reactor was developed in the presence of long-term catalyst deactivation. This model is used to compare the removal of CO 2 in a membrane dual-type methanol synthesis reactor with a conventional dual-type methanol synthesis reactor. A conventional dual-type methanol synthesis reactor is a vertical shell and tube heat exchanger in which the first reactor is cooled with cooling water and the second one is cooled with synthesis gas. In a membrane dual-type methanol synthesis reactor, the wall of the tubes in the conventional gas-cooled reactor is covered with a palladium–silver membrane, which is only permeable to hydrogen. Hydrogen can penetrate from the feed synthesis gas side into the reaction side due to the hydrogen partial pressure driving force. Hydrogen permeation through the membrane shifts the reaction towards the product side according to the thermodynamic equilibrium. The proposed dynamic model was validated against measured daily process data of a methanol plant recorded for a period of 4 years and a good agreement was achieved.