Optimization of Carbon Dioxide Utilization: Simulation-Based Analysis of Reverse Water Gas Shift Membrane Reactors

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Catalysis
• Separation Technology

Background:

• The Reverse Water Gas Shift (RWGS) reaction is crucial for CO2 utilization but faces thermodynamic limitations.
• Conventional Packed Bed Reactors (PBRs) struggle to achieve high CO2 conversion due to equilibrium constraints.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize a membrane reactor system for enhanced CO2 conversion efficiency in the RWGS reaction.
• To investigate the performance of ZSM-5 membranes integrated with Ru-Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalysts.

Main Methods:

• Development of a one-dimensional simulation model using FlexPDE Professional.
• Analysis of ZSM-5 membrane performance in a membrane reactor configuration.
• Optimization of operational parameters: temperature, pressure, and sweep gas flow rate.

Main Results:

• The membrane reactor achieved significantly higher CO2 conversion (0.99) compared to PBR (0.61) under optimized conditions.
• ZSM-5 membranes demonstrated high H2O selectivity, with optimal performance between 400-600 °C.
• A Half-Membrane Permeable Bed Reactor (Half-MPBR) design improved conversion (0.86) by mitigating reactant permeation issues.

Conclusions:

• Membrane reactors effectively overcome thermodynamic limitations in RWGS reactions.
• Optimized membrane reactor designs, including Half-MPBR, offer superior CO2 conversion.
• This study provides valuable insights for advancing Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technologies.