(437c) Life Cycle Modeling and Reactor Design for CO2 Utilization

Shaik Afzal¹, Mohammedsufiyan Challiwala¹, Debalina Sengupta², Nimir Elbashir³ and Mahmoud El-Halwagi¹

Corresponding Author: debalinasengupta@tamu.edu

1 Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station

2 Gas and Fuels Research Center, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

3 Chemical Engineering Department, Texas A&M University, Qatar

AIChE Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, October 29 - November 3, 2017

The reaction of methane and carbon dioxide to produce syngas (mixture of CO and H2) is called Dry Reforming of Methane (DRM). DRM has received considerable interest in academia and industry due to CO2 being one of the reactant feed and its potential for fixing CO2. Most of the work done in DRM research involves novel catalysts to reduce the coking problem and thermodynamic studies to estimate product composition at different operating conditions. Syngas ratios are important for desired products, and the overall CO2 balance needs to be tracked for ensuring environmental sustainability.

This work focuses on modeling for maximum potential of the DRM reaction to reduce CO2 emissions of a process. In addition to reformer heat duty, this work considers upstream and downstream emissions from processes required for maintaining a desired syngas ratio. In the first part of this work, syngas generation at desired ratios is considered. Depending on the ratio of H2/CO, additional reforming methods like steam reforming or partial oxidation may be needed. A combination of two or more reforming methods constitutes combined reforming. With combined reforming methods, thermodynamic advantages can be achieved. In the second part of the study, a novel reactor scheme is proposed. This scheme makes use of the thermodynamic equilibrium estimates and creates more than one product of interest, at the same time achieving significant fixation of CO2.

The results from these studies are aimed at reducing CO2 through combination of reforming methods and novel reactor design. This study will help understand the impact of DRM unit on carbon emissions and the operating costs of a syngas generation unit. The results can then be compared with other CO2 reduction strategies in the industry to prioritize projects aimed towards a low-carbon emissions future. LINGO software has been used for equilibrium calculations and optimization. Appropriate reactor design, process simulation tools have also been used for this work.