Modelling of a reverse-flow partial oxidation reactor for synthesis gas production from gasifier product gas

Abstract

This is the published version of a paper published in Journal of Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering.Citation for the original published paper (version of record):Tunå, P., Svensson, H., Brandin, J. (2015) Modelling of a reverse-flow partial oxidation reactor for synthesis gas production from gasifier product gas.. Abstract. Biomass gasification followed by fuel synthesis is one of the alternatives for producing liquid fuels and chemicals from biomass feedstocks. The gas produced by gasification contains CO, H2, H2O, CO2, light hydrocarbons and tars. The light hydrocarbons can account for as much as 50% of the total energy content of the gas, depending on the type of gasifier, operating conditions and feedstock. The gas also contains catalyst poisons such as sulphur, in the form of H2S and COS. This paper presents simulations of a reverse-flow partial-oxidation reformer that converts the light hydrocarbons into more synthesis gas, while achieving efficiencies approaching that of conventional catalytic processes. Variations in parameters such as pressure, amount of oxidant and steam-to-carbon ratio were also investigated. Simulations of the reforming of natural gas were included for comparison. The results show the benefits of using reverse-flow operation with lean gases such as gasifier product gas. Journal of Computational Methods in Sciences and

Modeling of soot formation during partial oxidation of producer gas

“…In order to describe the dynamic behavior of the system, a numerical model of the reverse flow reactor was developed in earlier work [18]. This model was used to investigate how the reverse flow concept could be applied to reforming of a producer gas.…”

“…This concept has been previously studied and proven highly effective for reforming of hydrocarbon fuels [15][16][17]. The reverse flow POX reactor has been modeled in previous work and shows potential in handling the unique qualities of the producer gas that makes it difficult to reform using conventional techniques [18]. However some issues still remain to be resolved.…”

Theoretical Investigation on Syngas Production by Catalytic Partial Oxidation of Methane in a Reverse-Flow Microchannel Monolithic Reactor

“…In the past few decades, many experimental and numerical studies have investigated the performance of small-scale fixed-bed reverse-flow reactors for performing exothermic reactions due to their potential for storing heat energy and increasing thermal efficiency, , which in turn may also promote the reaction performance. A number of these studies have focused on the chemical processes used to control air pollution, such as catalytic oxidation of methane and volatile organic compounds, − ammonia and nitrogen oxides, , and sulfur oxides. − Furthermore, the synthesis of some chemicals such as methanol, − ammonia, and hydrogen and synthesis gas − have also been investigated in these reactors.…”

“…Some of the performed experimental and theoretical studies on syngas production by catalytic partial oxidation of methane in the reverse-flow reactors have focused on investigating this process in packed-bed and membrane-assisted packed-bed reactors, ,,− and others have examined the monolithic ones. − The work of Gosiewski is one of the few published simulation studies with an emphasis on syngas production by catalytic partial oxidation of methane in a reverse-flow monolithic reactor. In this research, the performance of reverse-flow monolithic and packed-bed reactors was studied and compared during a semi-cycle of 120 s using a heterogeneous one-dimensional mathematical model.…”