Small GTL technology for a big country

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 611
Author(s):  
Patrick Larkin
Keyword(s):  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Landfill Gas ◽  
Process Intensification ◽  
Commercial Application ◽  
Microchannel Reactor ◽  
Transportation Fuels ◽  
Reactor Technology ◽  
Local Product ◽  
Innovative Solution ◽  
Gas To Liquids

Gas to liquids (GTL) technology has been applied and proven at large industrial scale in various parts of the world. Such projects, however, consume large quantities of gas, are capital intensive, generate large product volumes, and take decades to bring to fruition. For remote areas of Australia where there are small stranded gas fields and where there is local demand for liquid transportation fuels—which must be transported from manufacturing or import terminal centres—the development of the microchannel GTL reactor is an enabling technology that presents an innovative solution to allow economic development of small GTL projects near the gas deposit, and in the process satisfies local product demand. A microchannel reactor designed to enhance heat transfer in the GTL reactor has been developed and patented by Velocys When used with more active catalysts it provides process intensification to overcome the usual economies of scale benefits associated with larger reactors. The first commercial application of this technology is, at present, being commissioned at ENVIA’s East Oak Oklahoma site using a mixed feedstock of landfill gas and natural gas. Products made by this process do not contain aromatics or sulphur and burn cleaner than petroleum-derived fuels, resulting in lower emissions of NOx, SOx and particulates. Assessment of the use of this novel microchannel reactor technology in remote central Australia is being undertaken. Using a modular skid approach for equipment design and construction to improve site efficiencies, the small GTL concept should be very attractive for a remote Australian context. The standardised modular plants are easier to transport and quicker to install, with lower risk even in the most remote or challenging locations.

Recent advances in reactors for low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: process intensification perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samrand Saeidi ◽  
Maryam Khoshtinat Nikoo ◽  
Azadeh Mirvakili ◽  
Samaneh Bahrani ◽  
Nor Aishah Saidina Amin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperature ◽  
Fixed Bed ◽  
Process Intensification ◽  
Product Distribution ◽  
Membrane Reactors ◽  
Synthesis Process ◽  
Microchannel Reactor ◽  
Fischer Tropsch ◽  
Mixing Properties ◽  
Reactor Technology

AbstractThe low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch (LTFT) process aims to produce heavy cuts such as wax and diesel. For many years, there have been studies and improvements on the LTFT process to make the existing reactors more efficient. Recent studies have proposed innovative configurations such as monolithic loop and membrane reactors as well as microchannel reactor, which improved the performance of LTFT synthesis. This persuades us to update the existing knowledge about the available reactors. Some fundamental features of the current reactors, which belong to the classes of conventional reactors (fixed-bed reactors and slurry reactors) and innovative reactors, are discussed to assist the selection of the most efficient reactors specifically for heavy-cuts production. Published experimental and theoretical works with respect to developments in reactor technology and significant advances in catalysis (such as using structured packing, foams, and knitted wire as catalyst supports due to their excellent radial mixing properties) of the FT process are analyzed and discussed. Consequently, it is shown that the LTFT innovative reactors have higher CO conversions and selectivity of desired heavy cuts. Furthermore, the place of innovative reactors among conventional reactors in terms of effective process parameters on the product distribution has been estimated.

scholarly journals CO Preferential Oxidation in a Microchannel Reactor Using a Ru-Cs/Al2O3 Catalyst: Experimentation and CFD Modelling

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 867
Author(s):  
Kyatsinge Cedric Musavuli ◽  
Nicolaas Engelbrecht ◽  
Raymond Cecil Everson ◽  
Gerrit Lodewicus Grobler ◽  
Dmitri Bessarabov
Keyword(s):  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Hydrogen Fuel Cell ◽  
Preferential Oxidation ◽  
Microchannel Reactor ◽  
Cfd Modelling ◽  
Preferential Oxidation Of Co ◽  
Reactor Technology ◽  
Al2o3 Catalyst

This work presents an experimental and modelling evaluation of the preferential oxidation of CO (CO PROX) from a H2-rich gas stream typically produced from fossil fuels and ultimately intended for hydrogen fuel cell applications. A microchannel reactor containing a washcoated 8.5 wt.% Ru/Al2O3 catalyst was used to preferentially oxidise CO to form CO2 in a gas stream containing (by vol.%): 1.4% CO, 10% CO2, 18% N2, 68.6% H2, and 2% added O2. CO concentrations in the product gas were as low as 42 ppm (99.7% CO conversion) at reaction temperatures in the range 120–140 °C and space velocities in the range 65.2–97.8 NL gcat−1 h−1. For these conditions, less than 4% of the H2 feed was consumed via its oxidation and reverse water-gas shift. Furthermore, a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model describing the microchannel reactor for CO PROX was developed. With kinetic parameter estimation and goodness of fit calculations, it was determined that the model described the reactor with a confidence interval far greater than 95%. In the temperature range 100–200 °C, the model yielded CO PROX reaction rate profiles, with associated mass transport properties, within the axial dimension of the microchannels––not quantifiable during the experimental investigation. This work demonstrates that microchannel reactor technology, supporting an active catalyst for CO PROX, is well suited for CO abatement in a H2-rich gas stream at moderate reaction temperatures and high space velocities.

Towards a High-Pressure Microchannel Reactor for Fuel Characterization

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Akinpelu ◽  
Ingmar Schoegl
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Oxygen Concentration ◽  
Combustion Characteristics ◽  
Test Time ◽  
Potential Candidate ◽  
Microchannel Reactor ◽  
Transportation Fuels ◽  
Intermediate Pressure ◽  
Fuel Blends ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Within the area of combustion, externally heated microtubes have been introduced to study the combustion characteristics of fuels and fuel blends. Microreactors have advantages over other conventional fuel testing methods because of their potential to test small volumes (< 20 μl) at high throughput. In this work, a high-pressure microreactor is designed and implemented to test fuels up to a pressure of 20 bar where automated testing reduces test time substantially. The novelty of this device is its capability to operate at pressure exceeding the current state of the art of 12 bar. The combustion behavior of fuels is tested in an externally heated quartz tube, with a diameter less than the conventional quenching diameter of the fuel. The ultimate objective of the experiment is to investigate the impact of fuel on flame characteristics. The ability to reach engine relevant pressure conditions and its inherent small volume requirements make this device a potential candidate for measurements of laboratory transportation fuels and fuel blends. For initial validation, tests from an earlier intermediate pressure experiment with ethane/air and nitrogen mixtures are repeated. Chemiluminescence images are taken to evaluate the combustion characteristics in terms of the three classical flame regimes: weak flames, Flames with Repetitive Extinction, and Ignition (FREI) and normal flames. Previous results at intermediate pressure showed that as the pressure increases, the weak flame and FREI regimes shift towards lower velocities. Also, as dilution level increase (i.e. reducing oxygen concentration), the transition from the weak flame to FREI becomes less abrupt and is completely lost for marginal oxygen concentration. The objective of this study is to document flame dynamics at higher pressures.

scholarly journals Gas to Liquids Techno-Economics of Associated Natural Gas, Bio Gas, and Landfill Gas

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1568
Author(s):  
Federico Galli ◽  
Jun-Jie Lai ◽  
Jacopo De Tommaso ◽  
Gianluca Pauletto ◽  
Gregory S. Patience
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Landfill Gas ◽  
Labor Cost ◽  
Variable Cost ◽  
Selling Price ◽  
Present Value ◽  
Fischer Tropsch ◽  
Gas To Liquids ◽  
The Impact

Methane is the second highest contributor to the greenhouse effect. Its global warming potential is 37 times that of CO2. Flaring-associated natural gas from remote oil reservoirs is currently the only economical alternative. Gas-to-liquid (GtL) technologies first convert natural gas into syngas, then it into liquids such as methanol, Fischer–Tropsch fuels or dimethyl ether. However, studies on the influence of feedstock composition are sparse, which also poses technical design challenges. Here, we examine the techno-economic analysis of a micro-refinery unit (MRU) that partially oxidizes methane-rich feedstocks and polymerizes the syngas formed via Fischer–Tropsch reaction. We consider three methane-containing waste gases: natural gas, biogas, and landfill gas. The FT fuel selling price is critical for the economy of the unit. A Monte Carlo simulation assesses the influence of the composition on the final product quantity as well as on the capital and operative expenses. The Aspen Plus simulation and Python calculate the net present value and payback time of the MRU for different price scenarios. The CO2 content in biogas and landfill gas limit the CO/H2 ratio to 1.3 and 0.9, respectively, which increases the olefins content of the final product. Compressors are the main source of capital cost while the labor cost represents 20–25% of the variable cost. An analysis of the impact of the plant dimension demonstrated that the higher number represents a favorable business model for this unit. A minimal production of 7,300,000 kg y−1 is required for MRU to have a positive net present value after 10 years when natural gas is the feedstock.

The fast-neutron breeder fission: development, operational experience, and implications for future design in the United States

1990 ◽  
Vol 331 (1619) ◽  
pp. 323-338
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
The United States ◽  
Commercial Application ◽  
Operational Experience ◽  
Market Penetration ◽  
Future Design ◽  
Reactor Technology ◽  
The Status ◽  
Design Activities

As the need for breeder technology in the United States has receded into the more distant future, it has become clear that an alternative justification must be found for continued priority development of sodium-cooled fast-reactor technology. Both the modular high-temperature gas-cooled reactor and the liquid-metal-cooled reactor (LMR) have technical attributes that provide more simple and transparent solutions to some of the problems confronting the nuclear enterprise, in addition to their potential for greater market penetration, resource extension, and waste management improvements. For the past five years, the LMR development programme in the United States has attempted to use these technical attributes in more innovative ways to provide more elegant solutions for the practical commercial application of nuclear energy. This paper discusses the reasons and status of the technological approaches that have evolved to support these policy considerations. For the LMR, efforts are focused on four interrelated development thrusts: (1) increased use of standardization; (2) passive safety approaches; (3) modularity; and (4) improved fuel cycle approaches. The paper also discusses the status of related design activities being conducted by the General Electric Company and a team of U. S. vendors.

Multi-scale approaches for gas-to-liquids process intensification: CFD modeling, process synthesis, and global optimization

2017 ◽  
Vol 105 ◽  
pp. 276-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Onur Onel ◽  
Alexander M. Niziolek ◽  
Holly Butcher ◽  
Benjamin A. Wilhite ◽  
Christodoulos A. Floudas
Keyword(s):  
Global Optimization ◽  
Process Intensification ◽  
Process Synthesis ◽  
Cfd Modeling ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Modeling Process ◽  
Gas To Liquids

A Technoeconomic Analysis of the Potential for Portable Pyrolysis in Northern New Mexico Forests

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander L. Brown ◽  
Patrick D. Brady
Keyword(s):  
New Mexico ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Waste Product ◽  
Small Diameter ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Transportation Fuels ◽  
Unit Energy ◽  
Pyrolysis Oils

Biomass pyrolysis systems can be designed to yield significant quantities of liquid. The liquids have approximately half the heating value of transportation fuels, depending strongly on the water content in the liquids. They are acidic, and tend to change with time, becoming more viscous and higher in molecular weight. However the process required to generate them is simple, and they hold promise to be a renewable source of liquid fuel if they can be produced in a way that is cost-effective. Northern New Mexico forests are mostly characterized by small diameter (less than or equal to 10 cm) conifer trees. For mitigation of fire risk, land owners are required to periodically thin their lands. This generates significant waste product with little or no commercial value. The most widely used current practice is to accumulate and burn the cut wood, or to leave it to rot. Seeking a more effective and ecologically friendly use of the waste, a scaled experimental pyrolysis system was developed using design principles focused on the portable model. The data from this test unit and historical data are used to evaluate the break-even costs of performing pyrolysis. The char co-product is found to have a slight beneficial effect on the economics of the analysis. Labor is a significant fraction of the cost. Economies of scale are important, so the largest system that can be transported will make the most economic sense. On a price per unit energy, this model may be competitive with liquid transportation fuels and fuel oil. However pyrolysis oils will have difficulty competing with natural gas at current regional prices. Other regions may show a more positive comparison, especially in parts of the world where labor is much less expensive.

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