Optimal Fixed Bed Reactor Network Configuration for the Efficient Recycling of CO 2 into Methanol

Ali Elkamel, Gholam Reza Zahedi, Chris Marton and Ali Lohi
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Ali Elkamel: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
Gholam Reza Zahedi: Simulation and Artificial Intelligence Research Center, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
Chris Marton: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
Ali Lohi: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Ryerson, Toronto, ON M5B2K3, Canada

Energies, 2009, vol. 2, issue 2, 1-10

Abstract: An optimal design strategy of a network of fixed bed reactors for Methanol Production (MP) is proposed in this study. Both methanol production and profit spanning a production period of eight years have been set as objective functions to find the optimal production network. The conservation of mass and energy laws on a heterogeneous model of a single industrial methanol reactor was first developed. The model was solved numerically and was validated with industrial plant data. Different reactor network arrangements were then simulated in order to find an optimal superstructure. It was found that a structure of four reactors (two in series in parallel with another two in series) provide maximum production rate. The application of the more realistic objective function of profit showed that a configuration of two parallel reactors is the best configuration. This optimal structure produces 92 tons/day more methanol than a single reactor.

Keywords: Methanol reactor; reactor configuration; optimal design; carbon dioxide (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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