科研之友
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摘要
Coupling energy-intensive endothermic reaction systems with suitable exothermic reactions improves the thermal efficiency of processes and reduces the capital cost of the reactors. In this study, a steady-state heterogeneous model for a novel thermally coupled reactor, containing methanol synthesis reactions and cyclohexane dehydrogenation, was developed. This heat exchanger reactor consists of two fixed beds separated by a wall, where heat is transferred across the surface of the tube from the exothermic into the endothermic side. The co-current mode is investigated, and the simulation results are compared with corresponding data for an industrial methanol fixed bed reactor operated at the same feed conditions. The results show that although methanol productivity in the thermally coupled reactor is not higher than that in the conventional methanol reactor, benzene is also produced as an additional valuable product in a favorable manner, and autothermality is achieved within the reactor. This novel configuration can increase the methanol synthesis temperature at the first part of the reactor for higher process rates and then reduce the temperature at the second part of reactor for increasing thermodynamic equilibrium; those are two key issues in methanol reactor configurations. The influence of inlet temperature, molar flow rate, and shell diameter of the endothermic stream on reactor behavior is investigated. The results suggest that coupling of these reactions in co-current mode could be feasible and beneficial. Experimental proof-of-concept is needed to establish the validity and safe operation of the novel reactor.
- 出版日期2012
