Development of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis CFD Modeling in Microreactor

Development of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis CFD modeling in Microreactor

Yousef Alanazi, Andrew Traverson, Dennis Petersen, Jair Lizarazo-Adarme, Líney Árnadóttir, Alexandre Yokochi and Goran N. Jovanovic

Oregon State University: School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering and Microproducts Breakthrough Institute (MBI)

Fisher-Tropsch Synthesis is the process that converts synthesis gas (syngas) such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen, into a wide range of long chain hydrocarbons and oxygenates in the presence of catalysts such as iron or cobalt. The products of the reaction include jet fuel, naphtha and diesel. The goal of this study is to create an overall model for Fisher-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) in a microreactor channel and that will be solved using COMSOL Multiphysics software. The mathematical model will include the fundamental physics of momentum, mass and heat transport as well as reaction kinetics for the microreactor channel. The initial step of the mathematical model is making an isothermal two phase flow system with diffusion to a catalyst layer on the walls. The two phases are a gas bubble surrounded by a moving liquid. In this system the diffusion process happen in three regimes; diffusion of gas to liquid through the caps of the bubble, diffusion from the bulk liquid to catalyst walls, and diffusion to catalyst walls through the liquid film. The model will cover a total number of 20 species of paraffin from C₁ To C₂₀ 19 olefins from C₂ To C₂₀ and four key components ( H₂ , CO , H₂O and CO₂ ) are considered in the reaction which leads to 43 nonlinear differential equations for the species mass balance and that will cover a whole range of product distribution to investigate.