TY - JOUR
T1 - Controlling the selectivity in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis using foam catalysts
T2 - An integrated experimental and modeling approach
AU - Aguirre, Alejo
AU - Scholman, Esther
AU - van der Schaaf, John
AU - Neira d'Angelo, M. Fernanda
PY - 2021/4/1
Y1 - 2021/4/1
N2 - The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is widely applied to convert syngas to liquid fuels, being long-chain hydrocarbons (C5+) the preferred products. Combining experiments and first-principle simulations, this work analyzes the effect of intra and extra-particle mass transfer limitations on the FTS reaction rate and product selectivity using open-cell foams catalysts. Co/Al2O3 and Co/TiO2 catalysts were deposited on open-cell foam structures and tested for the FTS. A 1-D multi-scale first principle reactor model is developed in order to correlate the product distribution and the reactor performance with the system properties. Both experiments and modeling results demonstrate that an increase in the washcoat layer thickness leads to greater selectivity towards methane and that the reaction rate has a maximum at ca. 60 μm. The developed model is used to predict the foam-based reactor performance, under realistic industrial conditions, showing that the productivity to C5+ is severely affected by washcoat layers thicker than 50 μm.
AB - The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is widely applied to convert syngas to liquid fuels, being long-chain hydrocarbons (C5+) the preferred products. Combining experiments and first-principle simulations, this work analyzes the effect of intra and extra-particle mass transfer limitations on the FTS reaction rate and product selectivity using open-cell foams catalysts. Co/Al2O3 and Co/TiO2 catalysts were deposited on open-cell foam structures and tested for the FTS. A 1-D multi-scale first principle reactor model is developed in order to correlate the product distribution and the reactor performance with the system properties. Both experiments and modeling results demonstrate that an increase in the washcoat layer thickness leads to greater selectivity towards methane and that the reaction rate has a maximum at ca. 60 μm. The developed model is used to predict the foam-based reactor performance, under realistic industrial conditions, showing that the productivity to C5+ is severely affected by washcoat layers thicker than 50 μm.
KW - Fischer-Tropsch synthesis
KW - Mass transfer limitations
KW - Open-cell foam catalyst
KW - Product distribution
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85098512537&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.cej.2020.128139
DO - 10.1016/j.cej.2020.128139
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85098512537
VL - 409
JO - Chemical Engineering Journal
JF - Chemical Engineering Journal
SN - 1385-8947
M1 - 128139
ER -