Partial Oxidation of Methane in a Circulating Fluidized-Bed Catalytic Reactor

• Published in: Industrial & engineering chemistry research Vol. 36; no. 11; pp. 4567 - 4571
• Main Authors: Pugsley, T. S, Malcus, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01.11.1997
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Catalysis; Catalytic reactions; Chemical engineering; Chemistry; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Reactors; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Circulating fluidized bed; Methane; Fluidized bed reactor; Catalytic reaction; Hydrocarbon; Alkane; Catalytic reactor; Numerical simulation; Synthesis gas; Partial oxidation
• ISSN: 0888-5885; 1520-5045
• DOI: 10.1021/ie970088y

The catalytic partial oxidation of methane (CPOM) to synthesis gas in a circulating fluidized-bed catalytic reactor has been simulated. Results of the simulation indicate that the equilibrium conversion of methane (approximately 93% at a riser pressure of 1 atm) may be achieved in a riser operating at an average solids holdup of 10%. The methane conversion drops with increasing pressure to less than 60% when the riser pressure is 10 atm. Addition of carbon dioxide to the feed was found to increase methane conversion. However, the CO2 conversion was only about 50% so that the separation costs associated with the removal of unreacted CO2 in the synthesis gas tend to counteract the benefits of the higher methane conversion.