(42c) Compact Heat Exchange Reactor In FT Applications

Fixed bed reactors are being considered for use for FT process at a small scale. Since the FT reaction is highly exothermic, the reaction typically is controlled by heat transfer and not the kinetics of the reaction. The removal of the heat of the reaction is a demanding challenge for a fixed bed reactor to operate to obtain a high productivity per catalyst unit.  A compact heat exchange reactor (CHER) provides a new solution for this application.  It is capable of removing the heat of the reaction along with reactor length; therefore the reaction becomes essentially isothermal.  As a result, the reactor productivity is improved significantly.  This paper describes the test results for using the CHER in FT application and demonstrates the capability of CHER for this purpose.