Numerical simulation of effect of gas distributor on Fischer–Tropsch synthesis in fluidized-bed reactor--颗粒学报PARTICUOLOGY

Zhang, X., Zhai, G., Qian, W., Zhang, H., Sun, Q., & Ying, W. (2019). Numerical simulation of effect of gas distributor on Fischer–Tropsch synthesis in fluidized-bed reactor. Particuology, 45, 98-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.partic.2018.07.012

Numerical simulation of effect of gas distributor on Fischer–Tropsch synthesis in fluidized-bed reactor

Xiaolai Zhang ^a, Guangwei Zhai ^b, Weixin Qian ^a, Haitao Zhang ^a, Qiwen Sun ^b, Weiyong Ying ^a *

a Engineering Research Center of Large Scale Reactor Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
b State Key Laboratory of Coal Liquefaction and Coal Chemical Technology, Shanghai 201203, China

10.1016/j.partic.2018.07.012

Volume 45, August 2019, Pages 98-104

Received 21 March 2018, Revised 2 July 2018, Accepted 24 July 2018, Available online 10 February 2019, Version of Record 10 June 2019.

E-mail: wying@ecust.edu.cn

Highlights

• Fluidized-bed reactor CFD model was coupled with Fischer–Tropsch synthesis reaction.

• Fischer–Tropsch species included CO, H₂, H₂O, CH₄, C₃H₈, C₁₀H₂₂, and C₂₂H₄₆.

• Branched pipe and circular gas distributors were designed.

• Circular distributor gave better gas–solid contact than branched pipe distributor.

• This led to higher reaction rates and higher solid-phase temperature distribution.

Abstract

Circular and branched pipe distributors were designed for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis in a fluidized-bed reactor. A numerical investigation of the effects of these distributors on product selectivity and production rate was performed. Under the same conditions, the circular distributor gave higher production rates for small diameter particles. For superficial gas velocities ranging from 5 to 15 times the minimum fluidization velocity, the production rates of methane and C₅₊ (the sum of C₁₀H₂₂ and C₂₂H₄₆) were 18%, which was 2% higher than those using the branched pipe distributor, while the C₅₊ selectivity was 1% lower. For deeper beds, the circular distributor led to higher production rates and the selectivity for C₅₊was 5% lower than that using the branched pipe distributor.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Fischer–Tropsch synthesis; Fluidized bed; Gas distributor; Numerical simulation

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