FIBROUS STRUCTURED REACTOR FOR CO2 METHANATION: INFLUENCE OF HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER ON CATALYTIC PERFORMANCE.

V.G. MILT; A. SÁNCHEZ; E.E. MIRÓ; R. GÜTTEL

Jalisco

Congreso; XXVII Congreso Iberoamericano de Catálisis, CICAT 2020; 2020

A fibrous material covered with a catalyst layer was modeled and studied for the methanation of CO2. Catalytic coatings of different thickness and activity were simulated for the reactor working under isothermal conditions. Almost no diffusive limitations to mass transfer were observed, although the catalytic coating thickness can have a significant influence on the selectivity towards CH4. The results suggest that, under certain workingrange, an activity increase together with a thicker coating result in a productivity increase without negatively affecting CH4 selectivity.Under non-isothermic conditions, a study of the temperature profile inside the reactor was performed. Depending on the contact points between the material fibers, the heat transfer towards the cooled wall can be more or less efficient. A hot-spot appears in the reactor, and the maximum temperature can reach non admissible values. In order to approach reactor conditions closer to isothermal operation, a compromise must be found in the catalyst productivity, to ensure an efficient removal of the generated heat, and therefore improve the whole reactor productivity.