Carbon dioxide conversion via reverse water-gas shift reaction: Reactor design.

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Catalysis
• Environmental Science

Background:

• The reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction is crucial for converting CO2 and H2 into syngas, a key component in producing high-value chemicals.
• Mitigating the environmental impact of greenhouse gases, particularly CO2, is a significant global concern, driving research into CO2 utilization technologies.
• The RWGS reaction offers a promising pathway for CO2 valorization and carbon capture and utilization (CCU) strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To model and simulate an industrial catalytic reactor for the RWGS reaction using kinetic data.
• To determine optimal operating conditions for maximizing CO2 conversion and CO selectivity.
• To assess the feasibility of the RWGS process for industrial-scale syngas production.

Main Methods:

• Kinetic data for the RWGS reaction was utilized to develop a simulation model.
• Aspen Plus® v10 software was employed for process simulation and thermodynamic analysis.
• A multi-tubular fixed bed reactor configuration was simulated.

Main Results:

• Optimal reaction conditions identified: feed molar ratio (H2/CO2) of 0.8:1, temperature of 750°C, and pressure of 20 bar.
• The simulation achieved 36.26% CO2 conversion and 96.41% CO selectivity.
• Near-equilibrium CO2 conversion was reached with high CO selectivity at residence times around 2.7 seconds.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully modeled and simulated an industrial RWGS reactor, validating optimal operating conditions.
• The results demonstrate the potential of the RWGS reaction for efficient CO2 conversion and syngas production.
• High CO selectivity achieved in the simulation supports the viability of this process for chemical synthesis and environmental mitigation.